Psalm 112/Verse by Verse/Notes

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Fear (vv. 1–4)

Verses 1–4 constitute the first main section of the psalm. The second section is vv. 5–10. The division between these sections is signaled most clearly by the similar beginnings of each section. Not only are the phrases "Happy is the one" (אַשְׁרֵי־אִ֭ישׁ, v. 1a) and "Fortunate is the one" (טֽוֹב־אִ֭ישׁ, v. 5a) remarkably similar, but they are also followed by semantically related prepositional phrases (בְּ֝מִצְוֺתָ֗יו v. 1b // בְּמִשְׁפָּֽט v. 5b) and verses that talk about the future using the verb יִהְיֶה (vv. 2, 6).[1]

Each of these major sections is further divided into two–verse units.[2]

Psalm 112 - Poetic structure.jpg

vv. 1–2

The first unit is bound by an inclusio: the words אַשְׁרֵי ('happy') and יְבֹרָךְ ('blessed'), which belong to the same semantic domain of "praising/blessing" and are sometimes even used as synonyms.[3]

Psalm 112 - poetic structure (vv. 1-2).jpg

v. 1

Watch the Overview video on v. 1.

v. Hebrew Close-but-clear
ss הַ֥לְלוּ יָ֨הּ ׀  Praise Yah!
1a אַשְׁרֵי־אִ֭ישׁ יָרֵ֣א אֶת־יְהוָ֑ה Happy is the one [who] fears YHWH,
1b בְּ֝מִצְוֺתָ֗יו חָפֵ֥ץ מְאֹֽד׃ [who] delights very much in his commands!

Diagrams Expanded Paraphrase

Expanded Paraphrase The words in <i>italics</i> provide a fuller sense of the psalm; the text itself is in <b>bold</b>.

Praise Yah who made a covenant with King David and promised to give him an eternal dynasty! If David's descendants study YHWH's law, fear YHWH, and keep his commandments, then they will be successful, and people will call them 'happy', that is, people will acknowledge that their position in life is admirable and desirable. And so, I say, both of the king who fears YHWH and of all those who follow his example, Happy is the one who studies YHWH's commands daily and thereby learns to fear YHWH, who fears YHWH, [who] keeps YHWH's commands, because he delights very much in his commands!

Notes

After the superscription ("Praise Yah!"), this verse begins with the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet, thus starting an alphabetic acrostic, in which each successive line begins with the next letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Such poems in Hebrew indicate a poem discussing a given topic from many sides, until the complete alphabet gives a complete picture. The topic of Psalm 112 is the one who fears YHWH, who answers to the call of Psalm 1 and truly delights in his commands.

  • The superscription praise Yah (הַ֥לְלוּ יָ֨הּ׀) was probably added by the final editors of the psalter.[4] It is not clear whether הַ֥לְלוּ יָ֨הּ׀ is best understood as a complete imperatival clause, meaning "praise Yah!" or as a one-word exclamation—"Hallelujah!"[5]
  • For the meaning and function of the phrase Happy is the one, see notes on Ps. 1:1.[6]
  • The words "happy is the one" (אַשְׁרֵי אִישׁ) (v. 1a), echoed halfway through the psalm in the words "fortunate is the one" (טוֹב אִישׁ) (v. 5a), encapsulate the global speech act of the whole psalm. The purpose of the psalm, in other words, is to celebrate the man who fears YHWH. Everything outside of v. 1 and v. 5 is explaining why this person is to be celebrated.[7]
  • Psalm 112 is an acrostic poem, in which every line begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. The word happy (אַשְׁרֵי), which begins with the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet, begins the acrostic.

Psalm 112 - Poetic feature 1.jpg

  • The first words of the psalm 'happy is the one' (אַשְׁרֵי אִישׁ) also set the emotional tone for the psalm. According to SDBH, the use of אַשְׁרֵי is "accompanied by an attitude of admiration." Thus, the dominant feeling throughout the psalm is a feeling of admiration.

Psalm 112 - Emotions.jpg

  • The one who fears YHWH (v. 1), also referred to as the 'righteous one' (v. 6b) and depicted as 'a (source of) light' (v. 4a), is probably a king. For a detailed discussion of the issue, see The Identity of the Person in Psalm 112. In short, the man in Psalm 112 is probably a king, because every point in the description is especially fitting for a king. For example, he fears and trusts YHWH (vv. 1, 7; cf. Deut 17; Ps 21:8), he is righteous (vv. 3, 4, 5, 6, 9; cf. Ps 72), he is wealthy (v. 3), his offspring will be mighty men (v. 2), he looks in triumph on his enemies (v. 8) and lifts his horn (v. 9; cf. 1 Sam 2:10), and he is like a light that dawns on the upright (v. 4; cf. 2 Sam 23:3-7). Although some points of this description can apply to anyone who fears YHWH, others are more restrictive (e.g., wealth, offspring as great warriors, comparison to the dawning sun). However, even if the man in Psalm 112 is first and foremost a king, this does not mean that the description cannot apply to other people as well. Indeed, the lack of explicitly royal language allows for and perhaps even encourages a more universal application. The king was the representative of the people, and he was meant to be an example for the people. As Sherwood writes, "Ultimately, divine attributes (e.g., זרח, חנון ורחום) are predicated of anyone who does what the psalm proposes. But I suggest that in this psalm such attribution is, as it were, funneled through the figure of the king. As in other wisdom psalms, there is implicit here an invitation to the reader to emulate the proposed model and thereby enjoy the promised rewards—to join the דור ישׁרים among whom the king is preeminent and for whom he is a light."[8]
  • The man is described in v. 1 as someone who fears YHWH. According to Deuteronomy 17, the ideal king was supposed to read the Law daily so that he learned to fear YHWH and keep his commandments.[9]
  • The verbs fears (יָרֵא) and delights (חָפֵץ) could either be participles that modify 'the one' (אִישׁ) adjectivally (as in Prov 28:14— אַשְׁרֵ֣י אָ֭דָם מְפַחֵ֣ד תָּמִ֑יד) or qatal verbs that modify 'the one' (אִישׁ) as asyndetic relative clauses (as in Prov 3:13—אַשְׁרֵ֣י אָ֭דָם מָצָ֣א חָכְמָ֑ה). The morphology is ambiguous, though the parallel in v. 5 (טֽוֹב־אִ֭ישׁ חוֹנֵ֣ן וּמַלְוֶ֑ה) might support reading a participle here. In either case, there is no real difference in meaning.
  • The second half of v. 1 might be an independent clause ('He delights in his commands'), but the correspondence of delights (חָפֵץ) to 'fears' (יָרֵא) suggests that 'delights', like 'fears', syntactically modifies 'the one' (אִישׁ).[10]

v. 2

Watch the Overview video on v. 2.

v. Hebrew Close-but-clear
2a גִּבּ֣וֹר בָּ֭אָרֶץ יִהְיֶ֣ה זַרְע֑וֹ His offspring will be great on the earth,
2b דּ֭וֹר יְשָׁרִ֣ים יְבֹרָֽךְ׃ a generation of upright people [who] will be blessed.

Diagrams Expanded Paraphrase

Expanded Paraphrase The words in <i>italics</i> provide a fuller sense of the psalm; the text itself is in <b>bold</b>.

This person is to be considered 'happy' because he will have many sons, and His offspring will be great on the earth, mighty warriors fighting for the cause of truth and justice, a generation of upright people [who] will be blessed and made great by YHWH.

Notes

Success in the ancient world was a combination of prosperity in one’s lifetime and an ongoing family line. Even before addressing his own prosperity, the psalm insists on the long term success of the man: his offspring will be great, renowned for characteristics such as physical strength, power, bravery, skill, wealth or good character. The term often applied to kings, providing another hint of royalty.

These offspring will not only be great, but they will be upright, continuing the pattern of their ancestor, this man who fears YHWH. The result will be being blessed: receiving yet more goodness from YHWH.

  • The king who fears YHWH will have a long-lasting dynasty (cf. Deut 17:20b; Pss 18:51; 45:17; 72:17). Verse 2 thus speaks about the king's offspring.
  • It is not clear whether the word translated great (גִּבּוֹר) is a noun ('great ones') or an adjective ('great').[11] In either case, the word describes "a human being... who is renowned for his characteristics, such as physical strength, power, bravery, skill, wealth, good character, or a combination thereof."[12] The word is associated with kingship and is often applied to kings.[13] The full phrase great on the earth (גִּבּוֹר בָּאָרֶץ) occurs only elsewhere in Gen 10:8//1 Chr 1:10, where it describes Nimrod, who, though he is not called a 'king' (מֶלֶךְ) is said to have had a 'kingdom' (מַמְלָכָה).[14] Thus, the use of גִּבּוֹר in Ps 112 is one indication that the 'man' in this psalm, along with his children, are associated with royalty.[15]
  • Most translations read the word translated the earth (הָאֶרֶץ) as referring narrowly to 'the land (of Israel).' If, however, the man is a king with international significance, then the word might refer more broadly to 'the earth', as it does in Gen 10:8.[16]
  • The syntactic relationship between the b-line and the a-line of this verse is not immediately clear. For a detailed discussion, see The Syntax of Psalm 112:2b. In short, the phrase a generation of upright people (דּוֹר יְשָׁרִים) in v. 2b is probably an additional predicate complement to זַרְעוֹ ("his offspring") in v. 2a, and the verb יְבֹרָךְ is an asyndetic relative clause: "His offspring will be great in the land; [his offspring will be] a generation of upright ones [who] will be blessed."[17] This interpretation is the most consistent with the understanding that Biblical Hebrew poetic couplets tend to communicate one thought, or sentence, through two lines (cf. Tsumura 2023). It also accounts for the fact that דּוֹר and זַרְעוֹ, a poetic word-pair, are probably co-referential (cf. Ps 22:31). Although 'offspring' (זַרְעוֹ) is singular and 'generation of upright people' (דּוֹר יְשָׁרִים) is plural in meaning, 'offspring' (זַרְעוֹ) is probably a collective.[18]
  • The word translated will be blessed (יְבֹרָךְ) refers to a "causative action by which deities grant a special favor to humans."[19]

vv. 3–4

The second unit is bound by the repetition of the root צדק. The beginning and the ending of this unit are echoed in the beginning and ending of other units as well (v. 3 // v. 9; v. 4b // v. 6b) (see the poetic structure visual above).

Psalm 112 - vv. 3-4.jpg

v. 3

Watch the Overview video on v. 3.

v. Hebrew Close-but-clear
3a הוֹן־וָעֹ֥שֶׁר בְּבֵית֑וֹ Immense wealth is in his house,
3b וְ֝צִדְקָת֗וֹ עֹמֶ֥דֶת לָעַֽד׃ and his righteousness endures forever.

Diagrams Expanded Paraphrase

Expanded Paraphrase The words in <i>italics</i> provide a fuller sense of the psalm; the text itself is in <b>bold</b>.

Wise and successful kings gain immense wealth. This man is a wise and successful king, and so Immense wealth is in his house, and not only is he wealthy, but he has something far more valuable than wealth: righteousness. Even if his wealth deteriorates his righteousness the preeminent quality of a good king endures forever.

Notes

Immense wealth is associated especially with kings in the Old Testament. It is wise and successful kings who gain such wealth in a godly fashion, and the wealth is therefore evidence precisely of this man’s wisdom and success.

When the righteousness of this man is declared to stand forever, we hear an echo of YHWH's enduring righteousness from Ps 111. We begin to see the fuller picture: this man who fears YHWH, delighting in his commands, is becoming just like YHWH. The responsibility of a king was to establish and maintain justice and righteousness in society, as a representative of YHWH. Here in Ps 112, what was once restricted to the king may be made available to the entire community: they, too, could become like YHWH.

  • The phrase translated immense wealth (הוֹן־וָעֹשֶׁר) is a combination of two nouns ('wealth and riches'). The use of two co-referential nouns (instead of one noun) stresses the immensity of the man's wealth.[20] The ideal king in Ps 112 is thus depicted, like Solomon, as having immense wealth.[21]
  • The next line describes the king's righteousness (צִדְקָתוֹ). The king was responsible for establishing and/or maintaining justice and righteousness in society.[22]
  • Verse 3b in Psalm 112 is identical to v. 3b in Psalm 111. There are, in addition to this connection, a number of striking connections between the two psalms. In terms of structure, the two psalms are nearly identical. Each psalm is an acrostic in which each line begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Thus, each psalm has 22 lines (8 bicola and 2 tricola). Furthermore, in each psalm these lines are arranged into 5 strophes. Fokkelman has argued that the two psalms even have the same number of syllables: 168.[23] Both psalms also have the identical superscriptions. In addition to these similarities, there are a number of linguistic (mostly lexical) connections between the two psalms. In several of these connections, what is said of YHWH in Ps 111 is said of the man in Ps 112. See the following visual for details.

Psalm 112 - Poetic feature 2.jpg

v. 4

Watch the Overview video on v. 4.

v. Hebrew Close-but-clear
4a זָ֘רַ֤ח בַּחֹ֣שֶׁךְ א֭וֹר לַיְשָׁרִ֑ים A light for the upright has risen in the darkness,
4b חַנּ֖וּן וְרַח֣וּם וְצַדִּֽיק׃ merciful and compassionate and righteous.

Diagrams Expanded Paraphrase

Expanded Paraphrase The words in <i>italics</i> provide a fuller sense of the psalm; the text itself is in <b>bold</b>.

This righteous king is like the sun, which is a common image for righteousness and justice. Just as the sun has dominion over the day and the responsibility to provide light and heat during the day, so the king has dominion over his kingdom and the responsibility to maintain justice in the kingdom. Justice is the precondition for peace and well-being, just as light and heat are the preconditions for flourishing on the earth. The wise and just king is, therefore, like A light for the upright which has risen in the darkness dispelling injustice and bringing peace, and he is, like YHWH, his father, merciful and compassionate and righteous.

Notes

The sun was a common image for righteousness and justice in the ancient world. Just as the sun had dominion over the day and the responsibility to provide light and heat during the day, so the king had dominion over his kingdom and the responsibility to maintain justice in the kingdom.

This is the only place in the Old Testament in which a human is described as merciful and compassionate. This man, like the kings of old, has become like YHWH himself.

  • This verse is probably the most debated verse in the psalm. It is not clear who is shining in the darkness: the one who fears YHWH or YHWH himself. For a detailed discussion, see The Syntax and Subject(s) in Psalm 112:4. In short, the parallel in Isa 58:10 and the testimony of the ancient versions (LXX and Peshitta) suggest that the grammatical subject of v. 4a is probably a light. Although it might seem odd to describe 'light' as 'merciful and compassionate and righteous' (v. 4b), 'light' in this context probably refers to 'a (source of) light' which is coreferential with 'the one who fears YHWH.' By contrast, some have claimed that the light imagery and the language of 'gracious and merciful' suggest that YHWH is the subject. The psalm as a whole, however, is not about YHWH, but about the person who fears YHWH, and this person is described similarly elsewhere in the psalm.[24] In sum, this verse describes the one who fears YHWH in terms that are usually applied to YHWH. The one who fears YHWH becomes like YHWH; he is merciful and compassionate, and his blessings radiate to the upright.

Psalm 112 - light imagery.jpg

  • The description of the ideal king in Ps 112 is remarkably similar to the description of the ideal king in 2 Sam 23:3–4—"When one rules justly over men, ruling in the fear of God, he dawns on them like the morning light (וּכְאוֹר בֹּקֶר יִזְרַח שָׁמֶשׁ), like the sun shining forth on a cloudless morning" (ESV).
  • The verb translated has risen refers not to the general act of 'rising' but to the specific "process by which the sun appears in the morning to provide light and warmth to the world; ≈ associated with a new period of well-being."[25] Elsewhere, the subject of the verb is almost always the sun.[26]
  • Most modern translations have a present tense verb here (e.g., 'shines')[27], which communicates the sense well. In Hebrew, however, the verb is past tense (has risen). The one who fears YHWH is like the sun who has risen and is (by implication) presently shining.[28]
  • The upright (plural) (v. 4a) are those who live their lives in accordance with YHWH's law.[29]
  • Some translations (e.g., NFC, EÜ) read a slightly different Hebrew text in v. 4b: 'the just one is gracious and merciful' (חַנּוּן וְרַחוּם צַדִּיק). The manuscript evidence, however, strongly supports reading וְצַדִּיק ('and righteous') instead of only צַדִּיק ('righteous'). The reading צַדִּיק might be a harmonization to the syntax of Ps 111:4. See The Syntax and Subject(s) in Psalm 112:4 for details.

Fearless (vv. 5–10)

The second part of the psalm begins in v. 5 (טוֹב־אִישׁ), which echoes the beginning of the psalm (אַשְׁרֵי־אִישׁ, v. 1). See the poetic structure visual above.

vv. 5–6

The boundaries of the first sub-unit within vv. 5–10 (vv. 5–6) are clearly defined syntactically; the כִּי clause in v. 6 grounds the statement in v. 5.

v. 5

Watch the Overview video on v. 5.

v. Hebrew Close-but-clear
5a טֽוֹב־אִ֭ישׁ חוֹנֵ֣ן וּמַלְוֶ֑ה Fortunate is the one who lends generously,
5b יְכַלְכֵּ֖ל דְּבָרָ֣יו בְּמִשְׁפָּֽט׃ [who] manages his affairs with justice!

Diagrams Expanded Paraphrase

Expanded Paraphrase The words in <i>italics</i> provide a fuller sense of the psalm; the text itself is in <b>bold</b>.

Fortunate is the one who, in his delight for YHWH's commands, keeps the commands and lends generously, [who] manages his financial affairs with justice, that is, in accordance with YHWH's law!

Notes

Not only is this man to be admired for what God gives to him, but he is also considered fortunate for what he gives to others. As in v. 3, this is done within the realm of finances: this man lends generously, as required by the law, as in Exodus 22 and Deuteronomy 15.

Managing affairs with justice again recalls Ps 111, in which it is YHWH’s deeds that are faithful and just. The same character of the lawgiver is now mirrored in the law-follower: he conducts his own affairs with the same justice he sees in the law.

  • The adjective translated Fortunate (טוֹב) generally refers to a "state in which humans and deities have character, integrity, and good fortune."[30] In this particular context, the word refers to the man's state of 'good fortune', rather than his character or integrity.[31]
  • The phrase translated who lends generously is a combination of two Hebrew verbs (חוֹנֵ֣ן וּמַלְוֶ֑ה, 'being generous and lending') which communicate a single idea ('lending generously').[32]
  • In ancient Israelite culture, lending without interest was an act of generosity required by the Law (cf. Exod 22:25; Deut 15:8; Ps 37:26). Thus, "willingness to lend was a sign of righteous graciousness (Ps 112:5)."[33]
  • Some translations treat v. 5b as an independent clause.[34] It seems more likely, however, especially in light of the parallel with v. 1, that v. 5b is a relative clause that continues to describe the 'one' in v. 5a: the one...[who] manages his affairs with justice. [35]
  • The verb translated manages (יְכַלְכֵּל) most often refers to a "causative action by which humans... ensure that (other) humans received the food and care that they need."[36] In this way, the verb 'manages' corresponds lexically and poetically to the phrase 'lends generously' in the previous line. In this context, however, the meaning seems to be different. Most understand the phrase here to mean "to conduct one's affairs."[37] Understood in this sense, the whole verse is about the man's finances. The first half of the verse says that he is generous with his finances; the second half says that he is just in the administration of his finances.
  • The phrase translated with justice (בְּמִשְׁפָּט) could mean either 'place/process of judgment'[38] or 'justice.'[39] The absence of the definite article and the parallel with Psalm 111 favour interpreting the word as an abstract noun 'justice.'

v. 6

Watch the Overview video on v. 6.

v. Hebrew Close-but-clear
6a כִּֽי־לְעוֹלָ֥ם לֹא־יִמּ֑וֹט For he will never waver.
6b לְזֵ֥כֶר ע֝וֹלָ֗ם יִהְיֶ֥ה צַדִּֽיק׃ The righteous one will be remembered forever.

Diagrams Expanded Paraphrase

Expanded Paraphrase The words in <i>italics</i> provide a fuller sense of the psalm; the text itself is in <b>bold</b>.

This is why I declare him to be 'fortunate': For he will never be drastically affected by negative circumstances that cause him to waver with worry. The righteous one will be remembered forever.

Notes

Whereas many seem to have righteousness when circumstances are good, few continue to do so when circumstances are difficult. This man, however, will never be so drastically affected by negative circumstances such that he might waver with worry. This man is secure. As a righteous man, he will be remembered just as YHWH’s commandments are in Ps 111: forever.

  • The word For (כִּי) in v. 6 grounds the description of the man as 'fortunate.'[40] In other words, the reason why the poet uses the word 'fortunate' to describe the man (v. 5a) is 'because [such a man] will never waver...'[41]
  • A just king is remembered forever.[42]

vv. 7–8

The unit consisting of vv. 7–8 is bound together by a chiasm. Psalm 112 - poetic structure (vv. 7–8).jpg

v. 7

Watch the Overview video on v. 7.

v. Hebrew Close-but-clear
7a מִשְּׁמוּעָ֣ה רָ֭עָה לֹ֣א יִירָ֑א He will not be afraid of bad news.
7b נָכ֥וֹן לִ֝בּ֗וֹ בָּטֻ֥חַ בַּיהוָֽה׃ His heart is confident, trusting in YHWH.

Diagrams Expanded Paraphrase

Expanded Paraphrase The words in <i>italics</i> provide a fuller sense of the psalm; the text itself is in <b>bold</b>.

And even when he does face negative circumstances, He will not be afraid of bad news, for example, when a foreign adversary poses a serious threat to the well-being of the kingdom. Instead, His heart is confident, trusting in YHWH who will protect him and fight for him.

Notes

There is a miniature chiasm with vv. 7 and 8 with, at the very middle, trusting in YHWH. It is trusting in YHWH that leads to all these things: not needing to fear news of any kind, even bad news, and having a confident heart.

  • Bad news (שְׁמֻעָה רָעָה) usually causes dismay and anxiety (Jer 49:23). In this context, as in Jer 49:23, the 'bad news' seems to be related to warfare (cf. 'adversaries' in v. 8b).
  • At the centre of the chiasm is the phrase trusting in YHWH.[43] The king who trusts in YHWH can expect YHWH's help in battle (cf. Pss 18:29–51; 110; 118:8ff), and so he will not waver (cf. Ps 21:8).

v. 8

Watch the Overview video on v. 8.

v. Hebrew Close-but-clear
8a סָמ֣וּךְ לִ֭בּוֹ לֹ֣א יִירָ֑א His heart is encouraged. He will not be afraid,
8b עַ֖ד אֲשֶׁר־יִרְאֶ֣ה בְצָרָֽיו׃ until he looks [in triumph] on his adversaries.

Diagrams Expanded Paraphrase

Expanded Paraphrase The words in <i>italics</i> provide a fuller sense of the psalm; the text itself is in <b>bold</b>.

His heart is encouraged by YHWH and by the certainty of receiving YHWH's help. He will not be afraid and, in his fear, seek an alliance with another foreign nation. Instead, he will remain unafraid all through the battle, until he finally looks [in triumph] on his defeated adversaries.

Notes

This is another instance of clear royal imagery, for it is kings who triumph over adversaries in the Old Testament. When enemies approach, it is not confidence in himself that causes a king not to worry, but rather his confidence in the certainty that he will receive YHWH’s help whenever he needs it. Because he knows he has YHWH’s help, he will not need to be afraid and seek the help of another nation or another god. Instead, he will remain unafraid all through battle, until he finally looks in triumph on his enemies.

  • The English conjunction until is somewhat misleading, since it implies that the man will become afraid when he looks on his adversaries. In Hebrew, however, the conjunction עַד אֲשֶׁר (or sometimes simply עַד) is used to "express a limit which is not absolute (terminating in the preceding action), but only relative, beyond which the action or state described in the principal clause still continues."[44] In other words, when the man encounters bad news, he will not be afraid, and his fearlessness will last throughout the entire conflict—all the way up to the point when he triumphs over his enemies—and beyond.
  • When a king defeats his enemies militarily, he can be said to look [in triumph] on them (ראה ב).[45]

vv. 9–10

The two verses in this unit are the only two tricola in the psalm. They also have similar sounding endings: כבוד and תאבד.

Psalm 112 - poetic structure (vv. 9-10).jpg

v. 9

Watch the Overview video on v. 9.

v. Hebrew Close-but-clear
9a פִּזַּ֤ר ׀ נָ֘תַ֤ן לָאֶבְיוֹנִ֗ים He has given freely to the poor.
9b צִ֭דְקָתוֹ עֹמֶ֣דֶת לָעַ֑ד His righteousness endures forever.
9c קַ֝רְנ֗וֹ תָּר֥וּם בְּכָבֽוֹד׃ His horn will rise in honor.

Diagrams Expanded Paraphrase

Expanded Paraphrase The words in <i>italics</i> provide a fuller sense of the psalm; the text itself is in <b>bold</b>.

And his enemies are not the only ones to be 'scattered'; he has 'scattered' his wealth as well! He has not kept his wealth for himself, but has given it freely and bountifully to the poor. Meanwhile, His righteousness which is his greatest asset endures forever. When he defeats his enemies, His horn a symbol for his strength will rise in honor.

Notes

Once again, generosity to the poor sums up this man’s relationship to those around him: he cares for them out of his own resources. Such care demonstrates a righteousness that endures forever, again echoing Ps 111, in which God commanded the covenant forever. This man is carrying out the commandments of the covenant, with the result being blessing for the poor around him and blessing for himself, in terms of enduring righteousness. This man increasingly resembles the God with whom he is in covenant.

  • The phrase translated given freely is a combination of two Hebrew verbs (פִּזַּר נָתַן) which together form a serial verb construction.[46] Together, the two verbs communicate a single idea ("give freely/plentifully").
  • The first verb in the serial verb construction (פִּזַּר) sometimes belongs to the contextual domain of war (cf. Ps 89:11) and sometimes to the contextual domain of finances (cf. Prov 11:24). That is, it can refer to 'scattering' enemies or 'distributing' wealth. In this context, it functions as a kind of janus, pointing back to the war imagery of v. 8 and forward to the financial imagery in v. 9.
  • The poor (v. 9a) are those who lack life's basic necessities and are therefore financially dependent upon others, including especially YHWH.[47] Because poverty leads to dependence on YHWH, poverty and uprightness are, in the Biblical world, closely related realities.[48]
  • A horn is "a symbol of strength and power."[49] "The metaphorical value of the horn comes primarily from the fact that the size and condition of an animal's horns are indicative of its power, status, and health."[50] In the poetry of the Bible, the image of the horn is associated especially with the Davidic dynasty.[51]

Psalm 112 - horn imagery.jpg

  • The solar imagery of v. 4 appears again in vv. 9–10. Horns in the OT are sometimes "a symbol for radiance."[52] The word 'glory' (v. 9c) is also associated with the sun.[53] 'Seeing' (v. 10a) is, obviously, associated with the sun.[54] The word translated 'waste away' in v. 10 (lit.: "melt", Heb.: מסס) is something which the sun causes to happen.[55]

Psalm 112 - Poetic feature 3.jpg

  • The solar imagery appears in other parts of the psalm as well. Solar imagery is also related to the most-repeated root in this psalm: the root צדק (vv. 3b, 4b, 6b, 9b; cf. the related noun משפט in v. 5b). The attribute of righteousness (צדקה) is often associated with the sun.[56] Solar imagery might also be related to the 'forever' language in the psalm (vv. 3b, 6ab, 9b). In Ps 89, for example, the king's dynasty is compared to the sun in the sense that it lasts "forever."[57] It is also possible that solar imagery is implicit in the description of the man's offspring as 'great' (גִּבּוֹר) in v. 2, since the sun is described as a 'great one' (גִּבּוֹר) in Ps 19:6.

v. 10

Watch the Overview video on v. 10.

v. Hebrew Close-but-clear
10a רָ֘שָׁ֤ע יִרְאֶ֨ה ׀ וְכָעָ֗ס The wicked person will see and become vexed.
10b שִׁנָּ֣יו יַחֲרֹ֣ק וְנָמָ֑ס He will grind his teeth and waste away.
10c תַּאֲוַ֖ת רְשָׁעִ֣ים תֹּאבֵֽד׃ The desire of the wicked will come to an end.

Diagrams Expanded Paraphrase

Expanded Paraphrase The words in <i>italics</i> provide a fuller sense of the psalm; the text itself is in <b>bold</b>.

The wicked person will see the rising horn and the growing success of the man and become vexed, because he knows that his wicked desires cannot be satisfied for much longer, because the king is purging all wickedness from his kingdom. In order to express his hostility towards the king, He will grind his teeth and eventually, when the king's justice reaches him, he will melt and waste away like something melting from the heat of the sun. And so, under the rule of the man who fears YHWH, The desire of the wicked will come to an end.

Notes

The honour of one is often at the expense of another. The honour of the righteous leads inevitably to the vexation of the wicked, who will see that his wicked desires cannot be satisfied for much longer, as the wickedness is increasingly purged from the kingdom. To grind his teeth is an expression of hostility and derision, but it is futile, for all he accomplishes is that he wastes away.

  • Verse 10 introduces and highlights a new participant: the wicked (v. 10). The wicked are those (probably people within Israel) who do not live according to YHWH's law.[58] Instead of serving YHWH, they serve their 'desires' (v. 10c), which, under the reign of the man who fears YHWH, will come to an end. The following tables identify the participants in the psalm and chart their activity.

Psalm 112 - participants.jpg Psalm 112 - Text Table.jpg

  • Grinding teeth is an expression of "hostility"[59] and "derision."[60] "Gnashing teeth is an expression of strong and often violent anger, rage, or fury that can boil over into an all-out attack, usually physical, at any moment."[61]
  • The word desire at the end of the psalm (v. 10c) echoes the similar word 'delight' at the beginning of the psalm (v. 1b), thus forming an inclusio. Whereas the righteous person's desire leads to life and flourishing, the wicked's desire leads to a miserable end.
  1. ↑ Cf. van der Lugt 2013:243ff.
  2. ↑ Cf. Fokkelman 2003:218ff and van der Lugt 2013:243ff
  3. ↑ Compare, e.g., אַשְׁרֵי הָאִישׁ in Ps 1:1 with בָּרוּךְ הַגֶּבֶר in Jer 17:7.
  4. ↑ Cf. Hossfeld and Zenger 2011:39-41; Robertson 2015:265-268.
  5. ↑ In the MT, הַלְלוּ יָהּ is treated as two words; sometimes הַלְלוּ and יָהּ are joined by maqqef, and, when they are not, each word receives its own accent (e.g., Ps 111:1 - הַ֥לְלוּ יָ֨הּ ׀). The division of הַ֥לְלוּ יָהּ into two words suggests (though it does not require) that the words are understood as a clause: "praise Yah." By contrast, the LXX does not translate הַלְלוּ יָהּ as a clause, but rather transliterates הַלְלוּ יָהּ as an exclamation: Αλληλουια (cf. Revelation 19: Αλληλουια; Jerome: Alleluia; Targum: הללויה; so HALOT). In the DSS, הללו יה is sometimes written as two words (e.g., 4QPsf Apostrophe to Judah) and sometimes as one (e.g., 4QPsd, 4QPse), though sometimes it is difficult to tell. In the Babylonian manuscript EC1 (Ps 106:48), הללויה is written clearly as a single word.
  6. ↑ There are a number of connections between Ps 112 and Ps 1. Both psalms begins with אַשְׁרֵי and end with תֹּאבֵד. Both psalms describe a man who delights (חפץ) in YHWH's commands. Both psalms also describe the imminent destruction of the wicked.
  7. ↑ In v. 6, the speech-act כִּי makes this explanatory relationship explicit. In the other verses which do not (and, given the acrostic structure, cannot) begin with כִּי, this relationship is implicit. The prolonged explanation is itself, however, a form of celebration.
  8. ↑ Sherwood 1989:64.
  9. ↑ Deut 17:18-19—"And when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself in a book a copy of this law, approved by the Levitical priests. And it shall be with him, and he shall read in it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord (לְיִרְאָה֙ אֶת־יְהוָ֣ה) his God by keeping all the words of this law and these statutes, and doing them" (ESV). Cf. Grant 2004. Cf. 1 Kgs 2:1–4.
  10. ↑ So e.g., Symmachus: ος τας εντολας αυτου θελει σφοδρα; so most modern translations).
  11. ↑ As the Gesenius 18 lexicon notes (Gesenius 2013), it is often difficult to tell the difference: "subst. u. adj. Gebr. oft nicht z. unterscheiden." Even if זַרְעוֹ is a collective, the singular number of גִּבּוֹר does not mean that it cannot be a noun. See e.g., Gen 15:13 — יָדֹ֨עַ תֵּדַ֜ע כִּי־גֵ֣ר׀ יִהְיֶ֣ה זַרְעֲךָ֗ בְּאֶ֙רֶץ֙ לֹ֣א לָהֶ֔ם.
  12. ↑ SDBH.
  13. ↑ Cf. Ps 45:4; Ps 24:8 (// מלך); Ps 33:16 (// מלך); Dan 11:3 (מֶלֶךְ גִּבּוֹר).
  14. ↑ Although it is possible, in this instance, that the word גִּבּוֹר is describing Nimrod's greatness as a hunter and not as a king per se (cf. the phrase גִבֹּר־צַיִד in the following clauses), it's more likely that גִּבֹּר בָּאָרֶץ is a general description of his greatness as a ruler (cf. Gesenius 2013, "Gewaltherrscher auf Erden") and that skilled hunting is but one manifestation of his greatness/kingship—"to be a great hunter... was a claim associated with royal status" (DBI, "Hunting").
  15. ↑ Cf. Sherwood 1989.
  16. ↑ The prepositional phrase בָּאָרֶץ probably modifies גִּבּוֹר adjectivally, as suggested by the word order and the prosodic structure (see MT accents). Cf. the phrase גִּבֹּר בָּאָרֶץ in Gen 10:8. (Contrast the interpretation of the Peshitta, in which the phrase was probably understood adverbially: ܢܗܘܐ ܚܝܠܬܢ ܙܪܥܗ ܒܐܪܥܐ܂).
  17. ↑ (cf. Rashi, JPS85, NEB, REB).
  18. ↑ So, e.g., Targum: בנוי. The singular predicate complement גִּבּוֹר in the previous line does not require that we understand זַרְעוֹ as a singular individual, because גִּבּוֹר is probably an adjective (so lexicons and ancient versions). And even if גִּבּוֹר is a noun, it can still function as the predicate complement of a collective noun (cf. Gen 15:13).
  19. ↑ SDBH.
  20. ↑ The decision to read these nouns as coreferential might be supported by the way they are vocalised. "With concepts that are closely related (provided the first syllable of the second word is stressed, [waw] becomes וָ" (BHRG 40.23). Cf. the merism in Prov 30:8 — רֵאשׁ וָעֹשֶׁר.
  21. ↑ Cf. 1 Kgs 5:2ff.
  22. ↑ "Continued legitimacy depended on the king fulfilling the mandate that the gods assigned to him, the most important element of which from the legal perspective was the duty to do justice. The justice in question is expressed by pairs of terms . . . in Hebrew (mišpat/ṣedaqah), the first member reflecting respectively its static aspect of upholding the existing legal order and the second its dynamic aspect of correcting abuses or imbalances that have invaded the system. In particular, the king was expected to protect the weaker members of society, such as the poor, the orphan and the widow, against the stronger. In Egyptian, the same motif is expressed through the wider concept of cosmic order (maat), of which justice was a part" (Westbrook 2003, 26).
  23. ↑ Fokkelman 2003:220.
  24. ↑ E.g., צדקתו v. 3b, חונן v. 5a.
  25. ↑ SDBH.
  26. ↑ Gen 32:32; Exod 22:2; 2 Sam 34:4; 1 Kgs 3:22; Jonah 4:8; Nah 3:17; Ps 104:22; Eccl 1:5.
  27. ↑ Cf. NIV, NLT, NRSV, ESV, NET, GNT, JPS85, LUT, HFA, NGÜ, ELB, EÜ, GNB, ZÜR, NVI, DHH, BTX4.
  28. ↑ Cf. Jerome: ortum est.
  29. ↑ The adjective לַיְשָׁרִים is probably definite, even though the yod has no dagesh (cf. BHRG 8.2.5. Qenemlui letters) (cf. Ps 33:1; Prov 2:7). If it were indefinite, then we would expect לִישָׁרִים (cf. Ps 125:4). "The article is used generically to designate a class of persons or things that are definite in themselves" (BHRG 24.4.4(4)).
  30. ↑ SDBH.
  31. ↑ Cf. Jer 44:17 and Isa 3:10; so De Wette, Delitzsch, Baethgen, Hupfeld. Cf. Radak: טוב איש כמו אשרי איש. Cf. the Aramaic expression טוביה דגברא which is equivalent to אשרי איש.
  32. ↑ Cf. NLT, CEV, GNT, NET. The same expression is used in Ps 37:26 — כָּל־הַ֭יּוֹם חוֹנֵ֣ן וּמַלְוֶ֑ה. In Ps 37:27, the verb חונן is used in a similar hendiadys חֹונֵ֥ן וְנֹותֵֽן. The two verbs are also juxtaposed in Prov 19:17.
  33. ↑ TWOT #1088. "The fundamental meaning of lending is the extension of provision and generosity to someone in need... Ancient Near Eastern culture was not a society in which loans for commercial or business purposes would have occurred. Borrowers were men and women in desperate situations unable to provide food, clothing or shelter for themselves" (DBI, "Lend, Lending"). "In the OT lending is a means of the rich helping the poor, not helping themselves, and not making them the recipients of charity but giving them means of reestablishing themselves, after which they would pay back the loan (see, e.g., Exod. 22:25–27)" (Goldingay 2008).
  34. ↑ E.g., NASB: "He will maintain his cause in judgment" (cf. LXX: οἰκονομήσει...; PIH: dispensabit... Targum: יסובר; NGÜ, ELB).
  35. ↑ E.g., ESV: "It is well with the man who deals generously and lends; who conducts his affairs with justice. Cf. Symmachus: αγαθος ανθρωπος χαριστικος και κιχρων, οικονομων τα πραγματα αυτου μετα κρισεως; cf. Peshitta, which translates יכלכל as a participle coordinate with the previous participles: ܛܒ ܗܘ ܓܒܪܐ ܕܡܪܚܡ ܘܡܘܙܦ܂ ܘܡܣܝܒܪ ܡ̈ܠܘܗܝ ܒܕܝܢܐ܂; so Baethgen 1904:342; so NIV, NLT, ESV, NET, GNT, LUT, EÜ, GNB, ZÜR; cf. GKC 116x.
  36. ↑ SDBH. E.g., Gen 47:12; 1 Kgs 18:4.
  37. ↑ HALOT; cf. Ges–18 "seine Angelegenheiten rechtmäßig besorgt." Cf. LXX οἰκονομήσει τοὺς λόγους αὐτοῦ ἐν κρίσει (which can be understood in this sense; see Ps 111:5 in Septuaginta Deutsch). Cf. Sirach 49:9 המכלכל כל (full line reconstructed as המכלכל כל דרכי צדק.
  38. ↑ NASB; so BDB.
  39. ↑ NIV, NRSV, NLT, ESV, NET, GNT, CEV, JPS85; so SDBH; cf. Targum.
  40. ↑ So e.g., Baethgen 1904:342.
  41. ↑ Cf. Locatell on metalinguistic causal כִּי—"Metalinguistic causal כי may provide the grounds for a more concrete linguistic element, like the use of a particular word" (2019:89).
  42. ↑ Cf. Ps 72:17. "May his name endure forever; may it continue as long as the sun" (Ps 72:17 NIV).
  43. ↑ Whereas the MT vocalizes בטח as a participle בָּטֻחַ (cf. Peshitta [ܬܟܝܠ-adjective], Symmachus: αμεριμνος, Targum: רחיץ; cf. Isa 26:3), the LXX has an infinitive (ἐλπίζειν<בְּּּטֹחַ?). On the form בָּטֻחַ, see GKC 50f.
  44. ↑ GKC 164f, citing Ps 110:1; cf. BDB עד II:1b. Cf. Gen 28:15; 49:10; Deut 7:24.
  45. ↑ E.g., the king in Ps 118:7 [ראה ב]; cf. the similar expression in Moabite, with reference to the Moabite king—הראני בכל שנאי [KAI 181]. A similar expression occurs in Aramaic—"YHW, the Lord of Heaven, who let us gloat over [חזה ב] that Vidangra" (COS 3.51).
  46. ↑ Cf. GKC 120h, "פזר=plentifully." See the SIL definition of serial verb construction. If this is correct, then the lamed prepositional phrase modifies both verbs (cf. Peshitta, which adds a conjunction: ܒܕܪ ܘܝܗܒ ܠܒܝܫ̈ܐ܂).
  47. ↑ "The article is used generically to designate a class of persons or things that are definite in themselves" (BHRG 24.4.4(4)).
  48. ↑ Cf. Ps 37:14
  49. ↑ HALOT. Cf SDBH: "associated with strength and honor; a raised horn symbolizes confidence and/or pride."
  50. ↑ DBI, "Horn."
  51. ↑ "YHWH... will exalt the horn of his anointed king (וְיָרֵם קֶרֶן מְשִׁיחוֹ)." See also Pss 89:25; 132:17. According to Süring, there is an "undeniable prophetic-messianic setting" for most of the "horn" references in the Bible's hymnic texts, (Süring 1980).
  52. ↑ DBI, 'Horns' cf. Hab 3:4; Ps 132:17; cf. the fact that, according to Gesenius (2013) and HALOT, in Arabic, qrn can refer to the "first visible part of the rising sun."
  53. ↑ Cf. Isa 60:1–2; Ezek 43:2.
  54. ↑ Cf. Egyptian Hymn to the Sun God in COS 1.27 — "through you do all eyes see"
  55. ↑ Cf. Exod 16:21.
  56. ↑ Mal 3:20 [שמש צדקה]; Pss 5; 19; 1Q27 I:6–7 [=1 Myst] והצדק יגלה כשמש; cf. the Mesopotamian sun god Shamash, the god of justice.
  57. ↑ זַ֭רְעוֹ לְעוֹלָ֣ם יִהְיֶ֑ה וְכִסְא֖וֹ כַשֶּׁ֣מֶשׁ נֶגְדִּֽי (Ps 89:37; cf. Gen 8:22).
  58. ↑ cf. SDBH.
  59. ↑ SDBH
  60. ↑ DBI, "Teeth." Cf. Pss 35:16; 37:12; Job 16:9; Lam. 2:16
  61. ↑ DBI, "Teeth."