College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
Psalms 112:1-10
DESCRIPTIVE TITLE
Alphabetical Psalm in Praise of the Man who Revereth Jehovah.
ANALYSIS
The structure of this Psalm exactly corresponds with that of the foregoing (of which see the Analysis).
(P.R.I.) Praise ye Yah!
1
How happy the man who revereth Jehovah,
In his commandments he delighteth greatly:
2
Mighty in the earth shall be his seed,
The generation of the upright shall be blessed:
3
Comfort and riches are in his house,
And his righteousness standeth fast for aye:
4
He hath arisen in darkness a light to the upright,
Gracious and compassionate[542] and righteous:
[542] Cp. Exodus 34:6 and Psalms 111:4.
5
Well is it with the man who is gracious and lendeth,
He shall maintain his words in the judgment:
6
For to the ages shall he not be shaken,
An age-abiding remembrance shall the righteous man become:
7
Of evil tidings will he not be afraid,
Steadfast is his heart led to trust in Jehovah.
8
Sustained in his heart he is not afraid,
Until that he gazeth on his adversaries:
9
He hath scattered abroad he hath given to the needy,
His righteousness standeth fast for aye:
His horn shall be exalted with honour:
10
A lawless one shall see and be vexed,
His teeth shall he gnash and shall melt away;
The desire[543] of lawless ones shall vanish.[544]
[543] Gt.: The hope. Cp. Psalms 9:18, Proverbs 10:28Gn.
[544] Cp. Psalms 1:6.
(Nm)[545]
[545] See 113 (beginning.)
PARAPHRASE
Praise the Lord! For all who fear God and trust in Him are blessed beyond expression. Yes, happy is the man who delights in doing His commands.
2 His children shall be honored everywhere, for good men's sons have a special heritage.
3 He himself shall be wealthy, and his good deeds will never be forgotten.[546]
[546] Literally, his righteousness endures forever.
4 When darkness overtakes him, light will come bursting in. He is kind and merciful
5 And all goes well for the generous man who conducts his business fairly.
6 Such a man will not be overthrown by evil circumstances. God's constant care of him will make a deep impression on all who see it.
7 He does not fear bad news, nor live in dread of what may happen. For he is settled in his mind that Jehovah will take care of him.
8 That is why he is not afraid, but can calmly face his foes.
9 He gives generously to those in need. His deeds will never be forgotten.1 He shall have influence and honor.
10 Evil-minded men will be infuriated when they see all this; they will gnash their teeth in anger and slink away, their hopes thwarted.
EXPOSITION
Although the course run by this psalm naturally differs from that of its predecessor, yet the correspondences between the two, both in thought and language, are numerous. Note the identity of line Psalms 112:3 b in the two psalms; also the recurrence of the refrain snatch in Psalms 112:4 b of this psalm as well as that; which, in this second case, is the more remarkable, because it probably applies to MAN that which was originally spoken by Jehovah concerning HIMSELF: as much as to sayI am gracious and compassionate, be ye the same. Then comes the question whether, if line b of this verse is transferred to man, line a also should not be applied in like manner. If so, we reach the rather startling comparison of the Jehovah-revering MAN to a light arising in the darkness enshrouding his afflicted but upright brother. This is a by-no-means incredible result; and the strong current man-ward of this whole psalm appears to warrant our resting in it. The quotation of Psalms 112:9 in 2 Corinthians 9:9 may usefully remind us how strongly the great exponent of justification by faith teaches Christians, that they have been created in Christ Jesus upon a footing of good (and noble) works, which God prepared beforehand, that therein we might walk (Ephesians 2:10).
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
1.
We can learn much from Psalms 111, 112 by a comparison and contrast. Graham Scroggie gave a very helpful chart on this which we reproduce here:
1.
Praise ye the Lord.
1.
Praise ye the Lord.
1.
The upright.
2.
The upright.
10.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.
1.
Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord.
2.
Them that delight therein,
1.
Delighteth greatly in His commandments.
3.
His righteousness endureth for ever.
3, 9.
His righteousness endureth for ever.
4.
The Lord is gracious and full of compassion.
4.
He is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.
4.
He hath made His wonderful works to be remembered.
6.
The righteous shall be in ever-lasting remembrance.
5.
Them that fear Him.
8.
He shall not be afraid.
7.
His commandments.
1.
His commandments.
8.
Established (stand fast).
8.
Established.
2.
To whom do the words: gracious and compassionate in Psalms 112:4 b refer? This becomes a startling thought. Why?