Psalm 111:10 - Printer Friendly

ESV: The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!

NIV: The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise.

NASB: The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; All those who follow His commandments have a good understanding; His praise endures forever.

CSB: The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his instructions have good insight. His praise endures forever.

NLT: Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true wisdom. All who obey his commandments will grow in wisdom. Praise him forever!

KJV: 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.

NKJV: The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments. His praise endures forever.

Psalm 111:4–10 lists some of the Lord's great works, and the psalmist tells how they reveal His attributes. His accomplishments include omniscient care of His people, His covenant, His plans for the earth, His faithful truth, and redemption. The things God has done establish His attributes, which include graciousness, mercy, power, faithfulness, and justice. The closing verse echoes a statement repeated in the book of Proverbs (Proverbs 1:7; 9:10; 15:33).

This is a psalm of praise. The writer praises the Lord for His righteousness, His wondrous works, His faithfulness to His covenant, His trustworthiness, and His redemption. The structure of the psalm is acrostic, with each line beginning with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. The psalmist vows to thank the Lord with his whole heart, celebrating God's amazing works. Everything the Lord says is worthy of trust. True wisdom begins with acknowledging the Lord as God.

Psalms 111 and 112 are very similar. Both are acrostics: each line of the original begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Most of the lines in each are three Hebrew words long. Both use phrases and ideas seen elsewhere in Proverbs and Psalms. This psalm emphasizes praise for God's wonderful works in the past. The next, Psalm 112, focuses on the blessings which come from and to those who worship and revere the Lord.

The book of Psalms is composed of individual songs, hymns, or poems, each of which is a ''Psalm'' in and of itself. These works contain a wide variety of themes. Some Psalms focus on praising and worshipping God. Others cry out in anguish over the pain of life. Still other Psalms look forward to the coming of the Messiah. While some Psalms are related, each has its own historical and biblical context.

Accessed 11/21/2024 8:41:02 AM