Praise the LORD! I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart, in the council of the upright, and in the congregation.
ExplanationCommentary
Verse 1. Of the returning, and so forth This is in the Greek and Latin, but not in the Hebrew. It signifies, that his psalm was proper to be sung at the time of the return of the people from their captivity: to inculcate to them, how happy they might be, if they would be constant in the service of God. Challoner.—Yet all Greek copies have not this title, ( Bible.) but only Alleluia, with the Hebrew Syr. and so forth—It might be composed by Aggæus, and so forth as it relates to the captivity, (verse 4) and to the overthrow of Babylon, (verse 10. Calmet.) or David might thus describe the happiness of the virtuous, (Bert.) and give the captives to understand, that sin was the source of all temporal as well as spiritual miseries. Worthington.—Delight. We must love God for his own sake. Saint John Chrysostom—Those who sincerely fear God, will take great delight in keeping his commandments. Worthington.
Hebrew: יה Yah. Psalm 111 is an acrostic poem, with each verse after the initial “Praise the LORD!” starting with a letter of the alphabet (ordered from Alef to Tav).
LORD or GOD in all caps is from the Hebrew יהוה Yahweh except when otherwise noted as being from the short form יה Yah.