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Psalm 147:11
The LORD takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his loving kindness.
9He provides food for the livestock, and for the young ravens when they call.
10He doesn’t delight in the strength of the horse. He takes no pleasure in the legs of a man.
11The LORD takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his loving kindness.
12Praise the LORD, Jerusalem! Praise your God, Zion!
13For he has strengthened the bars of your gates. He has blessed your children within you.
Notice
Fear and hope meet in the same people here, challenging the thought that reverence for God leaves no room for trust in his kindness.
Questions to write on. Each one opens a new entry with this verse already attached.
What changes in your view of God when you read that he takes pleasure in people?
Write on thisHow does hoping in God's loving kindness shape what it means for you to fear him?
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Where else Scripture says this
12 passages readers most often link with this verse, and the thread each one shares with it.
This verse's connections, by chapterThe Bible's strongest chapter linksHover or tap a book to trace it
Zephaniah 3:17The LORD, your God, is among you, a mighty one who will save. He will rejoice over you with joy. He will calm you in his love. He will rejoice over you with …Both passages describe God's pleasure in his people and speak of his love toward them.
Psalm 33:18Behold, the LORD’s eye is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his loving kindness,Both identify the same people: those who fear the LORD and hope in his loving kindness.
Ecclesiastes 12:13This is the end of the matter. All has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man.Both speak of fearing God; Ecclesiastes joins that fear with keeping his commandments, while the psalm joins it with hope.
Psalm 149:4For the LORD takes pleasure in his people. He crowns the humble with salvation.Both declare that the LORD takes pleasure in people, describing them through fear and hope here, and humility in Psalm 149.
Psalm 128:1A Song of Ascents. Blessed is everyone who fears the LORD, who walks in his ways.Both describe God's favor toward those who fear him; Psalm 128 also speaks of walking in his ways.
Malachi 3:16–17Then those who feared the LORD spoke one with another; and the LORD listened and heard, and a book of memory was written before him for those who feared the …Both describe God's regard for those who fear him: he takes pleasure in them here and listens to them in Malachi.
Proverbs 31:30Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain; but a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised.Both commend the fear of the LORD, with Proverbs naming it as the reason a woman deserves praise.
Psalm 52:8But as for me, I am like a green olive tree in God’s house. I trust in God’s loving kindness forever and ever.Both name God's loving kindness as the ground of trust or hope.
Isaiah 62:4You will not be called Forsaken any more, nor will your land be called Desolate any more; but you will be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah; for the LORD …Both speak of the LORD's delight in people; Isaiah declares that delight to those whose land has been called Desolate.
Hebrews 10:38But the righteous one will live by faith. If he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.”Both connect God's pleasure with trust: the psalm speaks of hope in his kindness, while Hebrews contrasts faith with shrinking back.
Proverbs 11:20Those who are perverse in heart are an abomination to the LORD, but those whose ways are blameless are his delight.Both name people in whom the LORD delights, describing reverence and hope here, and blameless ways in Proverbs.
Jeremiah 39:18For I will surely save you. You won’t fall by the sword, but you will escape with your life, because you have put your trust in me,” says the LORD.’”Both speak of trust directed toward the LORD; Jeremiah attaches a promise of escape to the person who trusted him.
Where this verse fits
Feeling distant from God. praise and worship.
One step
Something small to carry out of this verse
Encouragement
Your reverence for God need not crowd out hope in his kindness. Both belong in the people described here, and YHWH takes pleasure in them.
Now put it in your words.
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Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY). Scripture from the World English Bible (public domain). Arc diagram after Chris Harrison and Christoph Römhild (2007).