Psalms

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Psalm 111

1 Praise the Lord! I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart, in the assembly of the godly and the congregation. 2 The Lord’s deeds are great, eagerly awaited by all who desire them. 3 His work is majestic and glorious, and his faithfulness endures forever. 4 He does amazing things that will be remembered; the Lord is merciful and compassionate.⁠ 5 He gives food to his faithful followers; he always remembers his covenant. 6 He announced that he would do mighty deeds for his people, giving them a land that belonged to other nations. 7 His acts are characterized by faithfulness and justice; all his precepts are reliable. 8 They are forever firm and should be faithfully and properly carried out. 9 He delivered his people; he ordained that his covenant be observed forever. His name is holy and awesome. 10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;¹⁶ all who carry out his precepts acquire good moral insight.⁠ He will receive praise forever.

Texts in conversation

Compare Psalm 111:10 and Proverbs 1:7

Hebrew Bible

Summary

Proverbs and Psalm 111 declare that the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. Proverbs introduces it as a principle contrasting the wise and foolish, while Psalm 111 connects wisdom to covenant loyalty and studying the Torah.

Passages

Psalm 111:10

Hebrew Bible

8 They are forever firm and should be faithfully and properly carried out. 9 He delivered his people; he ordained that his covenant be observed forever. His name is holy and awesome. 10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;¹⁶ all who carry out his precepts acquire good moral insight. He will receive praise forever.

600–201 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Psalms

Proverbs 1:7

Hebrew Bible

5 (Let the wise also hear and gain instruction, and let the discerning acquire guidance!) 6 To discern the meaning of a proverb and a parable, the sayings of the wise and their riddles. 7 Fearing the Lord is the beginning of discernment, but fools have despised wisdom and moral instruction. 8 Listen, my child, to the instruction from your father, and do not forsake the teaching from your mother. 9 For they will be like an elegant garland on your head, and like pendants around your neck.

600–201 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Proverbs

References

"... “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom,” scripture regularly proclaims (Psalm 111:10). The proverb can stand on its own like a bumper sticker. But Psalm 111 is textured with the grain of Israel’s specific relationship with God. So the adage here is not unmoored from Israel’s story (as perhaps in Proverbs 1:7 and 9:10). Job 28:28 develops the theme more deeply. The writer of Job expresses awe at human ingenuity in digging metals out of the ground. Human beings have breathtaking ingenuity. But no one can mine wisdom. God has made a way where there is no way - in Psalm 111 that way is the delighted study of scripture. Wisdom comes from living out the covenant God has made that cannot be unmade ..."

Jason Byassee, Brazos Theological Commentary on the Bible: Psalms 101-150 (Grand Rapids: Brazos, 2018), 137–138.

References are not endorsements of their contents. Read each reference in full to understand its author's intentions in using these texts.

Psalms150 psalms

Compare Psalm 111:10 and Proverbs 1:7

Summary

Passages

Psalm 111:10

Proverbs 1:7

References

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