Psalms 111:1
Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord: he shall delight exceedingly in his commandments.
Open Psalms 111:1 in the Motif Searcher, word by word across all five texts →Show on the spiral →The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Alleluja, reversionis Aggæi et Zachariæ. Beatus vir qui timet Dominum : in mandatis ejus volet nimis.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- Ἁλληλουιά. Μακάριος ἀνὴρ ὁ φοβούμενος τὸν κύριον, ἐν ταῖς ἐντολαῖς αὐτοῦ θέλει σφόδρα·
- Hebrew (WLC) shown from Psalms 112:1
- הַ֥לְלוּ יָ֨הּ אַשְׁרֵי אִ֭ישׁ יָרֵ֣א אֶת יְהוָ֑ה בְּ֝מִצְוֺתָ֗יו חָפֵ֥ץ מְאֹֽד
Haydock's commentary
Of the returning, &c. This is in the Greek and Latin, but not in the Hebrew. It signifies, that this psalm was proper to be sung at the time of the return of the people from their captivity: to inculcate to them, how happy they might be, if they would be constant in the service of God. (Challoner)
Yet all Greek copies have not this title, (Haydock) but only Alleluia, with the Hebrew, Syriac, &c.
It might be composed by Aggæus, &c., as it relates to the captivity, (ver. 4.) and to the overthrow of Babylon, (ver. 10.; Calmet) or David might thus describe the happiness of the virtuous, (Berthier) and give the captives to understand, that sin was the source of all temporal as well as spiritual miseries. (Worthington)
Delight. We must love God for his own sake. (St. Chrysostom)
Those who sincerely fear God, will take great delight in keeping his commandments. (Worthington)
From Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, 1859, in the transcription made by Todd Easton and kept online by John Paul Wohlschied at johnblood.gitlab.io/haydock.
The Fathers on this verse
St Augustine City of God, Of the Perfect Man, that Is, Christ; And of His Body, that Is, The Church, Which is His Fullness
To understand what the apostle means when he says that we shall all come to a perfect man, we must consider the connection of the whole passage, which runs thus: “He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that He might fill all things. And He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: till we all come to the unity of the faith and knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the age of the fullness of Christ: that we henceforth be no more children, tossed and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in Him in all things, which is the Head, even Christ: …
St Augustine Lectures or Tractates on the Gospel According to St. John, Chapter I. 19-33
11. You know that certain men say sometimes, We take away sin from men, we who are holy; for if he be not holy who baptizeth, how taketh he away the sin of another, when he is a man himself full of sin? In opposition to these disputations, let us not speak our own words, let us read what John says: “Behold the Lamb of God; behold Him who taketh away the sin of the world!” Let there not be presumptuous confidence of men upon men: let not the sparrow flee to the mountains, but let it trust in the Lord; and if it lift its eyes to the mountains, from whence cometh aid to it, let it understand that its aid is from the Lord who made heaven and earth. So great is the excellence of John, that to him it is said, “Art thou the Christ?” He says, No. Art thou Elias? He says, No. Art thou a prophet? He says, No. …
St Augustine Expositions on the Book of Psalms, Psalm CXII
2. “Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord: he will have great delight in His commandments” ( ver. 1 ). God, who alone judgeth both truthfully and mercifully, will see how far he obeyeth His commandments: since “the life of man on earth is a temptation,” as holy Job saith. But “He who judgeth us is the Lord.”…He therefore will see how far each man profiteth in His commandments; yet he who loveth the peace of this building together, shall have great delight in them; nor ought he to despair, since there is “peace on earth for men of good will.”
St John Chrysostom The Homilies on the Statues to the People of Antioch, Homily XVIII
10. Since therefore those who are scourged are more blessed than the scourgers, and those in tribulation among us than those who are free from it outside the Christian pale; and those who are sad are more blessed than those in pleasure; what further source of tribulation shall we have? On this account we should call no man happy, save him only who lives according to God. These only the Scripture terms blessed. For “blessed,” it is said, “is the man who hath not walked in the counsel of the ungodly. Blessed is he whom Thou chastenest, and teachest him out of Thy law. Blessed are the undefiled in the way. Blessed are all they who trust in Him. Blessed is the people whose God is the Lord. Blessed is he whom his soul condemneth not. …
St Athanasius Letters of Athanasius with Two Ancient Chronicles of His Life, Second Letter to Orsisius
I have heard about the decease of the blessed Theodorus, and the tidings caused me great anxiety, knowing as I did his value to you. Now if it had not been Theodorus, I should have used many words to you, with tears, considering what follows after death. But since it is Theodorus whom you and I have known, what need I say in my letter save ‘Blessed is’ Theodorus, ‘who hath not walked in the council of the ungodly?’ But if ‘he is blessed that feareth the Lord,’ we may now confidently call him blessed, having the firm assurance that he has reached as it were a haven, and has a life without care. …
St Ambrose On the Duties of the Clergy, Chapter I. A Bishop's special office is to teach; St. Ambrose himself, however, has to learn in order that he may teach; or rather has to teach what he has not learnt; at any rate learning and teaching with himself must go on together
1. I think I shall not seem to be taking too much on myself, if, in the midst of my children, I yield to my desire to teach, seeing that the master of humility himself has said: “Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the Lord.” Wherein one may observe both the humility and the grace of his reverence for God. For in saying “the fear of the Lord,” which seems to be common to all, he has described the chief mark of reverence for God. As, however, fear itself is the beginning of wisdom and the source of blessedness, for they that fear the Lord are blessed, he has plainly marked himself out as the teacher for instruction in wisdom, and the guide to the attainment of blessedness.
St Ambrose On the Duties of the Clergy, Chapter II. The different ideas of philosophers on the subject of happiness. He proves, first, from the Gospel that it rests on the knowledge of God and the pursuit of good works; next, that it may not be thought that this idea was adopted from the philosophers, he adds proofs from the witness of the prophets
6. Let no one think that this was but lately said, and that it was spoken of by the philosophers before it was mentioned in the Gospel. For the philosophers, that is to say, Aristotle and Theophrastus, as also Zeno and Hieronymus, certainly lived before the time of the Gospel; but they came after the prophets. Let them rather think how long before even the names of the philosophers were heard of, both of these seem to have found open expression through the mouth of the holy David; for it is written: “Blessed is the man whom Thou instructest, O Lord, and teachest him out of Thy law.” We find elsewhere also: “Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord, he will rejoice greatly in His commandments.” We have proved our point as regards knowledge, the reward for which the prophet states to be the fruit of eternity, adding that in the house of the man that feareth the Lord, or is instructed in Hi …