1 Praise ye the LORD. I will praise the LORD with my whole heart, in the assembly of the upright, and in the congregation.
2 The works of the LORD are great, sought out of all them that have pleasure therein.
3 His work is honourable and glorious: and his righteousness endureth for ever.
4 He hath made his wonderful works to be remembered: the LORD is gracious and full of compassion.
5 He hath given meat unto them that fear him: he will ever be mindful of his covenant.
6 He hath shewed his people the power of his works, that he may give them the heritage of the heathen.
7 The works of his hands are verity and judgment; all his commandments are sure.
8 They stand fast for ever and ever, and are done in truth and uprightness.
9 He sent redemption unto his people: he hath commanded his covenant for ever: holy and reverend is his name.
10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.
1 Praise H1984 ye the LORD. H3050 I will praise H3034 the LORD H3068 with my whole heart, H3824 in the assembly H5475 of the upright, H3477 and in the congregation. H5712
2 The works H4639 of the LORD H3068 are great, H1419 sought out H1875 of all them that have pleasure H2656 therein.
3 His work H6467 is honourable H1935 and glorious: H1926 and his righteousness H6666 endureth H5975 for ever. H5703
4 He hath made H6213 his wonderful works H6381 to be remembered: H2143 the LORD H3068 is gracious H2587 and full of compassion. H7349
5 He hath given H5414 meat H2964 unto them that fear H3373 him: he will ever H5769 be mindful H2142 of his covenant. H1285
6 He hath shewed H5046 his people H5971 the power H3581 of his works, H4639 that he may give H5414 them the heritage H5159 of the heathen. H1471
7 The works H4639 of his hands H3027 are verity H571 and judgment; H4941 all his commandments H6490 are sure. H539
8 They stand fast H5564 for ever H5703 and ever, H5769 and are done H6213 in truth H571 and uprightness. H3477
9 He sent H7971 redemption H6304 unto his people: H5971 he hath commanded H6680 his covenant H1285 for ever: H5769 holy H6918 and reverend H3372 is his name. H8034
10 The fear H3374 of the LORD H3068 is the beginning H7225 of wisdom: H2451 a good H2896 understanding H7922 have all they that do H6213 his commandments: his praise H8416 endureth H5975 for ever. H5703
1 Praise ye Jehovah. I will give thanks unto Jehovah with my whole heart, In the council of the upright, and in the congregation.
2 The works of Jehovah are great, Sought out of all them that have pleasure therein.
3 His work is honor and majesty; And his righteousness endureth for ever.
4 He hath made his wonderful works to be remembered: Jehovah is gracious and merciful.
5 He hath given food unto them that fear him: He will ever be mindful of his covenant.
6 He hath showed his people the power of his works, In giving them the heritage of the nations.
7 The works of his hands are truth and justice; All his precepts are sure.
8 They are established for ever and ever; They are done in truth and uprightness.
9 He hath sent redemption unto his people; He hath commanded his covenant for ever: Holy and reverend is his name.
10 The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all they that do `his commandments': His praise endureth for ever.
1 Praise ye Jah! I thank Jehovah with the whole heart, In the secret meeting of the upright, And of the company.
2 Great `are' the works of Jehovah, Sought out by all desiring them.
3 Honourable and majestic is His work, And His righteousness is standing for ever.
4 A memorial He hath made of His wonders, Gracious and merciful `is' Jehovah.
5 Prey He hath given to those fearing Him, He remembereth to the age His covenant.
6 The power of His works He hath declared to His people, To give to them the inheritance of nations.
7 The works of His hands `are' true and just, Stedfast `are' all His appointments.
8 They are sustained for ever to the age. They are made in truth and uprightness.
9 Redemption He hath sent to His people, He hath appointed to the age His covenant, Holy and fearful `is' His name.
10 The beginning of wisdom `is' fear of Jehovah, Good understanding have all doing them, His praise `is' standing for ever!
1 Hallelujah! I will celebrate Jehovah with [my] whole heart, in the council of the upright, and in the assembly.
2 Great are the works of Jehovah; sought out of all that delight in them.
3 His work is majesty and splendour, and his righteousness abideth for ever.
4 He hath made his wonders to be remembered: Jehovah is gracious and merciful.
5 He hath given meat unto them that fear him; he is ever mindful of his covenant.
6 He hath shewn his people the power of his works, to give them the heritage of the nations.
7 The works of his hands are truth and judgment; all his precepts are faithful:
8 Maintained for ever and ever, done in truth and uprightness.
9 He sent deliverance unto his people; he hath commanded his covenant for ever: holy and terrible is his name.
10 The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all they that do [his precepts]: his praise abideth for ever.
1 Praise Yah! I will give thanks to Yahweh with my whole heart, In the council of the upright, and in the congregation.
2 Yahweh's works are great, Pondered by all those who delight in them.
3 His work is honor and majesty. His righteousness endures forever.
4 He has caused his wonderful works to be remembered. Yahweh is gracious and merciful.
5 He has given food to those who fear him. He always remembers his covenant.
6 He has shown his people the power of his works, In giving them the heritage of the nations.
7 The works of his hands are truth and justice. All his precepts are sure.
8 They are established forever and ever. They are done in truth and uprightness.
9 He has sent redemption to his people. He has ordained his covenant forever. His name is holy and awesome!
10 The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom. All those who do his work have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!
1 Let the Lord be praised. I will give praise to the Lord with all my heart, among the upright, and in the meeting of the people.
2 The works of the Lord are great, searched out by all those who have delight in them.
3 His work is full of honour and glory; and his righteousness is unchanging for ever.
4 Certain for ever is the memory of his wonders: the Lord is full of pity and mercy.
5 He has given food to his worshippers; he will keep his agreement in mind for ever.
6 He has made clear to his people the power of his works, giving them the heritage of the nations.
7 The works of his hands are faith and righteousness; all his laws are unchanging.
8 They are fixed for ever and ever, they are done in faith and righteousness.
9 He has sent salvation to his people; he has given his word for ever: holy is his name and greatly to be feared.
10 The fear of the Lord is the best part of wisdom: all those who keep his laws are wise: his praise is eternal.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Keil & Delitzsch Commentary » Commentary on Psalms 111
Commentary on Psalms 111 Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
Alphabetical Song in Praise of God
With Psalms 111:1-10 begins a trilogy of Hallelujah-Psalms. It may be appended to Psalms 110:1-7, because it places the “for ever” of Psalms 110:4 in broader light in relation to the history of redemption, by stringing praise upon praise of the deeds of Jahve and of His appointments. It stands in the closest relationship to Psalms 112:1-10. Whilst Psalms 111:1-10, as Hitzig correctly says, celebrates the glory, might, and loving-kindness of Jahve in the circle of the “upright,” Psalms 112:1-10 celebrates the glory flowing therefrom and the happiness of the “upright” themselves, of those who fear Jahve. The two Psalms are twin in form as in contents. They are a mixture of materials taken from older Psalms and gnomical utterances; both are sententious, and both alphabetical. Each consists of twenty-two lines with the twenty-two letters of the alphabet at the beginning,
(Note: Böttcher transposes the verses in Psalms 111:1-10, and in Psalms 112:5 corrects יכלכל into וכלכל ; in the warmth of his critical zeal he runs against the boundary-posts of the letters marking the order, without observing it.)
and every line for the most part consists of three words. Both songs are only chains of acrostic lines without any strophic grouping, and therefore cannot be divided out. The analogous accentuation shows how strong is the impression of the close relationship of this twin pair; and both Psalms also close, in Psalms 111:9 and Psalms 111:10, with two verses of three members, being up to this point divided into verses of two members.
That which the poet purposes doing in Psalms 111:1, he puts into execution from Psalms 111:2 onwards. ועדה , according to Psalms 64:7; Psalms 118:14, is equivalent to ועדתם . According to Psalms 111:10 , הפציהם in Psalms 111:2 apparently signifies those who find pleasure in them (the works of God); but חפצי = חפצי (like שׂמחי , Isaiah 24:7 = שׂמחי ) is less natural than that it should be the construct form of the plural of חפץ , that occurs in three instances, and there was no need for saying that those who make the works of God the object of their research are such as interest themselves in them. We are led to the right meaning by לכל־חפצו in 1 Kings 9:11 in comparison with Isaiah 44:28; Isaiah 46:10, cf. Isaiah 53:10, where חפץ signifies God's purpose in accordance with His counsel: constantly searched into, and therefore a worthy object of research ( דרשׁ , root דר , to seek to know by rubbing, and in general experimentally, cf. Arab. drâ of knowledge empirically acquired) according to all their aims, i.e., in all phases of that which they have in view. In Psalms 111:4 זכר points to the festival which propagates the remembrance of the deeds of God in the Mosaic age; טרף , Psalms 111:5, therefore points to the food provided for the Exodus, and to the Passover meal, together with the feast of unleavened bread, this memorial ( זכּרון , Exodus 12:14) of the exemption in faithfulness to the covenant which was experienced in Egypt. This Psalm, says Luther, looks to me as though it had been composed for the festival of Easter. Even from the time of Theodoret and Augustine the thought of the Eucharist has been connected with Psalms 111:5 in the New Testament mind; and it is not without good reason that Psalms 111:1-10 has become the Psalm of the church at the celebration of the Lord's Supper. In connection with הגּיד one is reminded of the Pesach-Haggada. The deed of redemption which it relates has a power that continues in operation; for to the church of Jahve is assigned the victory not only over the peoples of Canaan, but over the whole world. The power of Jahve's deeds, which He has made known to His people, and which they tell over again among themselves, aims at giving them the inheritance of the peoples. The works of His hands are truth and right, for they are the realization of that which is true and which lasts and verifies itself, and of that which is right, that triumphantly maintains its ground. His ordinances are נאמנים (occasionally pointed נאמנים ), established, attested, in themselves and in their results authorizing a firm confidence in their salutariness (cf. Psalms 19:8). סמוּכים , supported, stayed, viz., not outwardly, but in themselves, therefore imperturbable (cf. סמוּך used of the state of mind, Psalms 112:8; Isaiah 26:3). עשׂוּים , moulded, arranged, viz., on the part of God, “in truth, and upright;” ישׂר is accusative of the predicate (cf. Psalms 119:37), but without its being clear why it is not pointed וישׁר . If we have understood Psalms 111:4-6 correctly, then פּדוּת glances back at the deliverance out of Egypt. Upon this followed the ratification of the covenant on Sinai, which still remains inviolable down to the present time of the poet, and has the holiness and terribleness of the divine Name for a guarantee of its inviolability. The fear of Jahve, this holy and terrible God, is the beginning of wisdom - the motto of the Chokma in Job (Job 28:28) and Proverbs (Proverbs 1:7; Proverbs 9:10), the Books of the Chokma . Psalms 111:10 goes on in this Proverbs-like strain: the fear of God, which manifests itself in obedience, is to those who practise them (the divine precepts, פקודים ) שׂכל טּוב (Proverbs 13:15; Proverbs 3:4, cf. 2 Chronicles 30:22), a fine sagacity, praiseworthy discernment - such a (dutiful) one partakes of everlasting praise. It is true, in glancing back to Psalms 111:3 , תּהלּתו seems to refer to God, but a glance forward to Psalms 112:3 shows that the praise of him who fears God is meant. The old observation therefore holds good: ubi haec ode desinit, sequens incipit (Bakius).