John Calvin Commentary Psalms 111:2

"The works of Jehovah are great, Sought out of all them that have pleasure therein." — Psalms 111:2 (ASV)

The works of Jehovah are great. He now explains that His works supply abundant reasons for praising God. For now, he makes only a general reference to these works, which he later defines more explicitly concerning the government of the Church.

The greatness of God’s works is a subject that generally escapes people's observation, and therefore, few are familiar with it. The prophet attributes this ignorance to people's indifference and ingratitude, as comparatively few take the trouble to notice the great wisdom, goodness, justice, and power displayed in these works.

Commentators disagree about the second clause of the verse. Some translate it, sought out for all their delights; and indeed, the Hebrew term חפף, chaphets, signifies good pleasure. However, as this is too forced an interpretation of the word, it is better to understand it as an adjective, expressing the idea of loving or desiring. Regarding the participle sought out, which, according to the Hebrew verb דרש, darash, properly denotes to search with diligence, we find that the works of Jehovah are, in this place, called דרושים, derushim, that is, perceived or found out. Thus, in Isaiah 65:1, it is said, I was found of them who sought me not.

However, I must not lose sight of the prophet’s purpose. Because so few apply themselves to studying God’s works, he teaches that this is why so many are blind even when surrounded by light. For when he says that the excellence of God’s works is known to all who desire it, he means that no one is ignorant of it except those who are willfully blind or, rather, who malignantly and contemptuously extinguish the light offered to them.

However, we must pay attention to the means we have for arriving at the knowledge of these works. We know that as long as the faithful are on earth, their understanding is dull and weak, so they cannot fully penetrate the mysteries or comprehend the full extent of God’s works.

But, although the immensity of God’s wisdom, equity, justice, power, and mercy in His works is incomprehensible, the faithful nevertheless acquire enough knowledge of them to qualify them for manifesting God’s glory. It only befits us to begin studying His works with reverence, so that we may take delight in them, even though they are contemptible in the estimation of the reprobate, who treat them with impious scorn.

Since the Septuagint rendered it, sought out in all his wills, Augustine therefore took the opportunity, with philosophical subtlety, to ask, How can there be, or at least appear to be, a plurality of wills in God? And it is indeed a pleasing thought that although God manifests His will in His law, there is nevertheless another secret purpose by which He is guided in the wonderful management of human affairs. This doctrine, however, is foreign to the interpretation of this passage.