The psalmist praises the Lord, and extols his works as great, honorable, glorious, and magnificent, Psa 111:1-4; his providence and kindness to his followers, Psa 111:5-8; the redemption he has granted to his people, Psa 111:9. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, Psa 111:10.
This is one of the alphabetical or acrostic Psalms: but it is rather different from those we have already seen, as the first eight verses contain each two members; and each member commences with a consecutive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. But the two last verses are composed of three members each, characterized the same way, making twenty-two members or hemistichs in the whole, to each of which a consecutive letter of the alphabet is prefixed. But this division is not proper: it should follow the arrangement in the Hebrew poetry, where every hemistich stands by itself, and each contains a complete sense. The Psalm has no title in the Hebrew, unless the word Hallelujah be considered as such; and the thanksgivings which it contains were probably composed for the benefit of the Jews after their return from captivity.
Verse 1
I will praise the Lord with my whole heart - If we profess to "sing to the praise and glory of God," the heart, and the whole heart, without division and distraction, must be employed in the work.
In the assembly - בסוד besod, in the secret assembly - the private religious meetings for the communion of saints. And in the congregation, עדה edah, the general assembly - the public congregation. There were such meetings as the former ever since God had a Church on the earth; and to convey general information, there must be public assemblies.