Like Psalm 111 before it, this psalm is an acrostic psalm of 22 lines, each line (after the introductory "Hallelujah") beginning with a different consonant of the Hebrew aleph-bet. It is a natural counterpoint to the psalm before it. That psalm concentrated on the character of God. This psalm concentrates on the character of a righteous man.
Psalm 112:1a, Hallelujah!
Praise the LORD.
This line, two Hebrew words, hal·lū yāh, means "Praise YHWH!"
Psalm 112:1b, Blessed is the man
Blessed is the man who fears the LORD,
who finds great delight in his commands.
As Alter points out, this is a "Wisdom psalm", describing the attributes of a successful person. It begins with the same concept that introduces the psalter in Psalm 1:1.
Psalm 112:2-3, Righteousness and riches
His children will be mighty in the land;
the generation of the upright will be blessed.
Wealth and riches are in his house,
and his righteousness endures forever.
This psalm mirrors the previous one, the previous describing a righteous God and this one describing a righteous man. A righteous man reveres YHWH and follows Him and both he and his children are blessed. It is not surprising that the last line of verse 3 echoes the last line of Psalm 111:3. The righteousness of a good man endures forever precisely because it reflects the enduring righteousness of God.
Psalm 112:4-6, Not shaken or stirred
Even in darkness light dawns for the upright,
for the gracious and compassionate and righteous man.
Good will come to him who is generous and lends freely,
who conducts his affairs with justice.
Surely he will never be shaken;
a righteous man will be remembered forever.
Even though the righteous man may eventually experience darkness, light returns. He conducts his life with justice and is "never shaken" says David.
Psalm 112:7-9, Security
He will have no fear of bad news;
his heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD.
His heart is secure, he will have no fear;
in the end he will look in triumph on his foes.
He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor,
his righteousness endures forever;
his horn will be lifted high in honor.
The emphasis on stability and security continues. The righteous man, leaning on YHWH, has nothing to fear. He is generous and he is honored.
In the New Testament, in his letter to hte church in Corinth (2 Corinthians 9:6-11), Paul exhorts the Corinthians to be generous and cites verse 9, above.
Psalm 112:10, But the wicked...
The wicked man will see and be vexed,
he will gnash his teeth and waste away;
the longings of the wicked will come to nothing.
As is typical in Wisdom psalms, two types of people are contrasted: the righteous and the wicked. Here the wicked man is angry and dissatisfied. He wastes away, living a meaningless life.
First published October 20, 2025; updated October 20, 2025
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