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Psalm 112 Bible study: Not afraid of evil news
The man who fears the LORD (112:1) "will not be afraid of evil news" (112:7): in Hebrew fears and afraid are one verb. And a line Psalm 111 says of the LORD, "His righteousness endures forever" (Psalm 111:3), comes back twice about the man who fears him (112:3, 112:9).
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“He will not be afraid of evil news. His heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD.”
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“Psalm 112 says the man who fears the LORD will not be afraid of evil news.”
Is that in Psalm 112, or not? Make your call.
What's really going on
The man who fears, and isn't afraid
After "Praise the LORD!" (112:1), the psalm names the man it calls blessed: "Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who delights greatly in his commandments" (112:1) (tap fears, delights). Then, six verses later: "He will not be afraid of evil news" (112:7), and again, "He will not be afraid in the end when he sees his adversaries" (112:8). Here is what almost everyone misses: in Hebrew fears and afraid are one verb, yare', three times in the psalm. Brown-Driver-Briggs gives among its senses both "fear, be afraid" and "fear, reverence, honour". The man who fears the LORD is the man who will not be afraid of evil news. In the same two verses the psalm speaks of his heart: "His heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD" (112:7), and "His heart is established" (112:8) (tap steadfast, established). Steadfast is the word of "My heart is steadfast, God" (Psalm 57:7), and Psalm 57's notes set out the shared Hebrew, with his here for my there.
Where it leads to Jesus
More blessed to give
Psalms 112:9leads toActs 20:35
Paul, speaking to "the elders of the assembly" from Ephesus (Acts 20:17), told them they "ought to help the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that he himself said" (Acts 20:35): "It is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 20:35). Psalm 112 describes the man it calls blessed (Psalm 112:1), and giving is part of the picture: "It is well with the man who deals graciously and lends" (Psalm 112:5), and "He has dispersed, he has given to the poor" (Psalm 112:9). Acts doesn't cite the psalm, and no link between the Hebrew and Greek words for blessed is claimed, so setting them together is a reading. It rests on a shared subject, giving to those in need. One reading hears Jesus's saying and the psalm's picture agreeing: the one who gives is blessed. Another notes that the psalm's blessing rests on fearing the LORD (Psalm 112:1), with giving one of the things it describes, while Jesus's saying sets giving beside receiving, which the psalm doesn't do; on this reading the two are neighbours, not one saying.
Honest questions
Questions people ask about Psalm 112
- "Wealth and riches are in his house" (112:3). Does the psalm promise wealth to everyone who fears the LORD?
- "Light dawns in the darkness for the upright, gracious, merciful, and righteous" (112:4). Who is gracious, merciful, and righteous?
- Paul quotes 112:9 in 2 Corinthians. Is he speaking of the man who fears the LORD?
That was a taste
The rest of Psalm 112 is waiting in Favor
- Psalm 111's words, said of a man
- A man who gives
- Letters in order
- Light rising in the darkness
- 6 questions as you read
- 13 more Hebrew words
- A short check at the end
- Your notes, saved as you go
Favor reads the Bible in order, so you'll reach Psalm 112 with everything before it in view. First week free, then $10 a month per person.
The Hebrew word behind it
יָרֵאyare'say ya-RE
Brown-Driver-Briggs gives among its senses "fear, be afraid", "stand in awe of", and "fear, reverence, honour". Strong's: "to fear; morally to revere". The psalm has it three times: "Blessed is the man who fears the LORD" (112:1); "He will not be afraid of evil news" (112:7); "He will not be afraid in the end when he sees his adversaries" (112:8). The WEB gives it as fears and then afraid; in Hebrew it is one verb. The Psalms have it 46 times in Hebrew. Psalm 111 ends, "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom" (Psalm 111:10), where fear is a noun, not this verb.
For your group
Psalm 112 Bible study questions
- 1"He will not be afraid of evil news" (112:7). What kind of news are you most afraid of hearing, and what would a steadfast heart look like if it came?
- 2The psalm's man "deals graciously and lends" (112:5) and "has given to the poor" (112:9). Where is one place this week you could be generous with what you have?
- 3"His heart is established" (112:8). When things around you are shaken, what helps your heart stay steady?
Leading a group? In Favor, everyone reads Psalm 112 during the week and answers these questions privately. Answers stay sealed until you meet, then appear together, and you can print the week's sheet.
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Questions
What is Favor?
Favor is a Bible study app that explains every chapter as you read: the Hebrew and Greek behind the words, the details most readers miss, and how each part of the Bible leads to Jesus. Read on your own, or start a Bible study with friends, family or your church.
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Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, which is in the public domain. Hebrew and Greek words are checked against the original-language texts and public-domain lexicons. What we believe · Favor home