Psalm 111:5

He hath given meat unto them that fear him: he will ever be mindful of his covenant.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(5) He hath given.—Better, He gave.

Meat.—The word often means “prey,” from its being torn as by a wild beast, but it is used in Proverbs 31:15, Malachi 3:10, in the simple sense of food. (Comp. also the verb, Proverbs 30:8.) There need not therefore be any allusion to the spoils taken in the Canaanitish wars, though the next verse makes this exceedingly probable. (See Sir G. Grove’s remarks; article “Meat” in Smith’s Bible Dictionary.)

Benson Commentary

Psalm 111:5-6. He hath given meat — All necessary provisions for their being and well-being; unto them that fear him — To the Israelites, the only people in the world that feared and worshipped the true God according to his will, and especially to those among them that truly feared him, and, for their sakes, to the body of that nation, as well in the wilderness as in their following straits and miseries. He will ever be — Or, he hath ever been, mindful of his covenant — Which he made with Abraham, and with his seed for ever; whereby he engaged to be their God, and to provide all necessaries for them. He hath showed — Not only by his words, but by his actions; the power of his works — His mighty power in his works, and especially, as it here follows, in giving them the heritage of the heathen, the land of Canaan, which had been possessed and inherited by the heathen.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

111:1-10 The Lord is to be praised for his works. - The psalmist resolves to praise God himself. Our exhortations and our examples should agree together. He recommends the works of the Lord, as the proper subject, when we are praising him; and the dealings of his providence toward the world, the church, and particular persons. All the works of the Lord are spoken of as one, it is his work; so admirably do all the dispensations of his providence centre in one design. The works of God, humbly and diligently sought into, shall all be found just and holy. God's pardoning sin is the most wonderful of all his works, and ought to be remembered to his glory. He will ever be mindful of his covenant; he has ever been so, and he ever will be so. His works of providence were done according to the truth of the Divine promises and prophecies, and so were verity, or truth; and by him who has a right to dispose of the earth as he pleases, and so are judgment, or righteous: and this holds good of the work of grace upon the heart of man, ver. 7,8. All God's commandments are sure; all have been fulfilled by Christ, and remain with him for a rule of walk and conversation to us. He sent redemption unto his people, out of Egypt at first, and often afterwards; and these were typical of the great redemption, which in the fulness of time was to be wrought out by the Lord Jesus. Here his everlasting righteousness shines forth in union with his boundless mercy. No man is wise who does not fear the Lord; no man acts wisely except as influenced by that fear. This fear will lead to repentance, to faith in Christ, to watchfulness and obedience. Such persons are of a good understanding, however poor, unlearned, or despised.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

He hath given meat unto them that fear him - Margin, "prey." The idea is, that he has supplied their needs. The Hebrew word is, "prey," and the allusion is to the mode in which the needs of the beasts of the field are supplied. The meaning may be that they had obtained this from their enemies, as beasts of prey take their food by making war; or the word may be used in a general sense, as meaning that God had supplied their needs.

He will ever be mindful of his covenant - He will never leave or forsake his people; he will be faithful to all the promises that he has made to them.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

3, 4. honourable and glorious—literally, "honor and majesty," which illustrate His glorious perfections.

righteousness—(Ps 7:17; 31:1), which He has made memorable by wonders of love and mercy, in supplying the wants of His people according to covenant engagements.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Meat; which includes all necessary provisions for their being and well-being. The word signifies spoil, and so may relate to the spoil of the Egyptians granted by God to the Israelites; but it is sometimes used for food, as Proverbs 31:15 Malachi 3:10.

Unto them that fear him; to the Israelites, the only people in the world which feared and worshipped the true God according to his will; and especially to those among them that truly feared God, and, for their sakes, to the body of that nation, as well in the wilderness, as in their following straits and miseries.

He will ever be mindful; or, he hath ever been; for both in the first branch of this verse, and in the foregoing and following verses, he is speaking of the former works of God. So the future tense is put for the past, as it is frequently, and as on the contrary the past tense is put for the future.

Of his covenant, which he made with Abraham and with his seed forever; whereby he obliged himself to be their God, and to provide all necessaries for them.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

He hath given meat to them that fear him,.... Or a "prey" (h), alluding to the spoil of the Egyptians; or to the manna; corporeal food, daily bread, which they that fear him shall not want, Psalm 34:9 spiritual meat, such that endures for ever; the flesh of Christ, which is meat indeed; the word and ordinances, in which are milk for babes, and meat for strong men; savoury meat does God give his people, such as their souls love, and the world knows nothing of; all is given, and freely given, and in plenty.

He will ever be mindful of his covenant; made with Abraham, and that at Sinai; and especially which he made with his people in Christ before the world was; and which is the ground and foundation of all his works of grace and redemption, and the reason why he gives food unto them; he never forgets that, his promises in it, nor the blessings of it, nor the people for whom they are made and provided, nor his love unto them; he is a covenant keeping God.

(h) "praedam", Montanus, Vatablus, Musculus; so Ainsworth.

Geneva Study Bible

He hath given {c} meat unto them that fear him: he will ever be mindful of his covenant.

(c) God has given to his people all that was necessary for them and will do so even for his covenant's sake, and in this sense the Hebrew word is taken in Pr 30:8,31:15.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

5. meat] As He made provision for Israel’s wants in the wilderness by the manna, so He provides for the wants of His people at all times (Psalm 34:9-10). Tereph, lit. prey of a lion, in later Heb. has the general sense of food (Proverbs 31:15; Malachi 3:10). The unusual word is chosen here for the sake of the acrostic.

he will remember his covenant for ever] The deliverance from Egypt was a proof that Jehovah remembered His covenant with the patriarchs (Exodus 2:24; Exodus 6:5), and a pledge that He would never be unmindful of it. Cp. Psalm 105:8; Psalm 105:10.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 5. - He hath given meat unto them that fear him. The manna may be primarily in the writer's mind, but he is also thinking of the "food given to all flesh" (Psalm 136:25) continually. He will ever be mindful of his covenant. The covenant with Abraham, made "to a thousand generations" (Psalm 105:8). Psalm 111:5

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

That which the poet purposes doing in Psalm 111:1, he puts into execution from Psalm 111:2 onwards. ועדה, according to Psalm 64:7; Psalm 118:14, is equivalent to ועדתם. According to Psalm 111:10, הפציהם in Psalm 111:2 apparently signifies those who find pleasure in them (the works of God); but חפצי equals חפצי (like שׂמחי, Isaiah 24:7 equals שׂמחי) is less natural than that it should be the construct form of the plural of חפץ, that occurs in three instances, and there was no need for saying that those who make the works of God the object of their research are such as interest themselves in them. We are led to the right meaning by לכל־חפצו in 1 Kings 9:11 in comparison with Isaiah 44:28; Isaiah 46:10, cf. Isaiah 53:10, where חפץ signifies God's purpose in accordance with His counsel: constantly searched into, and therefore a worthy object of research (דרשׁ, root דר, to seek to know by rubbing, and in general experimentally, cf. Arab. drâ of knowledge empirically acquired) according to all their aims, i.e., in all phases of that which they have in view. In Psalm 111:4 זכר points to the festival which propagates the remembrance of the deeds of God in the Mosaic age; טרף, Psalm 111:5, therefore points to the food provided for the Exodus, and to the Passover meal, together with the feast of unleavened bread, this memorial (זכּרון, Exodus 12:14) of the exemption in faithfulness to the covenant which was experienced in Egypt. This Psalm, says Luther, looks to me as though it had been composed for the festival of Easter. Even from the time of Theodoret and Augustine the thought of the Eucharist has been connected with Psalm 111:5 in the New Testament mind; and it is not without good reason that Psalm 111:1-10 has become the Psalm of the church at the celebration of the Lord's Supper. In connection with הגּיד one is reminded of the Pesach-Haggada. The deed of redemption which it relates has a power that continues in operation; for to the church of Jahve is assigned the victory not only over the peoples of Canaan, but over the whole world. The power of Jahve's deeds, which He has made known to His people, and which they tell over again among themselves, aims at giving them the inheritance of the peoples. The works of His hands are truth and right, for they are the realization of that which is true and which lasts and verifies itself, and of that which is right, that triumphantly maintains its ground. His ordinances are נאמנים (occasionally pointed נאמנים), established, attested, in themselves and in their results authorizing a firm confidence in their salutariness (cf. Psalm 19:8). סמוּכים, supported, stayed, viz., not outwardly, but in themselves, therefore imperturbable (cf. סמוּך used of the state of mind, Psalm 112:8; Isaiah 26:3). עשׂוּים, moulded, arranged, viz., on the part of God, "in truth, and upright;" ישׂר is accusative of the predicate (cf. Psalm 119:37), but without its being clear why it is not pointed וישׁר. If we have understood Psalm 111:4-6 correctly, then פּדוּת glances back at the deliverance out of Egypt. Upon this followed the ratification of the covenant on Sinai, which still remains inviolable down to the present time of the poet, and has the holiness and terribleness of the divine Name for a guarantee of its inviolability. The fear of Jahve, this holy and terrible God, is the beginning of wisdom - the motto of the Chokma in Job (Job 28:28) and Proverbs (Proverbs 1:7; Proverbs 9:10), the Books of the Chokma. Psalm 111:10 goes on in this Proverbs-like strain: the fear of God, which manifests itself in obedience, is to those who practise them (the divine precepts, פקודים) שׂכל טּוב (Proverbs 13:15; Proverbs 3:4, cf. 2 Chronicles 30:22), a fine sagacity, praiseworthy discernment - such a (dutiful) one partakes of everlasting praise. It is true, in glancing back to Psalm 111:3, תּהלּתו seems to refer to God, but a glance forward to Psalm 112:3 shows that the praise of him who fears God is meant. The old observation therefore holds good: ubi haec ode desinit, sequens incipit (Bakius).