Psalms 112: The generous life reflects the God it fears

Psalm 112 deliberately echoes Psalm 111, but it turns from the character and works of God to the life of a person who fears him. The same vocabulary of enduring righteousness, grace, and compassion now appears in human conduct. The Book of Psalms includes wealth and strong descendants, yet it refuses to describe blessing as insulation from darkness or bad news. The upright person can hear threatening reports and still have a fixed heart. Possessions also move outward through lending and giving to the poor, so prosperity is measured partly by generosity. The final contrast is about what lasts. The righteous person disperses goods yet remains established, while the wicked person clutches frustrated desire until the desire itself perishes.