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Psalms 112

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The Blessedness of Fearing the Lord 1–3

1
Praise ye Jehovah. Blessed is the man that feareth Jehovah, That delighteth greatly in his commandments. ​
2
His seed shall be mighty upon earth: The generation of the upright shall be blessed.
3
Wealth and riches are in his house; And his righteousness endureth for ever. ​

Character of the Compassionate Man 4–5

4
Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness: He isgracious, and merciful, and righteous. ​
5
Well is it with the man that dealeth graciously and lendeth; He shall maintain his cause in judgment. ​

Security of the Righteous and the Fate of the Wicked 6–10

6
For he shall never be moved; The righteous shall be had in everlasting remembrance. ​
7
He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: His heart is fixed, trusting in Jehovah. ​
8
His heart is established, he shall not be afraid, Until he seehis desireupon his adversaries.
9
He hath dispersed, he hath given to the needy; His righteousness endureth for ever: His horn shall be exalted with honor. ​
10
The wicked shall see it, and be grieved; He shall gnash with his teeth, and melt away: The desire of the wicked shall perish. ​

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for Psalms 112

Verse 1

Blessed is the man — Esher, the word that opens the whole book of Psalms (Ps 1:1). 'Feareth the LORD' and 'delighteth greatly in his commandments' (chaphets, to incline toward, with mitsvah, command) are one description; Ps 119:47 says 'I will delight myself in thy commandments'. Hallelu-Yah stands before it, as in Ps 111:1.

Verse 3

Wealth and riches — Hon and osher, goods and riches in the house, as Prov 15:6 says, 'In the house of the righteous is much treasure'. The second half, 'his righteousness endureth for ever', is repeated word for word in v.9, and 2 Cor 9:9 quotes it of the one who gives to the poor.

Verse 4

there ariseth light in the darkness — Zarach is the verb of sunrise; Isa 58:10 uses it of the one who feeds the hungry, 'then shall thy light rise in obscurity'. 'Gracious, and full of compassion' (channun, rachum) is the description of the LORD in Ps 111:4 and Ex 34:6, here given to the upright man.

Verse 5

sheweth favour, and lendeth — Chanan, to show favour, shares its root with 'gracious' in v.4. Ps 37:26 says 'He is ever merciful, and lendeth'. 'Discretion' is mishpat, the word usually rendered 'judgment' (Ps 99:4), and 'guide' is kul, to hold and measure out: his affairs are managed by what is just.

Verse 6

shall not be moved for ever — Mot, to totter or slip, as in Ps 15:5, 'He that doeth these things shall never be moved', and Ps 125:1. 'Remembrance' is zeker, the word of 'to be remembered' in Ps 111:4: the LORD's works are remembered in that psalm, and here the righteous man is. Prov 10:7 says 'The memory of the just is blessed'.

Verse 7

evil tidings — Shemuah, something heard, a report; it is the 'report' of Isa 53:1, 'Who hath believed our report?' Ps 112:7 is the only place in the Psalms where it occurs. 'Fixed' is kun, to be set firm, the verb of Ps 57:7 and 108:1, where the heart is fixed on God; 'trusting' is batach.

Verse 9

He hath dispersed — Pazar, to scatter, in bounty or in enmity; Prov 11:24 has 'There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth'. Paul quotes the verse in 2 Cor 9:9: 'He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever'. The 'horn' (qeren) is strength, as in Ps 75:10, 'the horns of the righteous shall be exalted'.

Verse 10

He shall gnash with his teeth — Charaq, to grate the teeth, found in the Psalms only here and in Ps 35:16 and 37:12 ('The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth'). 'The desire of the wicked shall perish' (abad) closes the psalm as Ps 1:6 closes the first: 'the way of the ungodly shall perish'.