Psalm 112/TPN/Overview
The following gives a basic Overview of the Psalm, answering the following questions:
- Title – what title best describes this unique psalm?
The one who fears YHWH - Purpose – why was this psalm written?
To celebrate the one who fears YHWH - Content – in summary, what is said in this psalm?
Happy is the one who fears YHWH! He will be blessed, and he will be a blessing to others. - Message – what is the main point or theme?
The one who fears YHWH becomes like YHWH, blessing those around him.
Every psalm has a coherent story behind it. However, many psalms are not written in typical "story" format, with a clear beginning, middle, and end. Here, we attempt to understand the story and background that prompted the psalmist to write.
Story Behind
A son of David inherits the throne. He studies YHWH's law and learns to fear YHWH...
Knowing the layout of the psalm by sections helps us to understand the progression of thought as the poem progresses. The picture below shows the main “chunks” or pieces of the poem. Verse numbers appear on the left. The second column has a title for each section. The large third column contains a brief summary of the section’s content. As you read through the content column, you will see important words and ideas highlighted in similar colors. The icons on the right may be used as memory aids.
Progression–what is the flow of thought and emotion as the poem progresses?
The psalmist begins by celebrating how YHWH blesses...
Part of poetry is communicating emotion. Each section, and even each verse, can contain a number of different emotions. Here are the main emotional themes of each section:
In poetry, it is important to keep track of who is speaking, who is the audience, and what it is that the speaker is trying to do with his words. In the chart below, the left-hand column identifies the speaker, the right-hand column identifies the audience, while the middle column tells what the speaker is trying to do with his words (his speech acts) in each section.
Poetics–what kinds of artistic beauty did the psalmist incorporate into the poem to reinforce its message? (See Poetic Features video and layer for more details.)
A to Z Celebration
Psalm 112 is an acrostic poem. In acrostic poems, each line begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet (Psalm 111, which has several correspondences to this psalm, is also an acrostic poem).
The Imitation of God
Psalm 112 is closely related to Psalm 111 .
In terms of structure, the two psalms are nearly identical. Each psalm is an acrostic, which means that each line begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Both psalms are 22 lines and have identical superscriptions.
The two psalms also share many similar phrases and words. Many times, what is said about YHWH in Psalm 111 is said about the man in Psalm 112 (see highlighted text and thick connecting lines).
The man in Psalm 112 is described in terms that are especially (and, in some cases, uniquely) appropriate to YHWH. Like YHWH, the man "gives" generously (111:5/112:9) and carries out his work in "justice" (111:7/112:5). Like YHWH, he is "merciful and compassionate" (111:4/112:4), and "his righteousness stands forever" (111:3/112:3, 9).
Prominence–what words, phrases, or ideas are most important in this psalm? It is also important to consider how the author chose to draw attention to certain parts of the psalm. Here are the parts of the psalm that we believe are most prominent, and thus should be most prominent in a performance of the psalm.
Like the Sun
- He is described as a light that has “risen” (זרח) in the darkness (v. 4).
The subject of זרח (“to dawn”) is almost always the sun.
Gen 32:32; Ex 22:2; 2 Sam 23:4; 1 Kgs 3:22; Jon 4:8; Nah 3:17; Ps 104:22; Eccl 1:5. - He causes the wicked to waste away—literally to melt (מסס, v. 10c), something the sun can also cause (Ex 16:21).
- His horn rises (v. 9c); horns in the OT are sometimes “a symbol for radiance.” DBI “Horns”; cf. Hab 3:4; Ps 132:17; see also Arabic qrn, “first visible part of the rising sun.”
- He has honor / glory (כָבוֹד, v. 9c), which is associated with the sun. Isa 60:1–2; Ezek 43:2.
- He is characterized many times by the Hebrew root righteous (צדק), vv. 3b, 4b, 6b, 9b; see also משפט v. 5b. often associated with the sun. Mal 4:2 [שמש צדקה]; Pss 5; 19; 1Q27 I 6–7 (והצדק יגלה כשמש); cf. Shamash, the Mesopotamian sun-god of justice.
- His impact is forever (vv. 3, 6, 9); in Ps 89:37 the king’s dynasty is compared to the sun for its permanence.
The application of solar imagery to the man strengthens his association with YHWH
(see <a href="#PoeticFeature2">Poetic Feature 2</a>), since YHWH is often compared to the sun.
Ps 19:5–7.
It also strengthens the identification of the man as a king, since kings were often compared to the sun.
2 Sam 23:3–4; Ps 72:5–6.
- Just as the sun provides light and heat by day, so the king establishes and maintains justice in the kingdom.
- Just as sunlight enables life and flourishing, so royal justice enables peace and well-being.
