Side by side
Psalm 111
Our plain-language guide next to the Bible text. Each row lines up one section with the verses it explains.
Section 1: His Works Are GreatVerses 1 to 4
"Hallelujah! I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart in the council of the upright and in the assembly." (111:1).
Praise is not private here. It is communal — in council, in assembly.
"Great are the works of the LORD; they are pondered by all who delight in them" (111:2).
The works are great enough to study and delight in. Praise is not mindless repetition — it includes attention.
"Splendid and majestic is His work; His righteousness endures forever." (111:3).
"He has caused His wonders to be remembered; the LORD is gracious and compassionate." (111:4).
He has arranged for His works to be remembered. The Passover, the Exodus, the covenant — He set them up as memorial acts.
1Hallelujah! I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart in the council of the upright and in the assembly. 2Great are the works of the LORD; they are pondered by all who delight in them. 3Splendid and majestic is His work; His righteousness endures forever. 4He has caused His wonders to be remembered; the LORD is gracious and compassionate.
Section 2: Faithful and JustVerses 5 to 9
"He provides food for those who fear Him; He remembers His covenant forever" (111:5).
Food and covenant. The physical provision and the relational promise — both from the same hand.
"He has shown His people the power of His works by giving them the inheritance of the nations." (111:6).
"The works of His hands are truth and justice; all His precepts are trustworthy." (111:7).
"They are upheld forever and ever, enacted in truth and uprightness." (111:8).
"He has sent redemption to His people; He has ordained His covenant forever; holy and awesome is His name." (111:9).
Three attributes landed together at the end of the section: redemption, covenant, holy and awesome.
5He provides food for those who fear Him; He remembers His covenant forever. 6He has shown His people the power of His works by giving them the inheritance of the nations. 7The works of His hands are truth and justice; all His precepts are trustworthy. 8They are upheld forever and ever, enacted in truth and uprightness. 9He has sent redemption to His people; He has ordained His covenant forever; holy and awesome is His name.
Section 3: The Beginning of WisdomVerse 10
"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow His precepts gain rich understanding. His praise endures forever!" (111:10).
The final verse is the hinge of all wisdom literature. Not the end of wisdom — the beginning. Awe before God is where knowledge begins.
10The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow His precepts gain rich understanding. His praise endures forever!
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