Chapter One Hundred Twelve

The entire series of the psalms that follow, beginning with 112 and ending with 116, presents a continuous subject matter and revelation of one and the same theme—the guidance of the Hebrew people by God, from which the writer draws strength and confidence that his present prayer, to which he calls the entire people, will be heard by the Lord and He will help them in their present difficult circumstances (Ps 112 and Ps 113), which indeed came to pass, and therefore the author’s song passes into a hymn of praise and thanksgiving (Ps 114-116). The content indicated here for the psalms fits very well with the time after the return from the Babylonian captivity, when the Hebrews began the construction of the second temple and here encountered opposition from the Samaritans, who intrigued before the Persian court. This intrigue was exposed and condemned, and the work of constructing the temple and restoring Jerusalem was completed. For this reason the first psalms, in accordance with the circumstances of their composition, are distinguished by their petitionary character, while the second ones, with obstacles removed, are already characterized by thanksgiving—that is, the time of writing the psalms should be attributed to the epoch of the activity of Nehemiah.

The one hundred twelfth psalm among the Hebrews begins the hallel (that is, the Alleluia psalms), which encompasses Ps 112-117 and was used in worship on the new moon. It was also used at the Passover meal of the Hebrews, where it was divided into two parts—the first (Ps 112 and Ps 113:1-8) at the beginning of the meal, and the second (Ps 113:8-26; Ps 114; Ps 115; Ps 116; Ps 117) at the end of it.

Servants of the Lord, praise His name always and throughout the earth (1–3). The Lord presides over all nations. From heaven, the place of His dwelling, He looks upon the earth to exalt the poor from dust and seat him with princes, to cause the barren to rejoice in her children (4–9).

Psalm 112:1. Praise, you servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord. “You servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord.” Only His servants are invited to honor and praise the Lord—those who believe in Him and do His will—for every other person with impure lips only insults the Most High and is unworthy and cannot fittingly praise Him.

Psalm 112:4. The Lord is high above all nations; His glory is above the heavens. The “height” of the Lord above all nations signifies His dominion, His authority over them. Nothing in the history of the life of these nations can occur without His will.

Psalm 112:5. Who is like the Lord our God, Who, dwelling on high, Psalm 112:6. stoops down to look upon the heaven and the earth; Heaven is the place of the Lord’s special dwelling, remote from the earth at a distance immeasurable for man. As high as heaven is above the earth, so immeasurably high is the Lord above all earthly things and mankind. However, the Lord does not abandon the earth without His care; He also “looks upon the earth” to send varied blessings to the weak and helpless person. In this lies the expression of His extraordinary mercy and love.

Psalm 112:7. He raises the poor from the dust, and lifts the needy from the dunghill, Psalm 112:8. to seat him with princes, with the princes of his people; Psalm 112:9. He makes the barren woman a joyful mother of children. Alleluia! The actions of Divine mercy are indicated: He raises from nothingness (“dunghill”) and places with princes; to the barren He gives children. Probably, here are understood not only particular instances of such Divine mercy shown to individual people, like the healing of Job, the exaltation of David, Moses, Daniel and others, or, for instance, the granting of fruitfulness to Sarah, Rachel, Anna, but this image is applicable to the entire Hebrew people, at first insignificant and few in number, crushed and oppressed in Egypt, then multiplied and becoming the master of Palestine and having considerable political weight in the eyes of the ancient pagan monarchies and peoples.