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The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
A good understanding have all those who do His commandments.
His praise endures forever.
My Thoughts
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, yes, but understanding what the fear of the Lord is has always been the question.
This verse explains that the fear of the Lord is foundational to wisdom, pointing to reverence and obedience to God. The commentaries below explain that true wisdom begins with recognizing God’s greatness, and this reverent attitude must guide our actions. Obeying God’s commandments signifies a good understanding and an alignment with divine principles, fostering a meaningful connection with the Creator. Psalm 111 concludes by asserting that God’s praise endures forever, reflecting both His unchanging nature and the eternal honor bestowed upon those who fear and obey Him………Bill
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Commentaries:
Albert Barnes
The fear of the Lord – Reverence for God; respect for his law, his will, his government, himself; the fear of offending him, which will lead us to do right. This fear is not that of a slave; it is not mere dread; it is not terror. It is consistent with love and springs from it. It is consistent with calmness of mind and promotes it. It does not produce terror but rather delivers from it and preserves the mind from alarms. The word here rendered “fear” is a noun of the same origin as the word rendered “reverend” in the previous verse. The suggestion to the mind of the psalmist that the “name of the Lord” was “reverend,” or was to be venerated, introduced this thought that such reverence is the very foundation of wisdom.
Is the beginning of wisdom – The foundation, the origin, the commencement of being truly wise. It is so. There is no true wisdom which does not recognize the being, the perfections, and the claims of God. The highest wisdom – the most lofty endowment of man – is that he “may” know and honor God. This, in capability, makes him wise above the brute creation; this, in exercise, makes one man more wise than another; this, when it springs up in the soul, makes a man more wise than he was before – or, is the “beginning” of true wisdom in the soul. Compare Proverbs 1:7; Proverbs 9:10; Deuteronomy 4:6; Job 28:28; Ecclesiastes 12:13.
A good understanding … – Margin, “good success.” The original word – שׂכל śêkel – is rendered “understanding” (as here) in 1 Samuel 25:3; Ezra 8:18; Job 17:4; Proverbs 3:4; Proverbs 13:15; Proverbs 16:22; “wisdom” in 1 Chronicles 22:12; Proverbs 12:8; Proverbs 23:9; “prudence,” 2 Chronicles 2:12; Proverbs 19:11 (margin); “sense,” in Nehemiah 8:8; “knowledge,” 2 Chronicles 30:22; and “policy” in Daniel 8:25. It “may” denote, therefore, understanding, wisdom, knowledge, success, prudence; and it is true in regard to “all” of these – for the fear of the Lord, or true religion, produces them “all.” It is not necessary, therefore, to endeavor to ascertain precisely which of these is the meaning here.
That do his commandments – Margin, as in the Hebrew, “do them.” That do the things connected with the fear of the Lord; that is, who obey God.
His praise endureth for ever – That is, the foundation for his praise endures to all eternity; or, is unchangeable. As God is always the same, so there is, as derived from his being and perfections, always the same foundation for praise. As there will always be created beings who can and will appreciate this, so it will be literally true, as it should be, that his praise “will” be celebrated forever.
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Enduring Word
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: Recognizing the greatness of God’s works, one should appropriately fear Him. God should be regarded with respect, reverence, and awe. This proper attitude of the creature toward the Creator is the beginning of wisdom. Wisdom cannot advance further until this starting point is established. (Guzik)
i. The idea that the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom is also found in Job 28:28; Proverbs 1:7; 9:10; and Ecclesiastes 12:13. (Guzik)
ii. “It is probably a safe bet to say that most people today are not much interested in wisdom. They are interested in making money and in having a good time. Some are interested in knowing something, in getting an education. Almost everyone wants to be well-liked. But wisdom? The pursuit of wisdom is not a popular ideal.” (Boice)
iii. “It is not only the beginning of wisdom, but the middle and the end. It is indeed the Alpha and Omega, the essence, the body and the soul, the sum and substance. He that hath the fear of God is truly wise.” (de Superville, cited in Spurgeon)
A good understanding have all those who do His commandments: Taking into account the greatness of God’s works, one should obey God – that is, do His commandments. A life of obedience reveals that one has a good understanding of the greatness of God’s works. (Guzik)
i. “The Psalm closes with words which prepare for the next, as they declare that the fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom, and that such as act according to that fear have good understanding” (Morgan)
His praise endures forever: Taking into account the greatness of God’s works, one should praise Him and never stop praising Him. The angels surrounding God’s throne see His greatness and the greatness of His works, and they never stop praising Him (Revelation 4:8). (Guzik)
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Charles Spurgeon
“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.” It is its first principle, but it is also its head and chief attainment. The word “beginning” in Scripture sometimes means the chief, and true religion is at once the first element of wisdom and its chief fruit. To know God so as to walk aright before him is the greatest of all the applied sciences. Holy reverence of God leads us to praise him, and this is the point which the psalm drives at, for it is a wise act on the part of a creature towards his Creator.
“A good understanding have all they that do his commandments“ Obedience to God proves that our judgment is sound. Why should he not be obeyed? Does not reason itself claim obedience for the Lord of all? Only a man void of understanding will ever justify rebellion against the holy God. Practical godliness is the test of wisdom. Men may know and be very orthodox, they may talk and be very eloquent, they may speculate and be very profound, but the best proof of their intelligence must be found in their actually doing the will of the Lord. The former part of the psalm taught us the doctrine of God’s nature and character by describing his works: the second part supplies the practical lesson by drawing the inference that to worship and obey him is the dictate of true wisdom. We joyfully own that it is so.
“His praise endureth forever.” The praises of God will never cease because his works will always excite adoration, and it will always be the wisdom of men to extol their glorious Lord. Some regard this sentence as referring to those who fear the Lord—their praise shall endure forever: and, indeed, it is true that those who lead obedient lives shall obtain honor of the Lord, and commendations which will abide forever. A word of approbation from the mouth of God will be a mede of honor which will outshine all the decorations which kings and emperors can bestow.
Lord, help us to study thy works and henceforth to breathe out hallelujahs as long as we live.
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John Gill
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,…. The fear of the Lord, whose name is revered, is not a fear of his judgments here or hereafter, but of his goodness and grace; it is a reverential affection for him, a fiducial fear of him, a fear of offending so good a Being as he is; and it includes all religious worship of him, inward and outward, private and public; and at this true wisdom begins; a man begins to be wise when he fears the Lord, and not till then; this is his highest wisdom, and this is, as it may be rendered, “the chief of wisdom”, the principal part of it; see Proverbs 9:10.
A good understanding have all they that do his commandments; or “that do them”; the fear of the Lord and wisdom; that exercise them, that do as they oblige and direct to; so R. Moses in Aben Ezra connects the words; such have a good understanding of the Lord, know him as the object of their fear and reverence, and of their duty to him, and of their own interest, it being their wisdom to fear him; since by attending to their duty, to the word and ordinances of God, such arrive to a greater degree of knowledge and understanding of divine things. Some render it “good success” or “prosperity,” as Kimchi; such usually have prosperity in soul and body, in things temporal and spiritual; see Joshua 1:8.
His praise endureth for ever; or “its praise”; the praise of the fear of the Lord, of divine wisdom, and of a good understanding; just as of circumcision in the heart, Romans 2:29 or the praise of him that does the above things, that does the commandments of God, or acts under the fear of God, and as a wise man, 1 Corinthians 4:5 or rather the praise of God, which shall be given him by angels and men now and for evermore, as it ought to be; and to stir up to which is the design of the psalm throughout; and which men are encouraged to from the works and word of God, from his name, nature, and covenant, and from his blessings and acts of grace and goodness.
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Matthew Henry
Because the dictates of religion tend so much to man’s happiness. We have reason to praise God that the matter is so well contrived that our reverence of him and obedience to him are as much our interest as they are our duty.
(1.) Our reverence of him is so: The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. It is not only reasonable that we should fear God because his name is reverend and his nature is holy, but it is advantageous to us. It is wisdom; it will direct us to speak and act as becomes us, in a consistency with ourselves, and for our own benefit. It is the head of wisdom, that is (as we read it), it is the beginning of wisdom. Men can never begin to be wise till they begin to fear God; all true wisdom takes its rise from true religion and has its foundation in it. Or, as some understand it, it is the chief wisdom, and the most excellent, the first in dignity. It is the principal wisdom, and the principle of wisdom, to worship God and give honor to him as our Father and Master. Those manage well who always act under the government of his holy fear.
(2.) Our obedience to him is so: A good understanding have all those that do his commandments. Where the fear of the Lord rules in the heart, there will be a constant conscientious care to keep his commandments, not to talk of them, but to do them; and such have a good understanding, that is,
[1.] They are well understood; their obedience is graciously accepted as a plain indication of their mind that they do indeed fear God. Compare Prov. 3:4, So shalt thou find favor and good understanding. God and man will look upon those as meaning well and approve of them, who make conscience of their duty, though they have their mistakes. What is honestly intended shall be well taken.
[2.] They understand well.
First, it is a sign that they do understand well. The most obedient are accepted as the most intelligent; those understand themselves and their interest best that make God’s law their rule and are in everything ruled by it. A great understanding those have that know God’s commandments and can discourse learnedly of them, but a good understanding have those that do them and walk according to them.
Secondly, it is the way to understand better: A good understanding are they to all that do them; the fear of the Lord and the laws of that give men a good understanding, and are able to make them wise unto salvation. If any man will do his will, he shall know more and more clearly of the doctrine of Christ, Jn. 7:17. Good success have all those that do them (so the margin), according to what was promised to Joshua if he would observe to do according to the law. Jos. 1:8, Then thou shalt make thy way prosperous and shalt have good success. We have reason to praise God, to praise him forever, for putting man into such a fair way to happiness. Some apply the last words rather to the good man who fears the Lord than to the good God: His praise endures forever. It is not of men perhaps, but it is of God (Rom. 2:29), and that praise which is of God endures forever when the praise of men is withered and gone.
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Clarke
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. The original stands thus: ראשית חכמה יראת יהוה reshith chokmah, yirath Yehovah, The beginning of wisdom is the fear of Jehovah. Wisdom itself begins with this fear; true wisdom has this for its commencement. It is the first ingredient in it and is an essential part of it. In vain does any man pretend to be wise who does not fear the Lord; and he who fears the Lord departs from evil: he who lives in sin neither fears God, nor is wise.
A good understanding have all they that do his commandments; These last words we add as necessary to make up the sense; but there is no need of this expedient, as the words of the original literally read thus: “The beginning of wisdom is the fear of Jehovah; good discernment to the doers.” That is, They who act according to the dictates of wisdom, the commencement of which is the fear of Jehovah, have a sound understanding, discern their duty and their interest, and live to secure their own peace, their neighbor’s good, and God’s glory.
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Matthew Poole
10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth forever.
The fear of the Lord; piety or true religion, which consists in the fear or worship and service of God. Is the beginning of wisdom; is the only foundation of and introduction to all true wisdom. Or, is the chief part of wisdom; those things which are most excellent in their kinds being oft said to be first, to wit, in dignity, as Numb. 24:20; Deut. 18:4, &c., and in other authors. And the first command, Mark 12:28, is called the greatest command, Matt. 22:36. That do his commandments, Heb. that do them, to wit, God’s commands, or the things which the fear of God requireth.
Matthew Poole, Annotations upon the Holy Bible, vol. 2 (New York: Robert Carter and Brothers, 1853), 175.
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Cross References
7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge:
But fools despise wisdom and instruction.
The Holy Bible: King James Version, Proverbs 1:7.
28 And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom;
And to depart from evil is understanding.
The Holy Bible: King James Version, Job 28:28.
13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man
The Holy Bible: King James Version, Ecclesiastes 12:13.
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KJV W/Strongs Bible
111:10 The fear 3374 of the LORD 3068 [is] the beginning 7225 of wisdom 2451: a good 2896 understanding 7922 have all they that do 6213 8802 [his commandments]: his praise 8416 endureth 5975 8802 for ever 5703.(a good…: or, good success)(his commandments: Heb. them)
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Geneva Bible 1560
Psalm 111:10
10 (e) The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord: all they that observe (f) them, have good understanding: his praise endureth for ever.
(e) They only are wise, that fear God, and none have understanding, but they that obey his word. (f) To wit, his commandments, as verse 7
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Closing Thoughts
Who among you fears the Lord? Who obeys the voice of His Servant? Who walks in darkness And has no light? Let him trust in the name of the Lord And rely upon his God. Isaiah 50:10 NKJV
This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Joshua 1:8 NKJV
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