Psalm 111:9 reads, "He sent redemption unto his people: he hath commanded his covenant for ever: holy and reverend is his name." Who is the "He" in this passage that has a people, covenant, and name? Verse two states, "The works of the LORD are great, sought out of all them that have pleasure therein." Then, again in verse four "the LORD" is noted. Following the pronouns down to verse nine, it is evident that the one Who has a "holy and reverend" name is Jehovah God.

The ASV translation of the latter part of verse nine is, "Holy and reverend is his name." This is identical with the reading in the King James Version. What about the NKJV? It has, "Holy and awesome is His name." Thus, the NKJV translators replaced the older translation of "reverend" with the word "awesome." This change has raised some questions about Psalm 111:9. Let’s look at a few of those.

(1) What is meant by the word "reverend" in the expression "holy and reverend is his name?" First of all, as a part of speech, the word "reverend" is an adjective. Perhaps you have heard it said that the word "reverend" appears in the Bible only once. It is true that in the KJV, the word "reverend" is used only one time – in Psalm 111:9. However both the verb "to reverence" and the noun "reverence" are used in the Bible a number of times.

The word "reverend" in Psalm 111:9 comes from a Hebrew word that means to fear, to revere, to cause to frighten, to be (make) afraid, to dread, to be had in reverence [Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, Hebrew and Chaldee Dictionary, word no. 3372]. Wilson’s Old Testament Word Studies defines the verb "reverence," which comes from the same root Hebrew word that is translated as "reverend" in Psalm 111:9, as "to fear, to venerate, religiously to reverence" [p. 354].

When that Hebrew word is used in Old Testament verses, how is it translated into English? Consider these examples:

God’s name is "terrible" (Psalm 99:3) ["awesome," NKJV].

God’s name is "fearful" (Deuteronomy 28:58 ["awesome," NKJV].

God’s name is "dreadful" (Malachi 1:14) ["is to be feared," NKJV].

And, as we know, God’s name is "reverend" (Psalm 111:9) ["awesome," NKJV].

Did you notice the different words that are used for God’s name? "Terrible," "fearful," "dreadful," and "reverend." And, they all come from the same Hebrew word. The NKJV basically uses the word "awesome" in each case noted above, except for Malachi 1:14.

(2) In the Bible, is the word "reverend" applied only to God? In 1 Samuel 12:18 we read, "So Samuel called unto the LORD; and the LORD sent thunder and rain that day: and all the people greatly feared the LORD and Samuel." What did the Israelites do with Samuel? They "feared" him. According to Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance, the word "feared" is the verb form of the same Hebrew word that is translated as "reverend" in Psalm 111:9. Thus, while in Psalm 111:9 the word "reverend" definitely refers to God, the same word is also used to describe action taken with humans.

(3) Is "awesome" a good translation in Psalm 111:9 ("holy and awesome is his name"), as the NKJV renders it? The English word "awesome" means "inspiring awe . . . better than usual: extraordinary" [Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary]. If "awesome" means "inspiring awe," then what does "awe" mean? It means "dread, terror . . . fearful reverence inspired by deity or by something sacred or mysterious, submissive and admiring fear inspired by authority or power" [Webster’s]. If you will go back and look at the definitions that we noted for "reverend" under question number one above, then you will see that "awesome" is an appropriate translation. To say that God is "awesome" simply means that He inspires awe on our part – is that not what the KJV has in other passages when it says that God is "terrible," "fearful," and "dreadful?" Yes, it is. While some may prefer the word "reverend" over "awesome" when it comes to God’s name (Psalm 111:9), the word "awesome" is not out of place.

(4) In our time, "awesome" is often used on the streets or in common lingo, especially among young people. We hear such things as, "That’s awesome," "Hey, you’re awesome," or simply, "Awesome, dude." Since "awesome" is used in an earthly, often non-serious manner in our time, if we applied the word "awesome" to God’s name [Psalm 111:9, NKJV], would that not be dragging God and His name down to man’s level? How can a name for God be properly used in a common fashion, or how could a commonly used word be properly applied to God? Consider this. The Bible says that God is love (1 John 4:8). Does that restrict us from using the word "love" when we talk about "love songs," "I love my dog," or "I love Mexican food?" No, we can use "love" as long as we do not use it in a way that violates the scriptures. Again, God is good (Psalm 145:9). Does that mean that we can never use the word "good" in reference to human affairs? No. The Bible says that Barnabas "was a good man" (Acts 11:24). That statement in no way makes Barnabas on the same level with God, nor does it in any sense drag God down to man’s level. As we have already seen, calling God’s name "awesome" is a proper thing to do. As students of the Bible, our task is to do the necessary study to find out what "awesome" means in the context of the Bible. The same thing holds true for the words "pastor," "witness," "apostle," and all others.

(5) If we remove "reverend" from Psalm 111:9 and replace it with "awesome," then would that not mean that it would be okay to call a preacher "Reverend?" Consider three brief points along this line. First, in order to find out what preachers of the gospel should be called, we must investigate the New Testament, not the Old Testament, including the Book of Psalms. Second, Jesus condemned the use of religious titles (Matthew 23:7-10). "Reverend" certainly falls into the category of religious titles, and thus Jesus forbids its use. Third, we would ask: Where is the word "Reverend" used in the New Testament in reference to a preacher? It never is! We are to do all things by the authority of the Christ and speak according to the oracles of God (Colossians 3:17; 1 Peter 4:11). Thus, since the use of the word "Reverend" for a preacher is unauthorized by the doctrine of our Lord, then to use it in reference to a preacher is wrong, regardless of how many people accept it and count it as a harmless practice.

Psalm 111:9 – "Reverend" or "awesome?" We hope our study has been helpful. Let us all strive to base our beliefs and practices on the message of the Bible.

-- Roger D. Campbell