Psalm 111 is a short hymn of thanksgiving that praises the LORD for His great works, His faithfulness to His covenant, and His justice. People read it in a Bible study to learn how remembering God’s acts shapes worship, and to see why the fear of the LORD is called the beginning of wisdom. It is a chapter you can read in a few minutes and return to many times.
Psalm 111 Summary
The psalm opens with a resolve to praise. The writer says they will give thanks to the LORD with their whole heart, and they make clear that this praise is not private. It takes place among the upright and in the gathered congregation. Praise, in this view, is a shared act of the community that has seen what God has done.
From there the psalm turns to God’s works. They are described as great, worth studying, and enjoyed by all who delight in them. The middle verses dwell on God’s honor, majesty, righteousness, grace, and mercy, and they note that He has caused His wonderful works to be remembered. He provides food for those who fear Him and keeps His covenant in every generation.
The closing verses widen the lens to God’s acts in history and His unchanging standards. His works are truth and justice, His precepts stand firm forever, and redemption has been sent to His people. The psalm ends where it began with praise, and with the reminder that wisdom starts with reverence for the LORD.
Background and Setting
Psalm 111 belongs to the Book of Psalms, the collection of songs and prayers used in Israel’s worship. It is one of a group of psalms that begin with the call “Praise Yah,” and it is written in an acrostic style, with lines arranged in an ordered pattern that helped worshipers memorize and recite it. Traditionally, the Psalms are associated with King David, though many of the individual psalms are anonymous, and scholars generally date this one to the post-exilic period, after the return from Babylon.
The psalm was written for the worshiping community of Israel, the “upright” and the “congregation” it names in its first verse. It sits in the Psalter’s later section, where many hymns of praise cluster, and it works as a companion to Psalm 112, which describes the blessings of the person who fears the LORD. Read side by side, the two psalms show God’s character and the response it calls forth in His people.
Psalm 111 Section by Section
Verses 1-3: A Vow of Praise and the Glory of God’s Work
1 Praise Yah! I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart, in the council of the upright, and in the congregation. 2 The LORD’s works are great, pondered by all those who delight in them. 3 His work is honor and majesty. His righteousness endures forever.
Psalm 111:1-3 (WEB)
The psalm begins with a personal vow, “I will give thanks,” and it places that vow inside a public setting. The writer does not praise God alone in a corner. The phrase “in the council of the upright, and in the congregation” tells you that thanksgiving belongs in the gathered life of faith, where others can hear it and be encouraged by it.
Verses 2 and 3 move from the speaker to the object of praise. God’s works are great, and those who take pleasure in them keep studying them. The words “honor and majesty” describe the splendor of what God does, and “His righteousness endures forever” anchors that splendor in something that does not fade.
Verses 4-5: Remembered Works and a Faithful Provider
4 He has caused his wonderful works to be remembered. The LORD is gracious and merciful. 5 He has given food to those who fear him. He always remembers his covenant.
Psalm 111:4-5 (WEB)
Here the psalm says God has caused His wonderful works to be remembered. Israel’s worship often served as a kind of memory, a way of keeping the story of God’s acts alive from one generation to the next. The psalm then names God’s character directly: gracious, merciful, faithful to His covenant.
Verse 5 links that character to daily provision. God gives food to those who fear Him, which reminds you that the ordinary bread on the table is a gift from the same God who keeps His promises. Remembering the covenant and receiving the bread belong together.
Verses 6-8: Power, Inheritance, and Trustworthy Precepts
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.
Psalm 111:6-8 (WEB)
Verse 6 speaks of God showing His people the power of His works, particularly in giving them an inheritance among the nations. The psalm holds up the land and identity of Israel as evidence of God’s act, something that could be seen and told.
Verses 7 and 8 describe God’s works and precepts as truth and justice, sure and established forever. These words shift the focus from what God gives to how He acts. A people who can trust His commands can build their lives on something more solid than changing circumstances.
Verses 9-10: Redemption, Holy Name, and the Beginning of Wisdom
9 He has sent redemption to his people. He has ordained his covenant forever. His name is holy and awesome! 10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom. All those who do his work have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!
Psalm 111:9-10 (WEB)
The final section names redemption as something God has sent to His people, and it affirms that His covenant is ordained forever. The psalm closes by calling God’s name holy and awesome, which brings the whole hymn back to reverence.
The last line of the psalm states that the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom. This is not fear as terror but as deep respect that recognizes who God is. Those who practice that respect, the psalm says, come to a good understanding, and their praise continues without end.
Key Themes in Psalm 111
- Thanksgiving in community: The psalmist praises God in the gathered congregation, not in isolation, showing that worship is shared.
- God’s remembered works: The psalm treats God’s acts as something to be recalled, studied, and passed on to later generations.
- Covenant faithfulness: God’s promises endure, and His provision and redemption flow from His unchanging commitment to His people.
- Righteousness and truth: God’s works and precepts are described as just, reliable, and established forever.
- The fear of the LORD: Reverence for God is presented as the starting point of wisdom and understanding.
Lessons From Psalm 111 for Today
Psalm 111 invites you to slow down and name what God has done, the way the psalmist does. Many people today move quickly from one task to the next and rarely pause to recall answered prayers or steady mercies. A short habit of writing down three things God has done this week can shape your praise in the same way the psalm shaped Israel’s worship.
The psalm also speaks to how you handle uncertainty. When work feels unstable or a family situation shifts, the reminder that God’s righteousness endures forever gives you a place to stand. You do not have to pretend the circumstances are fixed, but you can rest your hope on the One whose precepts are sure.
Finally, the psalm treats wisdom as something rooted in reverence rather than in cleverness alone. When you face a hard decision at work or in your home, asking how the decision honors the LORD is a practical way to live out the fear of the LORD that the psalm calls wise. Good understanding, in this picture, grows from a heart that takes God seriously.
Questions for Reflection
- Where in your life have you seen God’s works clearly enough that you want to tell someone else about them?
- How does the idea of praising God in the congregation shape the way you think about attending worship with others?
- What daily provision in your life might you be tempted to take for granted, and how could the psalm change that?
- In what situation right now do you most need to trust that God’s precepts are sure and His covenant holds?
- What would it look like this week to let the fear of the LORD guide one specific decision you are facing?
A Prayer From Psalm 111
Lord, I thank You with my whole heart. You have done great works, and I want to pay attention to them the way Your people always have. Remind me of the ways You have provided, forgiven, and kept Your promises in my own life and in the lives of those around me. Keep my praise honest, shared with others who love You, and rooted in what You have actually done.
Teach me the reverence that is the beginning of wisdom. When I am tempted to rely on my own understanding, bring me back to the truth that Your precepts are sure and Your righteousness endures forever. Let my daily choices show that I trust You, and let my praise continue long after this day is over. Amen.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who wrote Psalm 111?
The psalm is anonymous, so its author is not named in the text. Scholars generally date it to the post-exilic period, though the Psalms are traditionally associated with David as a whole.
Why is Psalm 111 written in an acrostic pattern?
The lines follow an ordered sequence that helped worshipers memorize and recite the psalm. This structure appears in several other psalms as well.
What does “the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom” mean?
It means deep reverence and respect for God as the source of all true understanding. The psalm presents this reverence as the starting point for living wisely.