Psalm 111 Chapter Study

Psalm 111 begins with a call that is as simple as it is strong: “Praise the Lord,” then a vow to give thanks “with all my heart in the council of the upright and in the assembly” (Psalm 111:1). The frame is public worship, not private musing, and the subject is the “great” works of the Lord that delight those who ponder them (Psalm 111:2). The psalm moves from description to remembrance, from remembrance to provision, and from provision to covenant and redemption, all while linking God’s acts to God’s character—righteousness that endures, grace and compassion, faithfulness and justice, holiness that evokes awe (Psalm 111:3–4; Psalm 111:7–9). It ends by locating true skill for life where it always begins: in reverent fear that receives and obeys His words (Psalm 111:10; Proverbs 9:10).

A beautiful order supports that message. The poem is an acrostic, each line beginning with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet, a literary choice that aids memory and signals completeness. God’s “wonders” are meant to be remembered, not merely admired for a moment (Psalm 111:4). When the congregation gathers, they do not invent meaning; they rehearse mercy grounded in history—from manna to land, from statutes to salvation (Exodus 16:4; Joshua 21:43–45; Psalm 19:7–9). The present church takes up the same task in Christ, celebrating His finished work and learning wisdom shaped by His words, because “to him belongs eternal praise” (Psalm 111:9–10; Luke 22:19; Colossians 3:16).

Words: 2574 / Time to read: 14 minutes

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Historical and Cultural Background

Israel’s worship life prized remembrance. The people were taught to recount what God had done, to mark days with feasts, and to teach their children the meaning of God’s mighty acts (Exodus 12:14; Deuteronomy 6:20–25). Psalm 111 sits squarely in that pattern: in the congregation the singer promises whole-hearted thanks, and then sets out a catalog of deeds that reveal God’s name (Psalm 111:1–4). The acrostic form hints at a pedagogical aim; by moving through the alphabet the poet offers a tool for memory. That literary choice fits the claim that God “has caused his wonders to be remembered,” as if the poem’s structure participates in God’s purpose (Psalm 111:4).

The psalm names provision that echoes Israel’s wilderness story. “He provides food for those who fear him; he remembers his covenant forever” recalls the bread from heaven that trained the people to trust daily mercy (Psalm 111:5; Exodus 16:4–5). The bread was not an accident; it was a lesson in dependence and a sign that God’s promises stand. The same stanza looks beyond food to territory: God “has shown his people the power of his works, giving them the lands of other nations,” a brief summary of conquest under Joshua and the allotments that followed (Psalm 111:6; Joshua 21:43–45). Provision and possession were both rooted in covenant, not in Israel’s merit (Deuteronomy 7:7–9).

Attention then turns from history to instruction. “The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy,” the psalmist sings, tying God’s actions to God’s words (Psalm 111:7). In the ancient world, kings advertised power and issued decrees; in Israel’s worship, the Lord’s deeds certified His commands. The Torah was declared perfect, trustworthy, and right, converting the soul, making the simple wise, and enlightening the eyes (Psalm 19:7–8). When Psalm 111 says those precepts are “established for ever and ever,” it conveys stability that outlasts empires (Psalm 111:8; Isaiah 40:8). The same God who split seas and fed wanderers shaped a way of life that reflects His character in ordinary days.

Finally, the psalm reaches back to the root of Israel’s identity: “He provided redemption for his people; he ordained his covenant forever—holy and awesome is his name” (Psalm 111:9). Redemption here first recalls the Exodus, when God stretched out His arm to set slaves free and called them His own (Exodus 6:6; Exodus 15:13). Covenant here recalls the sworn bond by which God pledged Himself to Abraham and confirmed promises to his offspring through Isaac and Jacob (Genesis 17:7; Psalm 105:8–10). In the assembly of Psalm 111, those themes converge: the God who acts in power binds Himself in promise, and His name inspires both intimacy and awe.

Biblical Narrative

The opening vow models worship that is both personal and public. The singer resolves to extol the Lord “with all my heart,” but he does so “in the council of the upright and in the assembly,” where testimony strengthens trust (Psalm 111:1; Psalm 107:32). Praise here is not vague feeling; it is shaped by meditation on specific deeds. “Great are the works of the Lord; they are pondered by all who delight in them,” the second verse declares, and the next lines name those works “glorious and majestic,” anchored by a righteousness that does not fade with time (Psalm 111:2–3; Psalm 145:4–7).

Remembrance becomes its own gift. “He has caused his wonders to be remembered; the Lord is gracious and compassionate” links memory with mercy (Psalm 111:4). The same confession of compassion appears in other psalms and in the law’s description of God’s name, reminding worshipers that His power is not cold or arbitrary (Psalm 103:8; Exodus 34:6–7). Provision stands as a living example: “He provides food for those who fear him; he remembers his covenant forever” (Psalm 111:5). Those lines stretch from bread in the wilderness to daily bread in every generation, teaching hearts to ask and receive (Exodus 16:32–35; Matthew 6:11).

The psalmist then recalls conquest as a revelation of divine strength: “He has shown his people the power of his works, giving them the lands of other nations,” a summation of God’s faithfulness to promises made to the patriarchs (Psalm 111:6; Genesis 15:18; Deuteronomy 9:4–5). Inheritance was not proof of Israel’s superiority but proof of God’s fidelity to His word. The stanza that follows turns from deeds to decrees: “The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy. They are established for ever and ever, enacted in faithfulness and uprightness” (Psalm 111:7–8). His statutes are not shifting advice; they are firm, and their firmness is good.

All strands gather in the ninth verse. “He provided redemption for his people; he ordained his covenant forever—holy and awesome is his name” (Psalm 111:9). Redemption is the rescue that makes obedience possible; covenant is the relationship that gives rescue its goal. The final line functions like a seal: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise” (Psalm 111:10). Wisdom does not start with human cleverness; it starts with reverent trust that takes God at His word and orders life accordingly (Proverbs 1:7; Job 28:28). Praise then becomes both the doorway and the destination.

Theological Significance

Psalm 111 shows that God’s acts and God’s attributes are inseparable. The works are “glorious and majestic,” and the righteousness behind them endures forever; provision is a window on grace and compassion; conquest reveals faithfulness and justice; covenant and redemption display holiness (Psalm 111:3–9). When the church confesses these lines, it is not repeating slogans; it is tracing a line from who God is to what God does. The Lord’s name is not a label but the reality of His character revealed in time (Exodus 34:6–7; Psalm 145:8–9).

The psalm also ties obedience to confidence. Because His precepts are “trustworthy” and “established for ever and ever,” they are not burdens to resent but paths to life (Psalm 111:7–8). That assessment aligns with the testimony that God’s law is perfect and His commandments radiant and pure (Psalm 19:7–9). In the unfolding of God’s plan, those same trustworthy words are fulfilled in Christ, who insisted that He came not to abolish but to fulfill, and who writes His ways on hearts by the Spirit (Matthew 5:17–18; Jeremiah 31:33; 2 Corinthians 3:5–6). The administration under Moses trained consciences; the grace that has appeared teaches us to live upright and godly lives while we wait for the blessed hope (Titus 2:11–13; Romans 7:6).

Remembrance sits at the center of worship because it sits at the center of redemption. Israel remembered the Exodus in Passover, a meal that looked back with gratitude and forward with hope (Exodus 12:24–27). Jesus took that pattern and stamped it with His own work, saying, “Do this in remembrance of me,” as He gave the cup “of the new covenant” established in His blood (Luke 22:19–20). The psalmist’s line, “He has caused his wonders to be remembered,” thus finds a fuller echo at the Lord’s Table, where the church rehearses mercy and draws strength for obedience (Psalm 111:4; 1 Corinthians 11:25–26). Progressive revelation moves from manna to the Bread of Life and from Exodus redemption to a ransom given “for many” (John 6:31–35; Mark 10:45).

Land promise and covenant faithfulness remind readers that God’s commitments are concrete. He “has shown his people the power of his works, giving them the lands of other nations,” a fulfillment linked to the promise to Abraham (Psalm 111:6; Genesis 15:18). The church does not erase those gifts; rather, it receives spiritual blessings in the Messiah now and awaits the renewal of all things when creation itself will share in glory (Ephesians 1:3; Romans 8:21–23; Isaiah 2:2–4). There is both continuity and anticipation: the same God who kept His word in history will keep every word still ahead (Psalm 105:8–10; Revelation 21:3–5).

The psalm’s theology of provision links fear of the Lord with daily bread. God’s feeding care is not detached from reverence; “He provides food for those who fear him,” suggesting that wisdom includes trusting God for ordinary needs (Psalm 111:5; Psalm 34:9–10). Jesus taught His disciples to pray for bread and not to worry about tomorrow because the Father knows what we need (Matthew 6:11; Matthew 6:31–34). Provision, then, is a school of wisdom: hearts learn to measure days by God’s faithfulness, not by stockpiles (Lamentations 3:22–23).

Redemption and covenant form the hinge on which the psalm turns. Exodus deliverance set Israel free to serve God, and covenant defined the relationship into which they were brought (Exodus 6:7; Leviticus 26:12). In the fullness of time, Christ redeemed us by His blood, securing forgiveness and securing a people for His own possession, zealous for good works (Ephesians 1:7; Titus 2:14; 1 Peter 1:18–19). Psalm 111:9 therefore resonates beyond a single era; it names the pattern repeated at a greater scale in the cross and resurrection, where mercy and truth meet and righteousness and peace kiss (Psalm 85:10; Hebrews 9:12).

The climactic claim that “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” frames ethics as worship (Psalm 111:10). Wisdom is not a technique but a posture: bowing before God with trust that His ways are right and His words are life (Proverbs 9:10; Deuteronomy 10:12–13). Those who follow His precepts “have good understanding,” a phrase that dignifies obedience as insight rather than mere rule-keeping (Psalm 111:10; James 1:22–25). The church prays for that wisdom and receives it generously from above, pure, peaceable, and sincere (James 1:5; James 3:17). Praise is fitting at the beginning and at the end because God’s worthiness anchors the whole enterprise (Psalm 111:1; Psalm 111:10).

Spiritual Lessons and Application

Congregational praise refocuses scattered hearts. When believers gather as the “council of the upright,” they remember particular deeds and rehearse God’s character, which steadies faith under pressure (Psalm 111:1–4; Hebrews 10:24–25). A practice worth cultivating is regular testimony: naming how the Lord has provided, protected, and guided, so the church learns to “ponder” His works and not pass by them (Psalm 111:2; Psalm 77:11–12). Families can echo that rhythm at home, telling the next generation the wondrous works of the Lord (Psalm 78:4–7).

Daily life becomes a classroom for trust. The line “He provides food for those who fear him” encourages petitions as simple as asking for bread and as specific as naming needs before the Father who cares (Psalm 111:5; Matthew 6:11; Philippians 4:6–7). Gratitude grows when provision is received as covenant kindness rather than impersonal luck. Gratitude then spills outward in generosity, because those who are fed by God learn to share with others as a reflection of His compassion (2 Corinthians 9:8–11; Psalm 112:5).

Obedience is not an optional add-on to praise; it is praise in motion. If God’s precepts are trustworthy and established, then wise people will align habits with His words in finances, speech, work, and relationships (Psalm 111:7–8; Psalm 19:11). The fear of the Lord removes the sting from commands because reverence recognizes that the One who saves also knows how human life flourishes (Psalm 111:10; 1 John 5:3). Meditation on Scripture—slow reading, prayerful reflection, and ready obedience—becomes a practical way to “ponder” God’s works each day (Psalm 1:2; Colossians 3:16).

The gospel shapes remembrance for the church. At the Table, believers proclaim the Lord’s death “until he comes,” joining the psalm’s rhythm of memory and hope (1 Corinthians 11:26; Psalm 111:4). That regular act keeps redemption at the center and keeps hearts soft to grace. From that center flow good works prepared in advance, not to earn favor but because favor has found us (Ephesians 2:8–10; Titus 2:14). Holiness is described as “splendor” in the psalm, and the same beauty belongs to a people learning to walk in the light of God’s face (Psalm 111:3; Ephesians 5:8–10).

Conclusion

Psalm 111 gathers the congregation to consider the greatness of God’s works, then presses those works into memory so that worship will become wisdom. The poem’s movement from provision to possession to precepts to redemption is not accidental; it reflects a God who feeds, gives, commands, and saves, all in line with His unchanging character (Psalm 111:5–9). The arc culminates in a simple claim with vast reach: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,” a line that welcomes beginners and guides saints to the end (Psalm 111:10; Proverbs 1:7). Wisdom begins in reverence, grows through obedience, and stays lively through praise.

For the church, this psalm becomes a map. We remember the cross as the great work of God for our redemption, we receive Christ’s words as trustworthy paths, and we live daily in the fear of the Lord that produces good understanding (Luke 22:19–20; Matthew 28:20; James 1:5). In seasons of lack we look to the One who provides; in seasons of conflict we trust the One who keeps covenant; in ordinary days we aim to reflect His faithfulness and justice (Psalm 111:5–8). The last line settles the matter: “To him belongs eternal praise” (Psalm 111:10). That is not only a conclusion to a song; it is a direction for a lifetime, until faith becomes sight and praise fills the renewed world (Revelation 21:3–5; Romans 8:23).

“Great are the works of the Lord;
they are pondered by all who delight in them.
Glorious and majestic are his deeds,
and his righteousness endures forever.
He has caused his wonders to be remembered;
the Lord is gracious and compassionate.” (Psalm 111:2–4)