With Psa 111:1-10 begins a trilogy of Hallelujah-Psalms. It may be appended to Psa 110:1-7, because it places the “for ever” of Psa 110:4 in broader light in relation to the history of redemption, by stringing praise upon praise of the deeds of Jahve and of His appointments. It stands in the closest relationship to Psa 112:1-10. Whilst Psa 111:1-10, as Hitzig correctly says, celebrates the glory, might, and loving-kindness of Jahve in the circle of the “upright,” Psa 112:1-10 celebrates the glory flowing therefrom and the happiness of the “upright” themselves, of those who fear Jahve. The two Psalms are twin in form as in contents. They are a mixture of materials taken from older Psalms and gnomical utterances; both are sententious, and both alphabetical. Each consists of twenty-two lines with the twenty-two letters of the alphabet at the beginning,[1] and every line for the most part consists of three words. Both songs are only chains of acrostic lines without any strophic grouping, and therefore cannot be divided out. The analogous accentuation shows how strong is the impression of the close relationship of this twin pair; and both Psalms also close, in Psa 111:9 and Psa 111:10, with two verses of three members, being up to this point divided into verses of two members.
Verses 1-10
That which the poet purposes doing in Psa 111:1, he puts into execution from Psa 111:2 onwards. ועדה, according to Psa 64:7; Psa 118:14, is equivalent to ועדתם. According to Psa 111:10, הפציהם in Psa 111:2 apparently signifies those who find pleasure in them (the works of God); but חפצי = חפצי (like שׂמחי, Isa 24:7 = שׂמחי) is less natural than that it should be the construct form of the plural of חפץ, that occurs in three instances,
- ↑ Böttcher transposes the verses in Psa 111:1-10, and in Psa 112:5 corrects יכלכל into וכלכל; in the warmth of his critical zeal he runs against the boundary-posts of the letters marking the order, without observing it.
