Pondering the Lord’s Great Works of the Exodus and Conquest

Psalm 111 forms a unique blend of Israel’s historical traditions (vv. 4–7a, 9a), legal traditions (vv. 7–8, 9b), and wisdom traditions (v. 10). Throughout this psalm God and his people are referred to in the third person. In verse 1, and in this verse alone, a speaking “I” addresses the council of the upright and the assembly. But is this a liturgist addressing a congregation or a teacher addressing the school of the wise? The parallel phrase, “the assembly of the righteous,” appears in Psalm 1:5, a psalm reflecting the wisdom tradition. Wisdom influence may also be suggested by the “motto” of Proverbs in verse 10 (“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom,” Prov. 9:10; 1:7), the acrostic or alphabetical form (note esp. Pss.…