◄ Psalm 111:1 ►
Hallelujah! I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart in the council of the upright and in the assembly.
Study Bible
Hallelujah!
The term "Hallelujah" is a transliteration of the Hebrew phrase "Hallelu Yah," which means "Praise the LORD." This exclamation is a call to worship and is often used to express joyous praise and gratitude to God. The use of "Hallelujah" sets the tone for the entire psalm, emphasizing the importance of worship and adoration. Historically, this term has been used in both Jewish and Christian liturgies, signifying a universal call to praise that transcends time and culture.

I will give thanks
The phrase "I will give thanks" is derived from the Hebrew word "yadah," which means to acknowledge or confess. In a biblical context, giving thanks is not merely a polite gesture but an act of worship and recognition of God's sovereignty and goodness. This expression of gratitude is a personal commitment by the psalmist, indicating an intentional and heartfelt response to God's actions and character.

to the LORD
The term "LORD" in all capital letters represents the Hebrew name "YHWH" or "Yahweh," the covenant name of God. This name signifies God's eternal presence and faithfulness to His people. By directing thanks to the LORD, the psalmist acknowledges the personal and relational nature of God, who is both transcendent and immanent. This reflects a deep understanding of God's identity and His ongoing relationship with His creation.

with all my heart
The phrase "with all my heart" emphasizes the totality and sincerity of the psalmist's devotion. In Hebrew thought, the heart is the center of one's being, encompassing mind, will, and emotions. To give thanks with all one's heart is to engage fully in worship, holding nothing back. This wholehearted devotion is a model for believers, encouraging them to approach God with complete sincerity and commitment.

in the council of the upright
The "council of the upright" refers to a gathering of righteous individuals who seek to live according to God's standards. This phrase highlights the communal aspect of worship, where believers come together to encourage and edify one another. Historically, such gatherings would have been places of teaching, prayer, and mutual support, reflecting the importance of community in the life of faith.

and in the assembly
The "assembly" denotes a larger gathering of God's people, often for public worship or celebration. This term underscores the corporate nature of thanksgiving and praise, where individual expressions of gratitude are joined with those of the wider community. In the biblical context, the assembly would have been a place where God's mighty works were recounted, and His faithfulness celebrated, fostering a sense of unity and shared purpose among the worshipers.

Persons / Places / Events
1. The Psalmist
The author of Psalm 111, traditionally attributed to King David, who expresses a heart full of gratitude and praise to God.

2. The LORD (Yahweh)
The covenant name of God, emphasizing His eternal and unchanging nature, deserving of wholehearted worship.

3. The Council of the Upright
A gathering of righteous individuals who live according to God's statutes and are committed to His ways.

4. The Assembly
The larger congregation of believers, where public worship and communal thanksgiving take place.
Teaching Points
Wholehearted Worship
True worship involves engaging our entire heart, mind, and soul. It is not a half-hearted endeavor but a full commitment to honoring God.

Community of Believers
Gathering with other believers is vital for spiritual growth and encouragement. The "council of the upright" and "assembly" remind us of the importance of community in our faith journey.

Public Declaration of Faith
Our gratitude and praise should not be confined to private moments but expressed openly in the community, serving as a testimony to others.

Gratitude as a Lifestyle
Cultivating a heart of thankfulness transforms our perspective and aligns us with God's will, leading to a more joyful and fulfilling life.

The Role of Tradition
Understanding the historical and cultural context of worship practices can deepen our appreciation and participation in communal worship today.
Bible Study Questions
1. How can you incorporate wholehearted worship into your daily life, beyond just Sunday services?

2. In what ways can you contribute to the "council of the upright" in your local church or community?

3. Reflect on a time when public worship or assembly strengthened your faith. How can you encourage others to participate in communal worship?

4. How does expressing gratitude to God in public settings impact your personal faith and the faith of those around you?

5. What steps can you take to ensure that gratitude becomes a consistent part of your lifestyle, and how can this be supported by other scriptures?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Psalm 9:1
This verse also speaks of giving thanks to the LORD with one's whole heart, emphasizing a personal and complete devotion to God.

Hebrews 10:24-25
Encourages believers to gather together, similar to the "assembly" mentioned in Psalm 111:1, highlighting the importance of communal worship and encouragement.

1 Chronicles 16:8-10
David's song of thanks, which parallels the themes of gratitude and public declaration of God's deeds found in Psalm 111:1.
Sermons
The Duty of Witnessing in Public for GodR. Tuck Psalm 111:1
HallelujahJ. Irons.Psalm 111:1-10
The Highest Work of Mankind -- Praising GodHomilistPsalm 111:1-10
The Works of the LordS. Conway Psalm 111:1-10
The Works of the LordC. Short Psalm 111:1-10
Whole-Hearted PraiseHomiletic ReviewPsalm 111:1-10
People
Psalmist
Places
Jerusalem
Topics
Assembly, Celebrate, Company, Congregation, Council, Extol, Hallelujah, Heart, Jah, Meeting, Praise, Praised, Secret, Thank, Thanks, Upright, Yah
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Psalm 111:1

     8666   praise, manner and methods

Psalm 111:1-10

     8660   magnifying God

Library
God and the Godly
'His righteousness endureth for ever.'--PSALMS cxi. 3; cxii. 3. These two psalms are obviously intended as a pair. They are identical in number of verses and in structure, both being acrostic, that is to say, the first clause of each commences with the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet, the second clause with the second, and so on. The general idea that runs through them is the likeness of the godly man to God. That resemblance comes very markedly to the surface at several points in the psalms, …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

December the Tenth the Only Wise Beginning
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." --PSALM cxi. If I want to do anything wisely I must begin with God. That is the very alphabet of the matter. Every other beginning is a perverse beginning, and it will end in sure disaster. "I am Alpha." Everything must take its rise in Him, or it will plunge from folly into folly, and culminate in confusion. If I would be wise in my daily business I must begin all my affairs in God. My career itself must be chosen in His presence, and in the …
John Henry Jowett—My Daily Meditation for the Circling Year

Third Commandment
"Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh His name in vain." I was greatly amazed not long ago in talking to a man who thought he was a Christian, to find that once in a while, when he got angry, he would swear. I said: "My friend, I don't see how you can tear down with one hand what you are trying to build up with the other. I don't see how you can profess to be a child of God and let those words come out of your lips." He replied: …
Dwight L. Moody—Weighed and Wanting

The Ordinance of Covenanting
THE ORDINANCE OF COVENANTING. BY JOHN CUNNINGHAM, A.M. "HE HATH COMMANDED HIS COVENANT FOR EVER." Ps. cxi. 9. "THOUGH IT BE BUT A MAN'S COVENANT, YET IF IT BE CONFIRMED, NO MAN DISANNULETH, OR ADDETH THERETO." Gal. iii. 15. GLASGOW:--WILLIAM MARSHALL. SOLD ALSO BY JOHN KEITH. EDINBURGH:--THOMAS NELSON AND JOHN JOHNSTONE. LONDON:--HAMILTON, ADAMS, & CO. MANCHESTER:-GALT & ANDERSON. BELFAST:--WILLIAM POLLOCK. TO THE REVEREND ANDREW SYMINGTON, D.D., PROFESSOR OF DIVINITY IN THE REFORMED PRESBYTERIAN …
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting

Covenanting a Duty.
The exercise of Covenanting with God is enjoined by Him as the Supreme Moral Governor of all. That his Covenant should be acceded to, by men in every age and condition, is ordained as a law, sanctioned by his high authority,--recorded in his law of perpetual moral obligation on men, as a statute decreed by him, and in virtue of his underived sovereignty, promulgated by his command. "He hath commanded his covenant for ever."[171] The exercise is inculcated according to the will of God, as King and …
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting

The Holiness of God
The next attribute is God's holiness. Exod 15:51. Glorious in holiness.' Holiness is the most sparkling jewel of his crown; it is the name by which God is known. Psa 111:1. Holy and reverend is his name.' He is the holy One.' Job 6:60. Seraphims cry, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of his glory.' Isa 6:6. His power makes him mighty, his holiness makes him glorious. God's holiness consists in his perfect love of righteousness, and abhorrence of evil. Of purer eyes than …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

Covenanting Adapted to the Moral Constitution of Man.
The law of God originates in his nature, but the attributes of his creatures are due to his sovereignty. The former is, accordingly, to be viewed as necessarily obligatory on the moral subjects of his government, and the latter--which are all consistent with the holiness of the Divine nature, are to be considered as called into exercise according to his appointment. Hence, also, the law of God is independent of his creatures, though made known on their account; but the operation of their attributes …
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting

The Morning Light
Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. O ne strong internal proof that the Bible is a divine revelation, may be drawn from the subject matter; and particularly that it is the book, and the only book, that teaches us to …
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 1

Josiah, a Pattern for the Ignorant.
"Because thine heart was tender, and thou hast humbled thyself before the Lord, when thou heardest what I spake against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and hast rent thy clothes, and wept before Me; I also have heard thee, saith the Lord. Behold therefore, I will gather thee unto thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered into thy grave in peace; and thine eyes shall not see all the evil which I will bring upon this place."--2 Kings …
John Henry Newman—Parochial and Plain Sermons, Vol. VIII

A Canticle of Love
It is not only when He is about to send me some trial that Our Lord gives me warning and awakens my desire for it. For years I had cherished a longing which seemed impossible of realisation--to have a brother a Priest. I often used to think that if my little brothers had not gone to Heaven, I should have had the happiness of seeing them at the Altar. I greatly regretted being deprived of this joy. Yet God went beyond my dream; I only asked for one brother who would remember me each day at the Holy …
Therese Martin (of Lisieux)—The Story of a Soul

Covenanting According to the Purposes of God.
Since every revealed purpose of God, implying that obedience to his law will be given, is a demand of that obedience, the announcement of his Covenant, as in his sovereignty decreed, claims, not less effectively than an explicit law, the fulfilment of its duties. A representation of a system of things pre-determined in order that the obligations of the Covenant might be discharged; various exhibitions of the Covenant as ordained; and a description of the children of the Covenant as predestinated …
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting

Period ii. The Church from the Permanent Division of the Empire Until the Collapse of the Western Empire and the First Schism Between the East and the West, or Until About A. D. 500
In the second period of the history of the Church under the Christian Empire, the Church, although existing in two divisions of the Empire and experiencing very different political fortunes, may still be regarded as forming a whole. The theological controversies distracting the Church, although different in the two halves of the Graeco-Roman world, were felt to some extent in both divisions of the Empire and not merely in the one in which they were principally fought out; and in the condemnation …
Joseph Cullen Ayer Jr., Ph.D.—A Source Book for Ancient Church History

Psalms
The piety of the Old Testament Church is reflected with more clearness and variety in the Psalter than in any other book of the Old Testament. It constitutes the response of the Church to the divine demands of prophecy, and, in a less degree, of law; or, rather, it expresses those emotions and aspirations of the universal heart which lie deeper than any formal demand. It is the speech of the soul face to face with God. Its words are as simple and unaffected as human words can be, for it is the genius …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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