Clearly not a Wisdom Psalm, I just wonder if Psalm 112 is meant as a Bragging Psalm?
Psalm Reading: Psalm 112
For Sunday, Feb 6. , 2011: Year A - Epiphany 5
Pick up the needle, drop it in the groove. That’s right I’m playing the same tune again. The plain meaning of this Psalm is not true. This is kind of a buddy Psalm with 111. They are both acrostic poems based on the 19 letters of the Hebrew alphabet. They’re numbered among the Wisdom Psalms (according to some categorizations). It doesn’t, however, seem that wise to me.
It Seems Naïve.
The Psalm is about a God-Fearing Man. The GFM is devoted to the commandments and as a result his descents will be mighty in the land, he will have both wealth and riches (the distinction is maybe clear in the Hebrew), he is happy, and his righteousness lasts forever.
The Psalm then goes on to describe how this GFM lives out his life. He is gracious, compassionate, and is a dogooder. He lends generously and is fair in business. And guess what else? His righteousness lasts forever. In conclusion, he is not afraid of evil, trusts the Lord, in the end he will see his foes fall, he gives freely to the poor and…his righteousness will last forever.
What is this Psalm for?
What is the point? Devotion to the commandments does not result in money and happiness. The conditions of devotion, wealth and joy may all occur in the same life but there is not cause and effect here, but there sure does seem to be a lot of talk about money in these 9 short verses. The writer not only mentions the GFM’s money but also, his fairness as a businessman and lender, as well as his generosity to the poor. I think I am beginning to see the point.
Raising My Horn
While I said, in conclusion, earlier in my summery, I left out the actual conclusion of the Psalm, 9b - 10. It is very much out of place. While every other verse describes the GFM, his actions and his rewards, verse ten concludes the Psalm with a description of another person’s response to the GFM, that is, from the perspective of the author.
In 9b the author has the GFM raise up his horn. Well, the Wicked Man sees this and basically shrivels up. His desires come to nothing. The conclusion is so out of place; I can only think that it must contain the point of this Psalm. This whole Psalm is composed to show up that Wicked Man. It seems to me that the author might look a lot like the GFM. I am super rich and happy and here is my horn, in your face.
The Hardest Question
Is Psalm 112 meant as a Bragging Psalm, Revenge Psalm or a Psalm of Spite?
Russell Rathbun is a preacher at House of Mercy in St. Paul, Minnesota, the author of Midrash on the Juanitos (Cathedral Hill Press, 2010) and the curator of The Hardest Question.
