Catholic Commentary on Psalm 111

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding." (Psalm 111:10)

An Acrostic of Praise

Psalm 111 is an acrostic, each line beginning with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet, a literary form that signals completeness: praise from A to Z. The psalmist extols the works of the LORD, which are studied by all who delight in them. The works of God are great, full of splendour and majesty, righteous and enduring forever. The specific works recalled are the covenant provisions: food for those who fear him, the redemption of his people, his covenant ordered and sure forever. The name of the LORD is holy and awesome.

The final verse is the conclusion drawn from all this: The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. This aphorism appears in slightly different forms in Proverbs 1:7 and Job 28:28, and is one of the foundational principles of the entire wisdom tradition of Israel. The fear of God is not terror but the reverence that correctly orients the whole person in relation to God: recognising who he is, what he has done, and what he deserves. The Catechism identifies fear of the LORD as one of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, the gift that disposes the soul to reverent submission to the majesty of God (CCC 1831).

Living the Word

Brothers and sisters, wisdom begins with the fear of God, not with intelligence or education or experience. Before any of those things, the fear of the LORD: the deep recognition of who God is, which produces the humility, the reverence, and the obedience that make true wisdom possible. Ask for this gift. It is listed in the Catechism. It is given by the Spirit. Ask.

Prayer

Lord God, your works are great and studied by all who delight in them. Your name is holy and awesome and your praise endures forever. Give us the fear of your name that is the beginning of all wisdom, and the understanding that comes from keeping your precepts. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

111
Majestic Is His Work
1 Hallelujah! * 111:1 Or Hallelu YAH, meaning Praise the LORD. This psalm is an acrostic poem, each line beginning with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
 
I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart
in the council of the upright and in the assembly.
 
2 Great are the works of the LORD;
they are pondered by all who delight in them.
3 Splendid and majestic is His work;
His righteousness endures forever.
4 He has caused His wonders to be remembered;
the LORD is gracious and compassionate.
5 He provides food for those who fear Him;
He remembers His covenant forever.
 
6 He has shown His people the power of His works
by giving them the inheritance of the nations.
7 The works of His hands are truth and justice;
all His precepts are trustworthy.
8 They are upheld forever and ever,
enacted in truth and uprightness.
9 He has sent redemption to His people;
He has ordained His covenant forever;
holy and awesome is His name.
 
10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom;
all who follow His precepts gain rich understanding.
 
His praise endures forever!

*111:1 111:1 Or Hallelu YAH, meaning Praise the LORD. This psalm is an acrostic poem, each line beginning with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.

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