Introduction to Psalm 111
Acrostic structure and literary genre of Psalm 111
Psalm 111 belongs to the genre of individual hymns of praise with alphabetical acrostic marking: each of the twenty-two half-verses begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet, from alef to tav. The structure is not a formal ornament but a deliberate mnemonic system, designed to facilitate liturgical memorization in the Temple assembly. The text opens with הַלְלוּ יָהּ (hallelujah) — the sole occurrence of this acclamation before the verse — followed by the personal declaration: אוֹדֶה יְהוָה בְּכָל לֵבָב בְּסוֹד יְשָׁרִים וְעֵדָה (Ps 111:1 MT), «I will give thanks to YHWH with my whole heart, in the council of the upright and the assembly». Communal praise is not a secondary option: the noun עֵדָה (ʿedah, assembly) roots individual devotion in the collective liturgical dimension. Mishnah Berakhot 5:1 recalls this same priority: the chasidim rishonim prepared themselves in silence for a full hour before prayer, orienting the heart toward the Makom, because authentic kawwanah precedes every verbal acclamation.
The works of YHWH in Psalm 111: nifla'ot and berith
The theological core of Psalm 111 is the category of nifla'ot — wondrous works of YHWH in the history of salvation. Verse 4 MT reads: זֵכֶר עָשָׂה לְנִפְלְאֹתָיו חַנּוּן וְרַחוּם יְהוָה, «he has caused his wondrous works to be remembered; YHWH is gracious and merciful». The formula חַנּוּן וְרַחוּם (chanun ve-rachum) precisely echoes the great proclamation of the divine name of Exodus 34:6–7, where YHWH reveals his covenantal character to Moses: mercy and faithfulness are not abstract attributes but operative guarantees of the covenant. The Midrash Tehillim 111 re-reads this proclamation of the divine name in an eschatological key: «I will praise the Lord with my whole heart» — the praise is not purely cultic but anticipates the day when YHWH «will bind up the wounds of his people» (Isa 30:26), transforming the memory of historical nifla'ot into expectation of the definitive intervention. The theophany of Exod 34:5–8, echoed in Psalm 111, thus becomes the foundation of both present prayer and future hope.
Verse 9 brings the covenantal theme to its conclusion: שִׁלַּח גְּאֻלָּה לְעַמּוֹ צִוָּה לְעוֹלָם בְּרִיתוֹ, «he sent redemption to his people; he has commanded his covenant forever». The berith is not revocable nor replaced: it is a permanent ordinance.
| Verse MT | Key term | Covenantal meaning | Biblical parallel |
|---|---|---|---|
| 111:1 | הַלְלוּ יָהּ | Communal liturgical opening | Ps 112:1 (twin acrostic psalm) |
| 111:4 | חַנּוּן וְרַחוּם | Covenantal attributes of YHWH | Exod 34:6–7 (proclamation of the name) |
| 111:9 | בְּרִיתוֹ לְעוֹלָם | Permanent and irrevocable covenant | Exod 34:10 (covenant renewal) |
| 111:10 | יִרְאַת יְהוָה | Organizing principle of wisdom | Prov 1:7; Sir 1:14 |
The fear of YHWH as the beginning of wisdom: Psalm 111 commentary
The Psalm 111 commentary in the tradition reaches its apex in the final verse: רֵאשִׁית חָכְמָה יִרְאַת יְהוָה, «the fear of YHWH is the beginning of wisdom» (Ps 111:10 MT). This formula is the densest intertextual node of the psalm, taken up almost verbatim by Proverbs 1:7 — יִרְאַת יְהוָה רֵאשִׁית דָּעַת — and by Sirach 1:14: «The beginning of wisdom is to fear the Lord» (Sir 1:14 LXX). Mishnah Avot 3:9 defines the fear of sin as a preliminary condition of wisdom itself: «whoever his fear of sin precedes his wisdom, his wisdom will endure; whoever his wisdom precedes his fear of sin, his wisdom will not endure». It is not servile fear but reverential recognition of divine sovereignty, which manifests itself in concrete obedience to the Torah.
The NT brings this wisdom chain to completion in 1Corinthians 1:30, where Paul affirms that Christ Jesus has become for us «σοφία ἡμῖν ἀπὸ θεοῦ», wisdom from God, together with righteousness, sanctification and redemption. The works of YHWH celebrated in the psalm find in Christ their revelatory fulfillment, without abolishing the berith but bringing it to its fullness.
- re'shit (רֵאשִׁית): organizing principle, not a simple chronological beginning — same root as Genesis 1:1
- chokmah (חָכְמָה): practical operative wisdom, not abstract speculation
- yir'at YHWH (יִרְאַת יְהוָה): reverential fear that generates obedience — Mishnah Berakhot 9:5 teaches that one must bless God as much for evil as for good, with all the heart and with both inclinations