John Calvin Commentary Psalms 111:5

"He hath given food unto them that fear him: He will ever be mindful of his covenant." — Psalms 111:5 (ASV)

He has given a portion to those who fear him. The Church is a mirror of God's grace and justice. Therefore, what the prophet said concerning them is expressly applied to her here. The prophet does not intend to discuss God's justice in general, but only that which God specifically shows towards his own people.

For this reason, the prophet adds that God’s care for his people is such that it leads God to make ample provision for all their needs. The word טרף, tereph, which we have translated portion, is frequently understood as a prey: others translate it as meat; However, I prefer to translate it as portion, the sense in which it is used in Proverbs 30:8 and Proverbs 31:15; as if to say that God had given his people all that was necessary, and that, considered as a portion, it was large and generous. For we know that the people of Israel were enriched, not because of their own industry, but by the blessing of God, who, like the father of a family, provides for his household everything necessary for their sustenance.

In the following clause of the verse, the prophet states that the reason for God's care and kindness is God's desire to demonstrate effectively that his covenant was not invalid. And here it must be carefully observed: if, previously, and out of respect for his gracious covenant, God showed such great kindness towards the people of Israel, similarly, the goodness we receive from God is the result of our adoption into his family. And because God never tires of showing kindness to his people, the prophet says that the remembrance of God's covenant will never be erased. Moreover, as God daily and constantly showers us with his benefits, so our faith must, in some way, correspond to it: it must not fail but must rise above life and death.

The next verse is added as an explanation, to show that God, in giving his people the heritage of the heathen, had revealed to them the power of his works. The prophet indeed uses the term show, but by this he means a true demonstration. This is because the possession of the Holy Land was not acquired by mere human power; rather, it was given to them by Divine power and through the working of many miracles. And thus God, as it were, openly testified to Abraham's descendants with what incomparable power he is invested. It is for this reason that God makes the people of Israel a match for so many other nations. They would certainly never have conquered so many enemies unless they had been sustained from on high.