Original Meaning
Introductory Beatitude (112:1)
PSALM 112 BEGINS WITH A CALL to praise the Lord (halelu yah). The opening line does not figure into the acrostic structure of the psalm but functions more as a heading to the entire psalm, thus explaining why the NIV has set the call to praise apart from the rest of the psalm.3
Blessed are those who fear the LORD. The acrostic structure of the psalm begins in verse 1b with the beatitude. The Hebrew word ’ashre (“blessed”) appears with considerable regularity in the wisdom literature of the Old Testament, where it introduces conduct and attitudes that the faithful of God should embody.4
These actions and attitudes, however, are not arbitrary commitments but ones signaling that our lives are congruent with the larger purposes of God. Contrary to contemporary society’s fixation with self-fulfillment, the psalmist rightly knows that the blessed life is the one that is oriented towards God and God’s purposes in the world. The psalmist calls those blessed who “fear the LORD” and “delight in his commands.” In Psalm 111 the psalmist calls people to delight in the works of God, while here in Psalm 112 the emphasis shifts to the words of God.
Bridging Contexts
A STRONG ANTHROPOLOGICAL focus runs throughout Psalm 112. Firmly rooted in the wisdom tradition, this psalm leads to two fundamental claims about what it means to be human. The first concerns human action, the second, human identity.
Fear of the Lord and reality. Interpreters of wisdom literature have frequently associated the teaching of the sages with a type of philosophic idealism that transcends time and space. As Leo Perdue has aptly noted, this kind of idealism “understands the teachings of the sages as disconnected ideas that are seen as eternal thoughts the [sages] understood to be true.”11
Consequently, the notion of the “fear of the LORD” often remains an abstract concept for most readers of Scripture; the intersection between that sort of piety and human life seems vague at best.12
Although Psalm 112 may be classified as a wisdom psalm, it resists the temptation to move toward philosophical idealism and instead grounds the psalm in the reality of human life. The psalmist opens with a beatitude praising the “those who fear the LORD, who find great delight in his commands” and then moves to trace in some detail the contours of just such a life. The promise of prominent children coupled with wealth and riches (vv. 1–2) may cause some to bypass this psalm on the assumption that such language appears too closely aligned with the more recent movements promoting a “prosperity gospel.” Yet the content of the remainder of the psalm holds in check such unbridled thinking. In verse 4, the “blessed” person functions as a light to those who are in darkness and in need of compassion and justice. The mention of the psalmist to be generous and to lend freely is suggestive, implying there are many within that society in desperate need of assistance.
In the next section of the psalm, the challenging circumstances surrounding the psalmist are magnified. Verse 6 says the righteous will not be shaken; they will not be moved by the adverse circumstances that surround them. Further, they will not fear bad news (v. 7), nor will they have any fear of their foes (v. 8). One could even consider the mention of the poor in verse 9 as another indication of the difficult circumstances faced by the “blessed” person.
Hossfeld and Zenger note that “the psalmist’s optimism is not as naïve as it seems to some interpreters. On the contrary, the psalm is intended to be an encouragement, in terms of wisdom theology, to live Yahweh’s torah in the midst of a hostile and godless world and to seek happiness of one’s life in it.”13
But I would suggest that the psalmist calls for even more. Despite the circumstances of the day, the psalmist suggests that the blessed person is also the one who uses his prosperity (vv. 1–2) for the sake of others (vv. 4, 9). His piety shapes his morality. Psalm 112 serves a reminder that piety and morality belong together and that both are manifestations of the same commitment to God (v. 1).
In the New Testament, the book of James (also strongly influenced by wisdom theology) reflects on this same theme. James suggests that while wisdom comes “from heaven,” this wisdom is “peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere” (Jas 3:17). James argues that the wise person understands the inherent connection between faith and works—piety and morality: “Do not merely listen to the word. . . . Do what it says” (1:22). Later in his letter he makes the connection even clearer: “As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead” (2:26).
The book of James condemns those who have hoarded wealth for themselves and “lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence” while turning a deaf ear to those in need (5:5). That type of person is the antithesis of a wise person, and that kind of life is the antithesis of the “blessed life” articulated in Psalm 112 and reiterated in the book of James.
Human life as a reflection of God. Psalm 112 invites the reader to consider the shape of human life—more specifically, the shape of human life when lived in the fear of God and in alignment with his purposes in the world. The location of Psalm 112 immediately after Psalm 111 invites further thought about human life. The linguistic and thematic connections that exist between the two psalms do far more than simply provide a rationale for the present location of the “twin psalms”; they invite the reader to reflect theologically on human life in relation to God.
As suggested in the introductory material to this psalm, Psalms 111 and 112 share a number of terms. These terms are applied to God in Psalm 111, while in Psalm 112 the psalmist has shifted the referent by applying the terms to the blessed person instead. God’s kingship is celebrated in Psalm 111:3a, followed by the declaration that God’s righteousness will endure forever (v. 3b). Similarly, the righteousness of the person who delights in God’s commands will also endure forever (Ps 112:3b). In Psalm 111:4b the psalmist alludes to Exodus 34:6 when calling God gracious and compassionate, while in Psalm 112:4b the person who lives in the fear of the Lord is labeled “gracious and compassionate,” thereby taking on the characteristics of Israel’s God. God will be remembered for his mighty works (Ps 111:4a), while the righteous person will be remembered for his unyielding commitment to God and God’s ways (Ps 112:6a).14
The righteous person remains secure and unflinching (samuk; Ps 112:8a) because he delights in the law of the Lord, which is also said to be established (samuk) forever and ever (Ps 111:8a). Even as God gives food to those who fear him (Ps 111:5a), the psalmist gives to the poor (Ps 112:9a).15
By placing these two psalms adjacent to one another, the psalmists suggest that the works of God in Psalm 111 become the works of the wise human being in Psalm 112. In “fear[ing] the LORD” and “find[ing] great delight in his commandments” (v. 1), the blessed person does much more than simply earn the good will of the deity in hopes of securing an easy life. Worshipers associated with the religions surrounding Israel sought to placate their gods in the hope of ensuring a blessing for themselves. In such an arrangement, the human-divine interaction looks more like a transaction and less like a relationship. These two psalms together suggest that as human beings choose to fear God and delight in his commandments, we not only participate in God’s ways in the world—we also discover that our lives begin to resemble the God we serve.
Likewise, the Sermon on the Mount in the Gospel of Matthew performs a similar function by outlining the aspects of a faithful life of obedient service to God. But these texts do much more than simply list acceptable behaviors; these texts invite disciples into a new way of life. We are told that those who mourn and are meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will participate in the kingdom of heaven (Matt 5:3b, 10b). This new way of life is patterned on God’s ways in the world. To live out the Sermon on the Mount is to embody God’s will in the world. Those who are called blessed, who choose to live out God’s will in the world, will become known as “children of God” (5:9)—their life resembles that of God, the giver of life.16
The beatitudes leave little doubt that such a life will come amid persecution and “all kinds of evil” (5:11), yet true disciples are to live in such a way to “let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (5:16).17
The blessed person in Psalm 112 redefines human life. When lived well, human life is a reflection of the divine life. Through our relationship to God and his word, we are reminded that the shape of our lives is meant to reflect that of God’s. To live thus is wisdom indeed.
Contemporary Significance
THE BLESSED LIFE. Psalm 112 invites the reader to consider the nature of the blessed life. Our culture offers a seductive and persistent message as to what comprises the happy or blessed life—a message that affects most all of us, in one way or another, despite our willful objections to the core principles of that message. In his book Shiny Objects: Why We Spend Money We Don’t Have in Search of Happiness We Cannot Buy, James Roberts explores our fascination with such messaging and the deleterious effects that it has on our lives as individuals, families, and communities.18
Throughout his book, one of the underlying claims is that most people chase after “shiny objects” because they are not sure what constitutes a meaningful life. He explains:
In our rush, rush world, a common way we tell others who we are (or would like to be) is through our use and display of material possessions. He drives a Mercedes, so he must be a captain of industry. A truck and he must be a cowboy or at least a rugged individualist. . . . This tendency to define ourselves by the products we consume results in what researchers call the “extended self”; in other words, our possessions become an extension of who we are.19
Our failure to understand what constitutes a meaningful life suggests that we have a deficient theological anthropology and, to compensate, we are forced to create our own identity, created in our own wishful image.
Psalm 112, however, seeks to redirect us from such misguided attempts by grounding us in a biblical view of the blessed life—one that is rooted in a relationship and embodied in action. If the fundamental question of our day, and any day, is, “What does it mean to be human?”—and further, “What does it mean to have a meaningful life?”—then Psalm 112 offers a response. In the previous psalm (Ps 111), the poet celebrated the work of God through redemption and the provision of his law. These works of God are directed at humans for the sake of relationship. God has acted so that humanity might respond. Psalm 112 provides one such response to the work of God by acknowledging what a blessed life should entail. According to the psalmist, this blessed life is one that lives in relationship with God (“fear the LORD”) and one that finds “great delight” in the purposes of God in the world (v. 1). Yet the psalmist continues by suggesting that the meaningful life, the blessed life, requires a commitment to others that is exhibited through meaningful action: to be a light in darkness, to be generous in lending, and to provide for the poor. In short, one’s actions are driven by one’s understanding of a meaningful life, and one’s understanding of life is driven by one’s fundamental commitment. If a person’s fundamental commitment derives from his or her relationship with God, then his or her actions should follow from that relationship. In the end, that person will resemble the God we serve. That life will be more properly the “extended self” that Roberts mentions. Rather than our possessions defining this extended self, God and God’s ways in the world will do so. And in the process we will know fully the meaning of a blessed life.
Original Meaning
Markers of a Blessed Life (112:2–5)
IN THE NEXT SECTION THE PSALMIST provides several markers of a life that takes seriously the fear of the Lord while delighting in his purposes. These markers contain both a familial and a societal component, thereby enriching and extending what the psalmist means by ’ashre.
Their children will be mighty in the land. A blessed life, one lived in fear of God and in delight of his word, yields benefits for one’s family. Verse 2a suggests that this person’s offspring will become “mighty” (gibbor) in the land. While the term gibbor typically occurs in reference to military might or power, its metaphorical use suggests a person who is powerful or influential, one similar to the person who sits at the city gate in Proverbs 31:23. While Old Testament writers relied on a sense of cause and effect for understanding much of reality, caution is in order in that regard when reading a text such as this one. Psalm 112 does not suggest that “mighty” offspring are a reward for faithful living; rather, they are the result of faithful living.
Wealth and riches are in their houses. Although the words “wealth” (hon) and “riches” (‘osher) rarely appear in the Psalter, they occur repeatedly in the book of Proverbs (eighteen times and nine times, respectively).5
Despite their infrequency throughout the book of Psalms, their appearance in a wisdom psalm seems fitting. Phil Botha has suggested that Psalm 112:3 likely alludes to Proverbs 1:13.6
In Proverbs 1 the sagacious father warns his son of the enticing words of the “sinful men” who promise to “get all sorts of valuable things [hon]” in order to fill their houses with plunder. Such wealth is the result of their violence against others. The psalmist provides a counter to such claims by linking wealth with a life that delights in the laws of the Lord. Although at first glance Psalm 112:3 appears to buttress contemporary claims of a “prosperity gospel”—the fear of the Lord will yield material wealth—such an interpretation would be a serious misreading of the verse. Verse 3 does not promise that wealth will come to those who fear the Lord—it merely functions as the premise for what occurs in verse 4 and especially verse 9. Those who have wealth and riches have received them from God, but they are to be used for the community.
Even in darkness light dawns. The translation of verse 4 into English has generated considerable scholarly discussion. The verse begins with the verb zarah, “has risen.” The chief interpretive question concerns the subject of verse 4a. The NIV understands “light” to be the subject of the sentence, a choice that is grammatically possible. Understood as such, “even in darkness light dawns” functions as a metaphor for deliverance. Other scholars agree that light functions as the subject, but they maintain that light functions as a metaphor for God. Numerous texts refer to God as light, thus again making this option equally plausible (cf., Pss 27:1; 37:6; Mic 7:8). This line of argumentation is supported further by the use of “gracious and compassionate” in Psalm 112:4b, terms used to characterize God in Exodus 34:6. The third option, and the one adopted here, suggests that the subject of verb zarah in Psalm 112:4a is actually the “blessed” person mentioned in verses 1–3. Following this reading, the verse could be translated as:
He will rise as a light in the darkness for the upright ones,
he is gracious, compassionate, and just.7
In verses 2–3 the psalmist outlines the blessings that will come to those who live in the fear of the Lord and delight in his purposes (v. 1b). Beginning in verse 4, however, there are social implications for how one conducts his or her life. The blessed life is marked both by what it receives and by what it does. The blessed person acts for the sake of others, thus securing the good of the community of the upright (v. 4a). In this way the blessed person does indeed take on the qualities of God (i.e., gracious and compassionate; Exod 34:6) while also exemplifying God’s commitment to a just world.
Conduct their affairs with justice. Psalm 112:5 provides another social marker of a blessed life. Even though the blessed person apparently has attained stature in the land (v. 2a) and a measure of wealth (v. 3a), one who truly delights in the ways of God is generous, lends freely, and carries out his or her business with justice. Although the theme of antagonism between the rich and the poor and the subsequent oppression of the poor run throughout the Old Testament, these issues became particularly acute during the Persian period, especially with the development of coinage during that time.8
Nehemiah 5 reflects the grave social and economic conditions of that period. Without question, the system of interest in the ancient Near East had long been “one of the principal causes of the pauperization of broad classes of the population” and the rapid growth of debt slavery.9
Israel’s law codes prohibited the charging of interest and the taking of sureties (Exod 22:24–26; Deut 24:6, 10–14). Leviticus 25:35–38 also forbids charging interest or selling people “food at a profit.” Strikingly, in Leviticus 25:36 the community is told to fear God and refrain from such injustice.
Bridging Contexts
A STRONG ANTHROPOLOGICAL focus runs throughout Psalm 112. Firmly rooted in the wisdom tradition, this psalm leads to two fundamental claims about what it means to be human. The first concerns human action, the second, human identity.
Fear of the Lord and reality. Interpreters of wisdom literature have frequently associated the teaching of the sages with a type of philosophic idealism that transcends time and space. As Leo Perdue has aptly noted, this kind of idealism “understands the teachings of the sages as disconnected ideas that are seen as eternal thoughts the [sages] understood to be true.”11
Consequently, the notion of the “fear of the LORD” often remains an abstract concept for most readers of Scripture; the intersection between that sort of piety and human life seems vague at best.12
Although Psalm 112 may be classified as a wisdom psalm, it resists the temptation to move toward philosophical idealism and instead grounds the psalm in the reality of human life. The psalmist opens with a beatitude praising the “those who fear the LORD, who find great delight in his commands” and then moves to trace in some detail the contours of just such a life. The promise of prominent children coupled with wealth and riches (vv. 1–2) may cause some to bypass this psalm on the assumption that such language appears too closely aligned with the more recent movements promoting a “prosperity gospel.” Yet the content of the remainder of the psalm holds in check such unbridled thinking. In verse 4, the “blessed” person functions as a light to those who are in darkness and in need of compassion and justice. The mention of the psalmist to be generous and to lend freely is suggestive, implying there are many within that society in desperate need of assistance.
In the next section of the psalm, the challenging circumstances surrounding the psalmist are magnified. Verse 6 says the righteous will not be shaken; they will not be moved by the adverse circumstances that surround them. Further, they will not fear bad news (v. 7), nor will they have any fear of their foes (v. 8). One could even consider the mention of the poor in verse 9 as another indication of the difficult circumstances faced by the “blessed” person.
Hossfeld and Zenger note that “the psalmist’s optimism is not as naïve as it seems to some interpreters. On the contrary, the psalm is intended to be an encouragement, in terms of wisdom theology, to live Yahweh’s torah in the midst of a hostile and godless world and to seek happiness of one’s life in it.”13
But I would suggest that the psalmist calls for even more. Despite the circumstances of the day, the psalmist suggests that the blessed person is also the one who uses his prosperity (vv. 1–2) for the sake of others (vv. 4, 9). His piety shapes his morality. Psalm 112 serves a reminder that piety and morality belong together and that both are manifestations of the same commitment to God (v. 1).
In the New Testament, the book of James (also strongly influenced by wisdom theology) reflects on this same theme. James suggests that while wisdom comes “from heaven,” this wisdom is “peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere” (Jas 3:17). James argues that the wise person understands the inherent connection between faith and works—piety and morality: “Do not merely listen to the word. . . . Do what it says” (1:22). Later in his letter he makes the connection even clearer: “As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead” (2:26).
The book of James condemns those who have hoarded wealth for themselves and “lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence” while turning a deaf ear to those in need (5:5). That type of person is the antithesis of a wise person, and that kind of life is the antithesis of the “blessed life” articulated in Psalm 112 and reiterated in the book of James.
Human life as a reflection of God. Psalm 112 invites the reader to consider the shape of human life—more specifically, the shape of human life when lived in the fear of God and in alignment with his purposes in the world. The location of Psalm 112 immediately after Psalm 111 invites further thought about human life. The linguistic and thematic connections that exist between the two psalms do far more than simply provide a rationale for the present location of the “twin psalms”; they invite the reader to reflect theologically on human life in relation to God.
As suggested in the introductory material to this psalm, Psalms 111 and 112 share a number of terms. These terms are applied to God in Psalm 111, while in Psalm 112 the psalmist has shifted the referent by applying the terms to the blessed person instead. God’s kingship is celebrated in Psalm 111:3a, followed by the declaration that God’s righteousness will endure forever (v. 3b). Similarly, the righteousness of the person who delights in God’s commands will also endure forever (Ps 112:3b). In Psalm 111:4b the psalmist alludes to Exodus 34:6 when calling God gracious and compassionate, while in Psalm 112:4b the person who lives in the fear of the Lord is labeled “gracious and compassionate,” thereby taking on the characteristics of Israel’s God. God will be remembered for his mighty works (Ps 111:4a), while the righteous person will be remembered for his unyielding commitment to God and God’s ways (Ps 112:6a).14
The righteous person remains secure and unflinching (samuk; Ps 112:8a) because he delights in the law of the Lord, which is also said to be established (samuk) forever and ever (Ps 111:8a). Even as God gives food to those who fear him (Ps 111:5a), the psalmist gives to the poor (Ps 112:9a).15
By placing these two psalms adjacent to one another, the psalmists suggest that the works of God in Psalm 111 become the works of the wise human being in Psalm 112. In “fear[ing] the LORD” and “find[ing] great delight in his commandments” (v. 1), the blessed person does much more than simply earn the good will of the deity in hopes of securing an easy life. Worshipers associated with the religions surrounding Israel sought to placate their gods in the hope of ensuring a blessing for themselves. In such an arrangement, the human-divine interaction looks more like a transaction and less like a relationship. These two psalms together suggest that as human beings choose to fear God and delight in his commandments, we not only participate in God’s ways in the world—we also discover that our lives begin to resemble the God we serve.
Likewise, the Sermon on the Mount in the Gospel of Matthew performs a similar function by outlining the aspects of a faithful life of obedient service to God. But these texts do much more than simply list acceptable behaviors; these texts invite disciples into a new way of life. We are told that those who mourn and are meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will participate in the kingdom of heaven (Matt 5:3b, 10b). This new way of life is patterned on God’s ways in the world. To live out the Sermon on the Mount is to embody God’s will in the world. Those who are called blessed, who choose to live out God’s will in the world, will become known as “children of God” (5:9)—their life resembles that of God, the giver of life.16
The beatitudes leave little doubt that such a life will come amid persecution and “all kinds of evil” (5:11), yet true disciples are to live in such a way to “let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (5:16).17
The blessed person in Psalm 112 redefines human life. When lived well, human life is a reflection of the divine life. Through our relationship to God and his word, we are reminded that the shape of our lives is meant to reflect that of God’s. To live thus is wisdom indeed.
Contemporary Significance
THE BLESSED LIFE. Psalm 112 invites the reader to consider the nature of the blessed life. Our culture offers a seductive and persistent message as to what comprises the happy or blessed life—a message that affects most all of us, in one way or another, despite our willful objections to the core principles of that message. In his book Shiny Objects: Why We Spend Money We Don’t Have in Search of Happiness We Cannot Buy, James Roberts explores our fascination with such messaging and the deleterious effects that it has on our lives as individuals, families, and communities.18
Throughout his book, one of the underlying claims is that most people chase after “shiny objects” because they are not sure what constitutes a meaningful life. He explains:
In our rush, rush world, a common way we tell others who we are (or would like to be) is through our use and display of material possessions. He drives a Mercedes, so he must be a captain of industry. A truck and he must be a cowboy or at least a rugged individualist. . . . This tendency to define ourselves by the products we consume results in what researchers call the “extended self”; in other words, our possessions become an extension of who we are.19
Our failure to understand what constitutes a meaningful life suggests that we have a deficient theological anthropology and, to compensate, we are forced to create our own identity, created in our own wishful image.
Psalm 112, however, seeks to redirect us from such misguided attempts by grounding us in a biblical view of the blessed life—one that is rooted in a relationship and embodied in action. If the fundamental question of our day, and any day, is, “What does it mean to be human?”—and further, “What does it mean to have a meaningful life?”—then Psalm 112 offers a response. In the previous psalm (Ps 111), the poet celebrated the work of God through redemption and the provision of his law. These works of God are directed at humans for the sake of relationship. God has acted so that humanity might respond. Psalm 112 provides one such response to the work of God by acknowledging what a blessed life should entail. According to the psalmist, this blessed life is one that lives in relationship with God (“fear the LORD”) and one that finds “great delight” in the purposes of God in the world (v. 1). Yet the psalmist continues by suggesting that the meaningful life, the blessed life, requires a commitment to others that is exhibited through meaningful action: to be a light in darkness, to be generous in lending, and to provide for the poor. In short, one’s actions are driven by one’s understanding of a meaningful life, and one’s understanding of life is driven by one’s fundamental commitment. If a person’s fundamental commitment derives from his or her relationship with God, then his or her actions should follow from that relationship. In the end, that person will resemble the God we serve. That life will be more properly the “extended self” that Roberts mentions. Rather than our possessions defining this extended self, God and God’s ways in the world will do so. And in the process we will know fully the meaning of a blessed life.
Original Meaning
The Fear of God and the Absence of Fear (112:6–9)
IN THE SECOND MAJOR SECTION the psalmist claims that those who fear Yahweh have no reason to fear anything in life. Nothing can occur that will unseat the one who fears Yahweh. If Psalm 112 was composed during the postexilic period, as many suggest, then the psalm was likely addressing the uncertainty and fear that may have paralyzed many within the community in Yehud.
The righteous will never be shaken. The verb mot can mean to sway or to totter as a sign of instability and impermanence. In Psalm 46, for example, the psalmist announces that the nations are tottering (mot [v. 6]), yet he confesses that the city of God remains immovable; it cannot totter (mot [v. 5]). Like the city of God, the blessed person cannot be moved or shaken by the affairs of the world.
They will have no fear. Psalm 112:7–8 addresses two issues that likely would have produced anxiety and fear: bad news and the presence of enemies. Despite the reality of both threats, those who fear God have no need to fear (yaraʾ). The absence of fear, however, does not come from the denial or dismissal of such threats; rather, the absence of fear stems from the psalmist’s trust in the Lord. Those who fear and trust in God possess hearts that are firmly established (nakon [v. 7a]) and unflinching (samuk [v. 8a]). And in the end, they will watch in triumph over their enemies.
Their horn will be lifted high. Although “horn” (qeren) can be associated with altars elsewhere in the Old Testament (Exod 27:2; Lev 8:15; Ps 18:3), its use in Psalm 112 refers to the horn of an animal and functions as a metaphor for power and strength. The metaphor is pressed further in many contexts and refers to military might (1 Sam 2:10; Lam 2:17). The horn metaphor serves as an apt conclusion to this section (vv. 6–9). Those who could have been brought low by their own angst and fear concerning daily affairs will instead be lifted high because their hearts are firmly established and unflinching in their fear of the Lord.
Bridging Contexts
A STRONG ANTHROPOLOGICAL focus runs throughout Psalm 112. Firmly rooted in the wisdom tradition, this psalm leads to two fundamental claims about what it means to be human. The first concerns human action, the second, human identity.
Fear of the Lord and reality. Interpreters of wisdom literature have frequently associated the teaching of the sages with a type of philosophic idealism that transcends time and space. As Leo Perdue has aptly noted, this kind of idealism “understands the teachings of the sages as disconnected ideas that are seen as eternal thoughts the [sages] understood to be true.”11
Consequently, the notion of the “fear of the LORD” often remains an abstract concept for most readers of Scripture; the intersection between that sort of piety and human life seems vague at best.12
Although Psalm 112 may be classified as a wisdom psalm, it resists the temptation to move toward philosophical idealism and instead grounds the psalm in the reality of human life. The psalmist opens with a beatitude praising the “those who fear the LORD, who find great delight in his commands” and then moves to trace in some detail the contours of just such a life. The promise of prominent children coupled with wealth and riches (vv. 1–2) may cause some to bypass this psalm on the assumption that such language appears too closely aligned with the more recent movements promoting a “prosperity gospel.” Yet the content of the remainder of the psalm holds in check such unbridled thinking. In verse 4, the “blessed” person functions as a light to those who are in darkness and in need of compassion and justice. The mention of the psalmist to be generous and to lend freely is suggestive, implying there are many within that society in desperate need of assistance.
In the next section of the psalm, the challenging circumstances surrounding the psalmist are magnified. Verse 6 says the righteous will not be shaken; they will not be moved by the adverse circumstances that surround them. Further, they will not fear bad news (v. 7), nor will they have any fear of their foes (v. 8). One could even consider the mention of the poor in verse 9 as another indication of the difficult circumstances faced by the “blessed” person.
Hossfeld and Zenger note that “the psalmist’s optimism is not as naïve as it seems to some interpreters. On the contrary, the psalm is intended to be an encouragement, in terms of wisdom theology, to live Yahweh’s torah in the midst of a hostile and godless world and to seek happiness of one’s life in it.”13
But I would suggest that the psalmist calls for even more. Despite the circumstances of the day, the psalmist suggests that the blessed person is also the one who uses his prosperity (vv. 1–2) for the sake of others (vv. 4, 9). His piety shapes his morality. Psalm 112 serves a reminder that piety and morality belong together and that both are manifestations of the same commitment to God (v. 1).
In the New Testament, the book of James (also strongly influenced by wisdom theology) reflects on this same theme. James suggests that while wisdom comes “from heaven,” this wisdom is “peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere” (Jas 3:17). James argues that the wise person understands the inherent connection between faith and works—piety and morality: “Do not merely listen to the word. . . . Do what it says” (1:22). Later in his letter he makes the connection even clearer: “As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead” (2:26).
The book of James condemns those who have hoarded wealth for themselves and “lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence” while turning a deaf ear to those in need (5:5). That type of person is the antithesis of a wise person, and that kind of life is the antithesis of the “blessed life” articulated in Psalm 112 and reiterated in the book of James.
Human life as a reflection of God. Psalm 112 invites the reader to consider the shape of human life—more specifically, the shape of human life when lived in the fear of God and in alignment with his purposes in the world. The location of Psalm 112 immediately after Psalm 111 invites further thought about human life. The linguistic and thematic connections that exist between the two psalms do far more than simply provide a rationale for the present location of the “twin psalms”; they invite the reader to reflect theologically on human life in relation to God.
As suggested in the introductory material to this psalm, Psalms 111 and 112 share a number of terms. These terms are applied to God in Psalm 111, while in Psalm 112 the psalmist has shifted the referent by applying the terms to the blessed person instead. God’s kingship is celebrated in Psalm 111:3a, followed by the declaration that God’s righteousness will endure forever (v. 3b). Similarly, the righteousness of the person who delights in God’s commands will also endure forever (Ps 112:3b). In Psalm 111:4b the psalmist alludes to Exodus 34:6 when calling God gracious and compassionate, while in Psalm 112:4b the person who lives in the fear of the Lord is labeled “gracious and compassionate,” thereby taking on the characteristics of Israel’s God. God will be remembered for his mighty works (Ps 111:4a), while the righteous person will be remembered for his unyielding commitment to God and God’s ways (Ps 112:6a).14
The righteous person remains secure and unflinching (samuk; Ps 112:8a) because he delights in the law of the Lord, which is also said to be established (samuk) forever and ever (Ps 111:8a). Even as God gives food to those who fear him (Ps 111:5a), the psalmist gives to the poor (Ps 112:9a).15
By placing these two psalms adjacent to one another, the psalmists suggest that the works of God in Psalm 111 become the works of the wise human being in Psalm 112. In “fear[ing] the LORD” and “find[ing] great delight in his commandments” (v. 1), the blessed person does much more than simply earn the good will of the deity in hopes of securing an easy life. Worshipers associated with the religions surrounding Israel sought to placate their gods in the hope of ensuring a blessing for themselves. In such an arrangement, the human-divine interaction looks more like a transaction and less like a relationship. These two psalms together suggest that as human beings choose to fear God and delight in his commandments, we not only participate in God’s ways in the world—we also discover that our lives begin to resemble the God we serve.
Likewise, the Sermon on the Mount in the Gospel of Matthew performs a similar function by outlining the aspects of a faithful life of obedient service to God. But these texts do much more than simply list acceptable behaviors; these texts invite disciples into a new way of life. We are told that those who mourn and are meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will participate in the kingdom of heaven (Matt 5:3b, 10b). This new way of life is patterned on God’s ways in the world. To live out the Sermon on the Mount is to embody God’s will in the world. Those who are called blessed, who choose to live out God’s will in the world, will become known as “children of God” (5:9)—their life resembles that of God, the giver of life.16
The beatitudes leave little doubt that such a life will come amid persecution and “all kinds of evil” (5:11), yet true disciples are to live in such a way to “let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (5:16).17
The blessed person in Psalm 112 redefines human life. When lived well, human life is a reflection of the divine life. Through our relationship to God and his word, we are reminded that the shape of our lives is meant to reflect that of God’s. To live thus is wisdom indeed.
Contemporary Significance
THE BLESSED LIFE. Psalm 112 invites the reader to consider the nature of the blessed life. Our culture offers a seductive and persistent message as to what comprises the happy or blessed life—a message that affects most all of us, in one way or another, despite our willful objections to the core principles of that message. In his book Shiny Objects: Why We Spend Money We Don’t Have in Search of Happiness We Cannot Buy, James Roberts explores our fascination with such messaging and the deleterious effects that it has on our lives as individuals, families, and communities.18
Throughout his book, one of the underlying claims is that most people chase after “shiny objects” because they are not sure what constitutes a meaningful life. He explains:
In our rush, rush world, a common way we tell others who we are (or would like to be) is through our use and display of material possessions. He drives a Mercedes, so he must be a captain of industry. A truck and he must be a cowboy or at least a rugged individualist. . . . This tendency to define ourselves by the products we consume results in what researchers call the “extended self”; in other words, our possessions become an extension of who we are.19
Our failure to understand what constitutes a meaningful life suggests that we have a deficient theological anthropology and, to compensate, we are forced to create our own identity, created in our own wishful image.
Psalm 112, however, seeks to redirect us from such misguided attempts by grounding us in a biblical view of the blessed life—one that is rooted in a relationship and embodied in action. If the fundamental question of our day, and any day, is, “What does it mean to be human?”—and further, “What does it mean to have a meaningful life?”—then Psalm 112 offers a response. In the previous psalm (Ps 111), the poet celebrated the work of God through redemption and the provision of his law. These works of God are directed at humans for the sake of relationship. God has acted so that humanity might respond. Psalm 112 provides one such response to the work of God by acknowledging what a blessed life should entail. According to the psalmist, this blessed life is one that lives in relationship with God (“fear the LORD”) and one that finds “great delight” in the purposes of God in the world (v. 1). Yet the psalmist continues by suggesting that the meaningful life, the blessed life, requires a commitment to others that is exhibited through meaningful action: to be a light in darkness, to be generous in lending, and to provide for the poor. In short, one’s actions are driven by one’s understanding of a meaningful life, and one’s understanding of life is driven by one’s fundamental commitment. If a person’s fundamental commitment derives from his or her relationship with God, then his or her actions should follow from that relationship. In the end, that person will resemble the God we serve. That life will be more properly the “extended self” that Roberts mentions. Rather than our possessions defining this extended self, God and God’s ways in the world will do so. And in the process we will know fully the meaning of a blessed life.
Original Meaning
The Fate of the Wicked (112:10)
PSALM 112 CONCLUDES WITH an assessment concerning the fate of the wicked. In verse 8 the psalmist explains that the righteous will “look” (ra’ah) upon their foes in triumph, while, in contrast, the psalmist contends in verse 10 that the wicked will look (ra’ah) and be “vexed” (ka‘as) to the point of irritation. The anger of the wicked will result in their gnashing of teeth, like that of a wild animal on the attack (cf. Pss 35:16; 37:12). The imagery, however, does little to enhance the ferocity of the enemy, for, as the psalmist quickly adds, the wicked “waste away” (masas). Elsewhere in the Old Testament the term masas often appears in contexts related to a struggle or a military engagement (e.g., Josh 2:11; 5:1; 7:5; Ezek 21:7; Mic 1:4). In each instance, the heart or courage of one participant is said to have “melted away” in the light of the apparent strength and vigor of the opponent. According to Psalm 112, while the wicked may gnash their teeth, ultimately they will melt away in the light of the one with greater strength.
The final line of the psalm sums up the fate of the wicked: “the longings of the wicked will come to nothing.” The word for “longings” (ta’awah) can also be translated “desires,” which is preferable is this context and likely references the desires of the wicked to bring harm to the righteous.10
The psalmist has spent the previous nine verses outlining the “desires” of the righteous person—desires that will bring good both to one’s family (vv. 2–3) and the larger community (vv. 4–5, 9). These desires stem from a fear of God and a delight in God’s ways. As a result of such faithfulness, this person’s righteousness “endures forever” (v. 9). Not so with the wicked. The longings of the wicked will perish or come to an end (’abad). Thematically and linguistically, the fate of the wicked in Psalm 112:10 mirrors the fate of the wicked in Psalm 1:6—both will come to an end (’abad).
Bridging Contexts
A STRONG ANTHROPOLOGICAL focus runs throughout Psalm 112. Firmly rooted in the wisdom tradition, this psalm leads to two fundamental claims about what it means to be human. The first concerns human action, the second, human identity.
Fear of the Lord and reality. Interpreters of wisdom literature have frequently associated the teaching of the sages with a type of philosophic idealism that transcends time and space. As Leo Perdue has aptly noted, this kind of idealism “understands the teachings of the sages as disconnected ideas that are seen as eternal thoughts the [sages] understood to be true.”11
Consequently, the notion of the “fear of the LORD” often remains an abstract concept for most readers of Scripture; the intersection between that sort of piety and human life seems vague at best.12
Although Psalm 112 may be classified as a wisdom psalm, it resists the temptation to move toward philosophical idealism and instead grounds the psalm in the reality of human life. The psalmist opens with a beatitude praising the “those who fear the LORD, who find great delight in his commands” and then moves to trace in some detail the contours of just such a life. The promise of prominent children coupled with wealth and riches (vv. 1–2) may cause some to bypass this psalm on the assumption that such language appears too closely aligned with the more recent movements promoting a “prosperity gospel.” Yet the content of the remainder of the psalm holds in check such unbridled thinking. In verse 4, the “blessed” person functions as a light to those who are in darkness and in need of compassion and justice. The mention of the psalmist to be generous and to lend freely is suggestive, implying there are many within that society in desperate need of assistance.
In the next section of the psalm, the challenging circumstances surrounding the psalmist are magnified. Verse 6 says the righteous will not be shaken; they will not be moved by the adverse circumstances that surround them. Further, they will not fear bad news (v. 7), nor will they have any fear of their foes (v. 8). One could even consider the mention of the poor in verse 9 as another indication of the difficult circumstances faced by the “blessed” person.
Hossfeld and Zenger note that “the psalmist’s optimism is not as naïve as it seems to some interpreters. On the contrary, the psalm is intended to be an encouragement, in terms of wisdom theology, to live Yahweh’s torah in the midst of a hostile and godless world and to seek happiness of one’s life in it.”13
But I would suggest that the psalmist calls for even more. Despite the circumstances of the day, the psalmist suggests that the blessed person is also the one who uses his prosperity (vv. 1–2) for the sake of others (vv. 4, 9). His piety shapes his morality. Psalm 112 serves a reminder that piety and morality belong together and that both are manifestations of the same commitment to God (v. 1).
In the New Testament, the book of James (also strongly influenced by wisdom theology) reflects on this same theme. James suggests that while wisdom comes “from heaven,” this wisdom is “peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere” (Jas 3:17). James argues that the wise person understands the inherent connection between faith and works—piety and morality: “Do not merely listen to the word. . . . Do what it says” (1:22). Later in his letter he makes the connection even clearer: “As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead” (2:26).
The book of James condemns those who have hoarded wealth for themselves and “lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence” while turning a deaf ear to those in need (5:5). That type of person is the antithesis of a wise person, and that kind of life is the antithesis of the “blessed life” articulated in Psalm 112 and reiterated in the book of James.
Human life as a reflection of God. Psalm 112 invites the reader to consider the shape of human life—more specifically, the shape of human life when lived in the fear of God and in alignment with his purposes in the world. The location of Psalm 112 immediately after Psalm 111 invites further thought about human life. The linguistic and thematic connections that exist between the two psalms do far more than simply provide a rationale for the present location of the “twin psalms”; they invite the reader to reflect theologically on human life in relation to God.
As suggested in the introductory material to this psalm, Psalms 111 and 112 share a number of terms. These terms are applied to God in Psalm 111, while in Psalm 112 the psalmist has shifted the referent by applying the terms to the blessed person instead. God’s kingship is celebrated in Psalm 111:3a, followed by the declaration that God’s righteousness will endure forever (v. 3b). Similarly, the righteousness of the person who delights in God’s commands will also endure forever (Ps 112:3b). In Psalm 111:4b the psalmist alludes to Exodus 34:6 when calling God gracious and compassionate, while in Psalm 112:4b the person who lives in the fear of the Lord is labeled “gracious and compassionate,” thereby taking on the characteristics of Israel’s God. God will be remembered for his mighty works (Ps 111:4a), while the righteous person will be remembered for his unyielding commitment to God and God’s ways (Ps 112:6a).14
The righteous person remains secure and unflinching (samuk; Ps 112:8a) because he delights in the law of the Lord, which is also said to be established (samuk) forever and ever (Ps 111:8a). Even as God gives food to those who fear him (Ps 111:5a), the psalmist gives to the poor (Ps 112:9a).15
By placing these two psalms adjacent to one another, the psalmists suggest that the works of God in Psalm 111 become the works of the wise human being in Psalm 112. In “fear[ing] the LORD” and “find[ing] great delight in his commandments” (v. 1), the blessed person does much more than simply earn the good will of the deity in hopes of securing an easy life. Worshipers associated with the religions surrounding Israel sought to placate their gods in the hope of ensuring a blessing for themselves. In such an arrangement, the human-divine interaction looks more like a transaction and less like a relationship. These two psalms together suggest that as human beings choose to fear God and delight in his commandments, we not only participate in God’s ways in the world—we also discover that our lives begin to resemble the God we serve.
Likewise, the Sermon on the Mount in the Gospel of Matthew performs a similar function by outlining the aspects of a faithful life of obedient service to God. But these texts do much more than simply list acceptable behaviors; these texts invite disciples into a new way of life. We are told that those who mourn and are meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will participate in the kingdom of heaven (Matt 5:3b, 10b). This new way of life is patterned on God’s ways in the world. To live out the Sermon on the Mount is to embody God’s will in the world. Those who are called blessed, who choose to live out God’s will in the world, will become known as “children of God” (5:9)—their life resembles that of God, the giver of life.16
The beatitudes leave little doubt that such a life will come amid persecution and “all kinds of evil” (5:11), yet true disciples are to live in such a way to “let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (5:16).17
The blessed person in Psalm 112 redefines human life. When lived well, human life is a reflection of the divine life. Through our relationship to God and his word, we are reminded that the shape of our lives is meant to reflect that of God’s. To live thus is wisdom indeed.
Contemporary Significance
THE BLESSED LIFE. Psalm 112 invites the reader to consider the nature of the blessed life. Our culture offers a seductive and persistent message as to what comprises the happy or blessed life—a message that affects most all of us, in one way or another, despite our willful objections to the core principles of that message. In his book Shiny Objects: Why We Spend Money We Don’t Have in Search of Happiness We Cannot Buy, James Roberts explores our fascination with such messaging and the deleterious effects that it has on our lives as individuals, families, and communities.18
Throughout his book, one of the underlying claims is that most people chase after “shiny objects” because they are not sure what constitutes a meaningful life. He explains:
In our rush, rush world, a common way we tell others who we are (or would like to be) is through our use and display of material possessions. He drives a Mercedes, so he must be a captain of industry. A truck and he must be a cowboy or at least a rugged individualist. . . . This tendency to define ourselves by the products we consume results in what researchers call the “extended self”; in other words, our possessions become an extension of who we are.19
Our failure to understand what constitutes a meaningful life suggests that we have a deficient theological anthropology and, to compensate, we are forced to create our own identity, created in our own wishful image.
Psalm 112, however, seeks to redirect us from such misguided attempts by grounding us in a biblical view of the blessed life—one that is rooted in a relationship and embodied in action. If the fundamental question of our day, and any day, is, “What does it mean to be human?”—and further, “What does it mean to have a meaningful life?”—then Psalm 112 offers a response. In the previous psalm (Ps 111), the poet celebrated the work of God through redemption and the provision of his law. These works of God are directed at humans for the sake of relationship. God has acted so that humanity might respond. Psalm 112 provides one such response to the work of God by acknowledging what a blessed life should entail. According to the psalmist, this blessed life is one that lives in relationship with God (“fear the LORD”) and one that finds “great delight” in the purposes of God in the world (v. 1). Yet the psalmist continues by suggesting that the meaningful life, the blessed life, requires a commitment to others that is exhibited through meaningful action: to be a light in darkness, to be generous in lending, and to provide for the poor. In short, one’s actions are driven by one’s understanding of a meaningful life, and one’s understanding of life is driven by one’s fundamental commitment. If a person’s fundamental commitment derives from his or her relationship with God, then his or her actions should follow from that relationship. In the end, that person will resemble the God we serve. That life will be more properly the “extended self” that Roberts mentions. Rather than our possessions defining this extended self, God and God’s ways in the world will do so. And in the process we will know fully the meaning of a blessed life.
