Psalms 111:10The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom. All those who do his work have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!
The setting
Temple courts in Jerusalem, Israel, ~1000-500 BC. A worship leader concludes an acrostic psalm celebrating God's mighty works...
The emotion here: overwhelmed by God's greatness while leading temple worship
The original word
yirah (יִרְאָה) — reverent awe that transforms behavior, not terror but holy respect
Why it matters
This is the final verse of an acrostic psalm where each line begins with successive Hebrew letters
Read with care
What most readers miss in Psalms 111:10
The word 'beginning' (reshit) means 'first principle' — fear of God isn't just the start, it's the foundation everything else builds on
Common misconceptionPeople think 'fear of the Lord' means being scared of God, but it's actually deep respect that makes you want to please Him, like how you act differently around someone you deeply admire.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Psalms 111:10
Bible Genome reading
Psalms 111:10 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Psalms 111:10 comes from the book of Psalms, written during the United Kingdom period. These words are attributed to unknown. The dominant emotion in this verse is worship, with a comfort power of 60% and a tone that is reverent. It belongs to the psalm genre of biblical literature. Key themes include wisdom, fear of God, understanding. Notable phrases: fear of Yahweh; beginning of wisdom.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same worship
“Hear, Israel: Yahweh is our God; Yahweh is one:”
— Deuteronomy 6:4
“and you shall love Yahweh your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.”
— Deuteronomy 6:5
“For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven:”
— Ecclesiastes 3:1
“Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me.”
— John 14:6
“Jesus said to them, "Most certainly, I tell you, before Abraham came into existence, I AM."”
— John 8:58
Your reflection
What does Psalms 111:10 mean to you, today?
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