Psalms 112

1 ^[a]1Praise the LORD! ²Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who ³greatly delights in his commandments!

2 His ⁴offspring will be mighty in the land; ⁵the generation of the upright will be blessed.

3 ⁶Wealth and riches are in his house, and his ⁷righteousness endures forever.

4 Light dawns in the darkness ⁸for the upright; he is gracious, merciful, and ⁹righteous.

5 It is well with the man who ¹⁰deals generously and lends; who conducts his affairs with justice.

6 For the righteous will ¹¹never be moved; ¹²he will be remembered forever.

7 He is not ¹³afraid of bad news; his ¹⁴heart is firm, ¹⁵trusting in the LORD.

8 His heart is steady; he will not be afraid, until he looks in triumph on his adversaries.

9 He has ¹⁶distributed freely; he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever; his ¹⁷horn is exalted in honor.

10 The wicked man sees it and is angry; he ¹⁸gnashes his teeth and ¹⁹melts away; ²⁰the desire of the wicked will perish!

Psalms 112 Commentary

Chapter 112

The blessedness of the righteous.

- We have to praise the Lord that there are a people in the world, who fear him and serve him, and that they are a happy people; which is owing entirely to his grace. Their fear is not that which love casts out, but that which love brings in. It follows and flows from love. It is a fear to offend. This is both fear and trust. The heart touched by the Spirit of God, as the needle touched with the loadstone, turns direct and speedily to God, yet still with trembling, being filled with this holy fear. Blessings are laid up for the faithful and their children's children; and true riches are bestowed on them, with as much of this world's possessions as is profitable for them. In the darkest hours of affliction and trial, the light of hope and peace will spring up within them, and seasonable relief shall turn mourning into joy. From their Lord's example they learn to be kind and full of compassion, as well as just in all their dealings; they use discretion, that they may be liberal in that manner which appears most likely to do good. Envy and slander may for a time hide their true characters here, but they shall be had in everlasting remembrance. They need not fear evil tidings. A good man shall have a settled spirit. And it is the endeavour of true believers to keep their minds stayed upon God, and so to keep them calm and undisturbed; and God has promised them both cause to do so, and grace to do so. Trusting in the Lord is the best and surest way of establishing the heart. The heart of man cannot fix any where with satisfaction, but in the truth of God, and there it finds firm footing. And those whose hearts are established by faith, will patiently wait till they gain their point. Compare all this with the vexation of sinners. The happiness of the saints is the envy of the wicked. The desire of the wicked shall perish; their desire was wholly to the world and the flesh, therefore when these perish, their joy is gone. But the blessings of the gospel are spiritual and eternal, and are conferred upon the members of the Christian church, through Christ their Head, who is the Pattern of all righteousness, and the Giver of all grace.

Cross References

• 1. See Psalms 104:35
• 2. Psalms 128:1, 4; [Psalms 111:10; Psalms 115:13]
• 3. See Psalms 1:2
• 4. [Psalms 25:13; Psalms 102:28; Proverbs 11:21; Proverbs 20:7]
• 5. Psalms 37:26
• 6. See Proverbs 3:16
• 7. [Psalms 111:3]
• 8. [Job 11:17]; See Psalms 97:11
• 9. [Matthew 1:19]
• 10. See Psalms 37:26
• 11. Psalms 55:22
• 12. [Proverbs 10:7]
• 13. Proverbs 1:33
• 14. Psalms 57:7
• 15. Psalms 11:1; Psalms 64:10
• 16. Cited 2 Corinthians 9:9
• 17. See Psalms 75:10
• 18. [Matthew 8:12; Luke 13:28]; See Job 16:9
• 19. [Psalms 58:8]
• 20. See Job 8:13

Footnotes

• [a]. This psalm is an acrostic poem, each line beginning with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 112

This psalm, also, very probably, was written by David, and is composed as the former, in an alphabetical order. The inscription of it in the Syriac version is,

``When David in it commanded Solomon his son, saying, Keep the commandments of, the Lord, and worship him: likewise the calling of the Gentiles and the righteousness of Christ.''

The subject matter of the psalm are the character, conduct, usefulness, and happiness of a good man.