TRV
Translation
King James Version
¶ He hath shewed his people the power of his works, that he may give them the heritage of the heathen.
Complete Jewish Bible
He shows his people how powerfully he works by giving them the nations as their heritage.
Berean Standard Bible
He has shown His people the power of His works by giving them the inheritance of the nations.
American Standard Version
He hath showed his people the power of his works, In giving them the heritage of the nations.
World English Bible Messianic
He has shown his people the power of his works, in giving them the heritage of the nations.
Geneva Bible (1599)
He hath shewed to his people the power of his workes in giuing vnto them the heritage of the heathen.
Young's Literal Translation
The power of His works He hath declared to His people, To give to them the inheritance of nations.
In the KJVVerse 15,800 of 31,102
Study This Verse
Commentary on Psalms 111 verses 6–10
6 ¶ He hath shewed his people the power of his works, that he may give them the heritage of the heathen.
7 The works of his hands are verity and judgment; all his commandments are sure.
8 They stand fast for ever and ever, and are done in truth and uprightness.
9 He sent redemption unto his people: he hath commanded his covenant for ever: holy and reverend is his name.
10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.
We are here taught to give glory to God,
I. For the great things he has done for his people, for his people Israel, of old and of late: He has shown his people the power of his works (Psa 111:6), in what he has wrought for them; many a time he has given proofs of his omnipotence, and shown them what he can do, and that there is nothing too hard for him to do. Two things are specified to show the power of his works: - 1. The possession God gave to Israel in the land of Canaan, that he might give them, or in giving them, the heritage of the heathen. This he did in Joshua's time, when the seven nations were subdued, and in David's time, when the neighbouring nations were many of them brought into subjection to Israel and became tributaries to David. Herein God showed his sovereignty, in disposing of kingdoms as he pleases, and his might, in making good his disposals. If God will make the heritage of the heathen to be the heritage of Israel, who can either arraign his counsel or stay his hand? 2. The many deliverances which he wrought for his people when by their iniquities they had sold themselves into the hand of their enemies (Psa 111:9): He sent redemption unto his people, not only out of Egypt at first, but often afterwards; and these redemptions were typical of the great redemption which in the fulness of time was to be wrought out by the Lord Jesus, that redemption in Jerusalem which so many waited for.
II. For the stability both of his word and of his works, which assure us of the great things he will do for them. 1. What God has done shall never be undone. He will not undo it himself, and men and devils cannot (Psa 111:7): The works of his hand are verity and judgment (Psa 111:8), that is, they are done in truth and uprightness; all he does is consonant to the eternal rules and reasons of equity, all according to the counsel of his wisdom and the purpose of his will, all well done and therefore there is nothing to be altered or amended, but his works are firm and unchangeable. Upon the beginning of his works we may depend for the perfecting of them; work that is done properly will last, will neither go to decay nor sink under the stress that is laid upon it. 2. What God has said shall never be unsaid: All his commandments are sure, all straight and therefore all steady. His purposes, the rule of his actions, shall all have their accomplishment: Has he spoken, and will he not make it good? No doubt he will; whether he commands light or darkness, it is done as he commands. His precepts, the rule of our actions, are unquestionably just and good, and therefore unchangeable and not to be repealed; his promises and threatenings are all sure, and will be made good; nor shall the unbelief of man make either the one or the other of no effect. They are established, and therefore they stand fast for ever and ever, and the scripture cannot be broken. The wise God is never put upon new counsels, nor obliged to take new measures, either in his laws or in his providences. All is said, as all is done, in truth and uprightness, and therefore it is immutable. Men's folly and falsehood make them unstable in all their ways, but infinite wisdom and truth for ever exclude retraction and revocation: He has commanded his covenant for ever. God's covenant is commanded, for he has made it as one that has an incontestable authority to prescribe both what we must do and what we must expect, and an unquestionable ability to perform both what he has promised in the blessings of the covenant and what he has threatened in the curses of it, Psa 105:8.
III. For the setting up and establishing of religion among men. Because holy and reverend is his name, and the fear of him is the beginning of wisdom, therefore his praise endureth for ever, that is, he is to be everlastingly praised. 1. Because the discoveries of religion tend so much to his honour. Review what he has made known of himself in his word and in his works, and you will see, and say, that God is great and greatly to be feared; for his name is holy, his infinite purity and rectitude appear in all that whereby he has made himself known, and because it is holy therefore it is reverend, and to be thought of and mentioned with a holy awe. Note, What is holy is reverend; the angels have an eye to God's holiness when they cover their faces before him, and nothing is more man's honour than his sanctification. It is in his holy places that God appears most terrible, Psa 68:35; Lev 10:3. 2. 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 principal of wisdom, to worship God and give honour 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 Pro 3:4, So shalt thou find favour 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 every thing 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, Joh 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 for ever, 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 for ever. It is not of men perhaps, but it is of God (Rom 2:29), and that praise which is of God endures for ever when the praise of men is withered and gone.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 6–10. Public domain.
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Augustine of HippoAD 430
Exposition on Psalm 111
"He shall show His people the power of His works" [Psalm 111:6]. Let not the holy Israelites, who have left all their possessions and have followed Him, be saddened; let them not be sorrowful and say, "Who then can be saved?" For "it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God." For "with men these things are impossible, but with God all things are possible." [Matthew 19:24-26] "That He may give them the heritage of the heathen." For they went to the heathen, and enjoined the rich of this world "not to be high-minded, nor to trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God," [1 Timothy 6:17] to whom that is easy which is difficult for men. For thus many were called, thus the heritage of the heathen has been occupied, thus it has happened, that even many who have not abandoned all their possessions in this life in order to follow Him, have despised even life itself for the sake of confessing His Name; and like camels humbling themselves to bear the burden of troubles, have entered as it were through a needle's eye, through the piercing straits of suffering. He has wrought these effects, unto whom all things are possible.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
Psalm 111:6 serves as a powerful declaration of God's omnipotent faithfulness, vividly showcasing His historical interventions on behalf of His covenant people. Through mighty and awe-inspiring deeds, the Lord sovereignly dispossessed the pagan nations from the land of Canaan, graciously bestowing it upon Israel as their promised inheritance. This verse profoundly underscores God's absolute sovereignty over all creation, His unwavering commitment to fulfill His promises, and the perfect harmony of His justice in judgment with His benevolence in provision.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Psalm 111:6 employs several literary devices to enhance its profound message. The most prominent device is Divine Agency, where the psalmist consistently attributes all significant actions to God ("He hath shewed," "that He may give"). This emphasizes God's absolute sovereignty, omnipotence, and active involvement as the sole mover of history, rather than human effort or military might. There is also a clear Cause and Effect relationship: God's powerful works (the cause) are directly linked to the giving of the land as an inheritance (the effect), highlighting the intentionality and purposefulness of God's actions. The phrase "heritage of the heathen" utilizes Metonymy, where "heathen" stands for the land previously occupied by them, thereby highlighting the transfer of ownership through divine decree and judgment. Furthermore, as part of an acrostic psalm, the underlying Acrostic Structure (though not visible in translation) contributes to a sense of completeness, order, and divine perfection in the recounting of God's works, suggesting that every aspect of His character and actions is perfectly aligned and meticulously ordered.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Psalm 111:6 stands as a powerful testament to God's active involvement in human history, demonstrating His omnipotence and unwavering faithfulness to His covenant promises. The giving of the land of Canaan was not merely a political or military victory for Israel, but a profound theological act that underscored God's justice in judging the wicked and His benevolence in providing for His chosen people. This historical event serves as a foundational reminder that God is sovereign over all nations and circumstances, capable of dispossessing the powerful and elevating the humble according to His righteous will. It encourages believers to look back at God's past faithfulness as a solid ground for trusting Him in present and future challenges, knowing that the same powerful God continues to work on behalf of those who fear Him.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Psalm 111:6 invites us to pause and reflect on the magnificent display of God's power and His unwavering commitment to His people throughout history. Just as God decisively acted to secure a physical inheritance for Israel, He continues to work powerfully in the lives of His followers today, providing for their needs and securing their eternal spiritual inheritance. This verse serves as a potent reminder that our God is not a distant, disengaged deity but an active, sovereign, and faithful Lord who intervenes on behalf of those who trust Him. Remembering God's past faithfulness, as vividly depicted in the giving of the land, provides a robust foundation for our faith in the face of contemporary challenges. It affirms that the same God who orchestrated the grand narrative of Israel's inheritance is still at work, demonstrating His power and faithfulness in every generation, ensuring that His promises will never fail. We are called to live in confident trust, knowing that our ultimate inheritance is secure in Him, and to praise Him for His mighty deeds, both past and present.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What is the significance of "the heritage of the heathen" in Psalm 111:6?
Answer: "The heritage of the heathen" refers to the land of Canaan, which God had promised to Abraham and his descendants centuries earlier. Its significance is multifaceted: first, it demonstrates God's absolute sovereignty over all nations and territories, showing He can dispossess one people and give their land to another according to His righteous judgment. Second, it highlights God's unwavering faithfulness to His covenant promises, as the land was a central component of the Abrahamic covenant, first revealed in Genesis 12:7. Third, it underscores God's justice; the "heathen" (Canaanite nations) were dispossessed due to their profound wickedness and idolatry, making their land a rightful judgment and a divine gift to Israel. It was a tangible, physical manifestation of God's power and commitment to His people, establishing their national identity and security in the promised land.
How does this verse relate to God's character?
Answer: Psalm 111:6 profoundly reveals several essential aspects of God's character. It showcases His omnipotence and power, as only an all-powerful God could orchestrate such a massive transfer of land and overcome formidable obstacles. It underscores His faithfulness to His covenant promises, proving that He always keeps His word, even across generations. It also highlights His righteousness and justice, as He judged the wicked nations while providing for His chosen people, demonstrating His moral authority over all the earth. Furthermore, it reveals His benevolence and providence, as He actively works on behalf of His people to secure their well-being and fulfill His divine plan. The verse paints a picture of a God who is actively involved in history, sovereign over all, and utterly dependable in His love and justice.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
While Psalm 111:6 speaks of a physical inheritance for Israel, its ultimate fulfillment and spiritual resonance are found in Jesus Christ, the true and greater Israel. The "power of his works" demonstrated in the conquest of Canaan foreshadows the infinitely greater power of God displayed in the person and redemptive work of Christ. Jesus, as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, disarmed spiritual "heathen"—the powers and principalities of darkness—through His death and resurrection, triumphing over them on the cross (Colossians 2:15). Through Him, believers receive an eternal, spiritual "heritage" that is far superior to any earthly land—an inheritance that is "imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven" for them (1 Peter 1:4). We, as believers, are no longer defined by an earthly territory but by our union with Christ, becoming heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, inheriting all the spiritual blessings in the heavenly places (Ephesians 1:3). The ultimate "heritage" is not a conquered land but the new heavens and new earth, where God dwells with His people forever, a reality secured by Christ's finished work (Revelation 21:1-4). Thus, the historical act in Psalm 111:6 points forward to the grander, spiritual inheritance secured for all who believe in Jesus.