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Psalm 112

Blessings of the Righteous

1

Praise the L ord!

Happy are those who fear the L ord,

who greatly delight in his commandments.

2

Their descendants will be mighty in the land;

the generation of the upright will be blessed.

3

Wealth and riches are in their houses,

and their righteousness endures forever.

4

They rise in the darkness as a light for the upright;

they are gracious, merciful, and righteous.

5

It is well with those who deal generously and lend,

who conduct their affairs with justice.

6

For the righteous will never be moved;

they will be remembered forever.

7

They are not afraid of evil tidings;

their hearts are firm, secure in the L ord.

8

Their hearts are steady, they will not be afraid;

in the end they will look in triumph on their foes.

9

They have distributed freely, they have given to the poor;

their righteousness endures forever;

their horn is exalted in honor.

10

The wicked see it and are angry;

they gnash their teeth and melt away;

the desire of the wicked comes to nothing.


4 Light ariseth The Hebrew verb זרח, zarach, may be taken intransitively, as I have inserted it in the text, or transitively, as in the marginal reading; in either way the signification is the same. Whichsoever of these translations you adopt, the words are susceptible of a twofold interpretation; either, that as the sun shines on one part of the earth, and all the other parts of it are enveloped in darkness, so God exempts the righteous from the common calamities of human life; or, as day succeeds night, so God, though he permit the hearts of his servants to be in heaviness for a season, will cause a time of calmness and clearness to return to them. If the latter exposition is adopted, then, by darkness, or by the cloudy, and rainy, or stormy season, the prophet means the afflictions to which God subjects his servants for the trial of their patience. The former interpretation appears to be more appropriate, That, when the whole world is overwhelmed with troubles, God’s grace shines upon the faithful, who feel comfortable and happy, because he is propitious towards them. It is thus that their condition is properly distinguished from that which forms the common lot of other men. For the ungodly, however they may exult in prosperity, are, nevertheless, blind in the midst of light, because they are strangers to God’s paternal kindness; and, in adversity, they are plunged into the darkness of death; and, consequently, they never enjoy a season of calm repose. On the contrary, the godly, upon whom the favor of God constantly shines, though liable to the ills incident to humanity, are never overwhelmed with darkness, and hence the propriety of what is here stated, light ariseth to them in darkness If we give to the Hebrew verb an active signification, then, in one respect, the construction of the words will be preferable. For I have no doubt that the prophet intends, as applicable to God, the epithets, gracious, merciful, and just Therefore, if we read it as a neuter verb, light ariseth, then the latter clause of the verse will be the reason for the statement made in the former clause. As to the exposition, that the righteous and humane do not diffuse darkness over the world, as the unrighteous and wicked do; that they do not extract smoke from light, but light from smoke; it must be viewed as nothing else than a perversion of the prophet’s language.


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