BLESSED IS THE MAN WHO FEARS THE LORD

Passage: Psalms 112:1-10

Key verse: 112:1

NIV

Psalm 112[a]

1 Praise the Lord.[b](A)

Blessed are those(B) who fear the Lord,(C)
    who find great delight(D) in his commands.

2 Their children(E) will be mighty in the land;
    the generation of the upright will be blessed.
3 Wealth and riches(F) are in their houses,
    and their righteousness endures(G) forever.
4 Even in darkness light dawns(H) for the upright,
    for those who are gracious and compassionate and righteous.(I)
5 Good will come to those who are generous and lend freely,(J)
    who conduct their affairs with justice.

6 Surely the righteous will never be shaken;(K)
    they will be remembered(L) forever.
7 They will have no fear of bad news;
    their hearts are steadfast,(M) trusting in the Lord.(N)
8 Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear;(O)
    in the end they will look in triumph on their foes.(P)
9 They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor,(Q)
    their righteousness endures(R) forever;
    their horn[c] will be lifted(S) high in honor.

10 The wicked will see(T) and be vexed,
    they will gnash their teeth(U) and waste away;(V)
    the longings of the wicked will come to nothing.(W)

Read full chapter
Footnotes
  1. Psalm 112:1 This psalm is an acrostic poem, the lines of which begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
  2. Psalm 112:1 Hebrew Hallelu Yah
  3. Psalm 112:9 Horn here symbolizes dignity.
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

The Righteous Will Never Be Moved

112 [a] (A)Praise the Lord!
(B)Blessed is the man who fears the Lord,
    who (C)greatly delights in his commandments!
2 His (D)offspring will be mighty in the land;
    (E)the generation of the upright will be blessed.
3 (F)Wealth and riches are in his house,
    and his (G)righteousness endures forever.
4 Light dawns in the darkness (H)for the upright;
    he is gracious, merciful, and (I)righteous.
5 It is well with the man who (J)deals generously and lends;
    who conducts his affairs with justice.
6 For the righteous will (K)never be moved;
    (L)he will be remembered forever.
7 He is not (M)afraid of bad news;
    his (N)heart is firm, (O)trusting in the Lord.
8 His heart is steady;[b] he will not be afraid,
    until he looks in triumph on his adversaries.
9 He has (P)distributed freely; he has given to the poor;
    his righteousness endures forever;
    his (Q)horn is exalted in honor.
10 The wicked man sees it and is angry;
    he (R)gnashes his teeth and (S)melts away;
    (T)the desire of the wicked will perish!

Read full chapter
Footnotes
  1. Psalm 112:1 This psalm is an acrostic poem, each line beginning with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet
  2. Psalm 112:8 Or established (compare 111:8)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

First, blessed are the righteous who delight in the Lord (1-9). The psalmist compares the righteous with the wicked. The righteous praise God. The righteous man fears the Lord. His delight is in God's command. God blesses the righteous. His children become mighty in the land. Wealth and riches belong to him. Good will come to him. He is gracious, compassionate, generous and just. He will be remembered forever. When he fears God, he has no fear of bad news. His heart is steadfast and secure. In the end he will triumph on his foes. His horn will be lifted high in honor. His righteous endures forever. Second, vexed are the wicked (10). The wicked will see how the righteous are blessed and be vexed. He will gnash his teeth and waste away. Though he desires many things, his longing will come to nothing. He abandoned God and caused God to abandon him.

Prayer: Lord, help me to fear you alone and be a blessed one. Save me from the way of the wicked.

One Word: Fear the Lord