He sent redemption to his people; he has commanded his covenant forever. Holy and awesome is his name!
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse highlights that God's covenant is not just a promise, but something He has actively "commanded," signifying His powerful authority establishing it for all time. This powerful, divinely established covenant, demonstrated through acts of redemption, underscores why His name is rightfully called "holy and awesome."
He sent redemption to his people; he has commanded his covenant forever. Holy and awesome is his name!
English Standard Version (ESV)
This psalm is a reflection on God's faithfulness, celebrating His mighty deeds and righteous character. The verses leading up to this one have recounted God's dependable works and the enduring nature of His covenant. This verse then summarizes God's gracious actions, highlighting His sending of redemption, a theme often pointing back to the Exodus from Egypt, and affirming the eternal establishment of His covenant, all of which reveal His name as holy and deserving of awe.
God doesn't just save us once; He orchestrates ongoing rescue missions. From ancient Egypt to the ultimate rescue by Christ, redemption is His ongoing masterpiece.
The verse speaks of God sending "redemption." While the immediate context likely points to the Exodus from Egypt, a monumental act of deliverance, the psalm hints at something deeper.
A Pattern of Rescue
Think of it as a recurring theme in God's relationship with humanity:
This unfolding story of redemption isn't just about past events; it's about God's consistent character and His plan for humanity's freedom.
God's covenant isn't a casual promise; it's a divine command, established by His authority and guaranteed to last forever.
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The phrase "he has commanded his covenant forever" is crucial. It speaks to the unshakeable foundation of God's promises.
God's Authority, Our Assurance
This enduring command means God's faithfulness to His people is guaranteed, not by our performance, but by His unchanging decree.
God's name isn't just a label; it's a revelation of His character – utterly holy and profoundly awesome, demanding reverence.
The psalm concludes with a profound declaration: "Holy and awesome is his name!" This isn't just about God being 'nice' or 'good' in a human sense.
The Nature of God's Name
To truly know God is to stand in awe of His holiness and the terrifying, wonderful reality of His presence.
Understand the original words
peduth · Hebrew Noun
The act of liberating, releasing, or rescuing someone from bondage, debt, or judgment, often through the payment of a price. In the Bible, it is the primary motif of God's saving action for His people.
berith · Hebrew Noun
A formal, binding agreement between God and His people, characterized by divine promise and commitment. It is the framework through which God enters into relationship with humanity.
qadosh · Hebrew Adjective
Set apart for God, pure, and morally transcendent. It describes the absolute distinctness and moral perfection of God's character.
nora · Hebrew Adjective
Inspiring profound reverence, awe, and fear. Used of God, it signifies His majesty and the appropriate human response of trembling wonder before His greatness.
This psalm's focus on God's redemptive acts, particularly the Exodus, and His enduring covenant, would have resonated deeply with an audience who had experienced the trauma of exile and the hope of return, and it points to the ultimate redemption found in Christ.
~1446 BC— this verse
The Exodus from Egypt
God led the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt through Moses, a foundational act of redemption and the establishment of His covenant with them at Mount Sinai.
c. 13th century BC
Conquest of Canaan
Following the Exodus, the Israelites, under Joshua's leadership, conquered and settled in the Promised Land, fulfilling God's promises and reinforcing the covenant.
c. 605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar's forces captured Jerusalem, exiling many Judeans, including Daniel, to Babylon. This event raised questions about God's faithfulness to His covenant.
586 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
The Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple, ending the Davidic monarchy and intensifying the crisis of exile for the remaining Judeans.
c. 538 BC
Return from Exile
Cyrus the Great permitted the exiled Judeans to return to Jerusalem, led by figures like Zerubbabel, and rebuild the Temple. This was seen as a significant act of redemption.
c. 1st century AD
The Coming of Christ
Jesus' life, death, and resurrection are understood as the ultimate fulfillment of God's covenant promises, providing a profound and eternal redemption for humanity.
This passage directly echoes the sentiment of God's holiness and awe-inspiring nature, reinforcing the idea that His name is 'holy and awesome' due to His mighty acts of deliverance.
Jeremiah 31:31-34This prophetic passage speaks of a 'new covenant' that God will establish with His people, mirroring the psalmist's declaration that God 'has commanded his covenant forever' and pointing towards a deeper, internal redemption.
Luke 1:68-75Zechariah's prophecy praises God for raising up a 'horn of salvation' and remembering His covenant, directly linking God's redemptive acts and His eternal promises to His people.
Hebrews 9:11-15This New Testament passage explains how Christ's sacrifice is the ultimate redemption and the mediator of a new covenant, fulfilling the promises implied in the Old Testament covenant God commanded.
pulpitPsalms 111:9: "He sent redemption unto his people: he hath commanded his covenant for ever: holy and reverend is his name."
Verse 9. - He sent redemption unto his people. The "redemption" from Egypt (Exodus 6:6) is perhaps especially in the writer's mind, but he may be thinking also of other deliverances. He hath commanded his covenant forever (comp. Genesis 9:12; Genesis 17:13; Exodus 31:16, etc.). Holy and reverend is his Name. Intrinsically "holy," and therefore "reverend," or to be reverenc…
poolePsalms 111:9: "He sent redemption unto his people: he hath commanded his covenant for ever: holy and reverend is his name."
Redemption; that deliverance out of Egypt, which was a type and pledge of that greater and higher redemption by Christ. Commanded, i.e. appointed or established firmly by his power and authority. And so this word is oft used, as Psalm 33:9 42:8 105:31,34 . See Poole "Psalm 111:7" , the ground of which signification may be taken from hence, that the command of a sufficient…
The verse highlights that God's covenant is not just a promise, but something He has actively "commanded," signifying His powerful authority establishing it for all time. This powerful, divinely established covenant, demonstrated through acts of redemption, underscores why His name is rightfully called "holy and awesome."
This psalm is a reflection on God's faithfulness, celebrating His mighty deeds and righteous character. The verses leading up to this one have recounted God's dependable works and the enduring nature of His covenant. This verse then summarizes God's gracious actions, highlighting His sending of redemption, a theme often pointing back to the Exodus from Egypt, and affirming the eternal establishment of His covenant, all of which reveal His name as holy and deserving of awe.
This psalm is a reflection on God's faithfulness, celebrating His mighty deeds and righteous character. The verses leading up to this one have recounted God's dependable works and the enduring nature of His covenant. This verse then summarizes God's gracious actions, highlighting His sending of redemption, a theme often pointing back to the Exodus from Egypt, and affirming the eternal establishment of His covenant, all of which reveal His name as holy and deserving of awe.
"He sent redemption to his people; he has commanded his covenant forever. Holy and awesome is his name!" — The verse highlights that God's covenant is not just a promise, but something He has actively "commanded," signifying His powerful authority establishing it for all time. This powerful, divinely esta…
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Last reviewed October 2026