Great Are the Works of the Lord
He provides food for those who fear Him; He remembers His covenant forever. Psalm 111:5 · Berean Standard Bible
God takes care of the practical, daily needs of those who respect and trust Him, and He's unswervingly faithful to the promises He made long ago.
In an ancient agrarian world where famine was a real threat, this was profoundly personal. Food security wasn't guaranteed, so a God who 'provides food' was everything. The reference to His covenant shows this isn't random kindness but faithful commitment to an agreement He made.
The psalmist, moving from God's grand works to His intimate provision.
This echoes God's care in the wilderness when He provided manna, His instructions for agricultural rhythms, and ultimately His commitment to Abraham's descendants. It's practical theology: if you fear the Lord, you can trust He won't abandon you.
God sustains those who revere Him with physical provision and remains faithfully bound to His ancient covenant commitments.
The phrase 'fear of the LORD' (יראת יהוה, yirat YHWH) denotes covenantal reverence rather than terror—a posture of submission and awe appropriate to the vassal's relationship with the sovereign. The promise of provision (טרף, teref) addresses survival anxiety in a subsistence economy, while covenant fidelity extends beyond one generation to perpetuity.
A wisdom teacher or liturgical voice assuring the community of divine provision for the faithful.
This echoes the patriarchal narratives and the wilderness provisions, establishing a through-line from Abraham's covenant to the believer's present security. It anticipates Jesus's teaching on providence in Matthew 6 and grounds Christian hope in God's demonstrated reliability.
3Splendid and majestic is His work; His righteousness endures forever.
4He has caused His wonders to be remembered; the LORD is gracious and compassionate.
5He provides food for those who fear Him; He remembers His covenant forever.
6He has shown His people the power of His works by giving them the inheritance of the nations.
7The works of His hands are truth and justice; all His precepts are trustworthy.
Read all of Psalm 111 — An acrostic of praise — each line beginning with the next Hebrew letter. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.
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