Psalms 111:6 (KJV)

What does Psalms 111:6 mean?

Psalms 111:6 says that God showed the people of Israel what he could do by giving them land that had belonged to other nations. The verse treats that gift as evidence of God’s power made visible in Israel’s history.

The speaker is a worshipper praising God among his people. “Heritage” pictures land received as a lasting possession. The phrase “his people” identifies the people receiving the land, while “the heathen” refers to the other nations who had occupied it.

The Hebrew behind Psalms 111:6

• “shewed” — נָגַד (nagad): This word can mean to make something known or declare it. Here, God’s power is made known to his people through what he has done.
• “heritage” — נַחֲלָה (naḥalah): This word means an inheritance or possession passed on or allotted. Here, the gift is pictured as a lasting share of land.
• “heathen” — גּוֹיִם (goyim): This word means nations or peoples. The KJV term refers here to the nations whose land Israel received.

Why Psalms 111:6 matters

• God’s power is presented through an event involving people and land, not merely as an abstract quality. The verse connects “the power of his works” with the gift of a “heritage.”
• The gift also belongs within a longer story of God’s promises to Israel. The preceding verse speaks of God remembering his agreement with his people; verse 6 points to a gift associated with that agreement.