Psalms 111 · WEB
The Fear of the Lord Is the Beginning of Wisdom
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Summary
Psalm 111 is an acrostic poem — each of the ten verses (22 half-lines) begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. It is a compact hymn celebrating the works, character, and covenant of Yahweh, culminating in the foundational wisdom saying: "the fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom." It is paired with Psalm 112, which uses the same acrostic structure to describe the blessed man who fears the Lord — the human image that mirrors the divine character of Psalm 111.
Themes
- God's works as the object of meditation and delight
- The covenant as the framework for all of God's action
- The character of God: gracious, merciful, faithful, holy, awesome
- Wisdom grounded not in human reason but in the fear of Yahweh
- Praise as the proper end of knowing God
Key verses
Context & background
Psalm 111 is one of eight acrostic psalms in the Psalter (9, 10, 25, 34, 37, 111, 112, 119). The acrostic form is a literary device of completeness — going through the whole alphabet suggests that everything that can be said about a subject is being said. Psalms 111 and 112 form a matched pair: 111 is about Yahweh's character and deeds, while 112 mirrors that character in the person who fears him. Verse 4 echoes Exodus 34:6-7 ("gracious and merciful") — the foundational self-disclosure of God. The closing wisdom formula ("fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom") is shared with Proverbs 9:10 and Job 28:28 — it is the bedrock of Israel's wisdom tradition. "Beginning" here means not merely the start but the foundation and governing principle of wisdom.
Cross-references
- Exodus 34:6 — "gracious and merciful" — v. 4 quotes God's self-disclosure to Moses
- John 17:17 — "your word is truth" — v. 7-8's "truth and justice" and "established forever"
- Luke 1:49-50 — "his name is holy... his mercy is on those who fear him" — v. 9-10 echoed in Mary's Magnificat
- Proverbs 9:10 — "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" — the exact parallel
- Psalm 112 — the companion acrostic: the blessed man who fears the Lord