Psalms 112:7-10

112:7 He does not fear bad news.

He ¹  is confident; he trusts ²  in the Lord.

112:8 His resolve ³  is firm; he will not succumb to fear

before he looks in triumph on his enemies.

112:9 He generously gives ⁴  to the needy;

his integrity endures. ⁵ 

He will be vindicated and honored. ⁶ 

112:10 When the wicked ⁷  see this, they will worry;

they will grind their teeth in frustration ⁸  and melt away;

the desire of the wicked will perish. ⁹ 

[112:7]  ¹ tn Heb “his heart,” viewed here as the seat of the volition and emotions (see Ps 108:1).

[112:7]  ² tn The passive participle בָּטֻחַ [בָּטוּחַ] (batuakh [batuakh]) expresses a state that results from the subject’s action. See Isa 26:3.

[112:8]  ³ tn Heb “his heart,” viewed here as the seat of the volition.

[112:9]  ⁴ tn Heb “he scatters, he gives.”

[112:9]  ⁵ tn Heb “stands forever.”

[112:9]  ⁶ tn Heb “his horn will be lifted up in honor.” The horn of an ox underlies the metaphor (see Deut 33:17; 1 Kgs 22:11; Ps 92:10). The horn of the wild ox is frequently a metaphor for military strength; the idiom “exalt/lift up the horn” signifies military victory (see 1 Sam 2:10; Pss 89:17, 24; 92:10; Lam 2:17).

[112:10]  ⁷ tn The Hebrew text uses the singular; the representative wicked individual is in view as typifying the group (note the use of the plural form in v. 10).

[112:10]  ⁸ tn Heb “his teeth he will gnash.” In Pss 35:16 and 37:12 this action is associated with a vicious attack.

[112:10]  ⁹ tn This could mean that the desires of the wicked will go unfulfilled. Another possibility is that “desire” refers by metonymy to the object desired and acquired. In this case the point is that the wicked will lose what they desired so badly and acquired by evil means (see Ps 10:3).