Psalm 1 Verse-by-Verse: Difference between revisions

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====Expanded Paraphrase====
====Expanded Paraphrase====
'''But,''' <span style="color:#2D9BF0">(instead of receiving instruction for life's journey from wicked people,)</span> '''his delight is in the instruction of YHWH, and''' <span style="color:#2D9BF0">(because he delights in his instruction,)</span> '''he rehearses his instruction day and night.''' <span style="color:#2D9BF0">(And this instruction teaches him how to live.)</span>
'''But,''' ''instead of receiving instruction for life's journey from wicked people,'' '''his delight is in the instruction of YHWH, and''' ''because he delights in his instruction,'' '''he rehearses his instruction day and night.''' ''And this instruction teaches him how to live.''


'''And'''<span style="color:#808080">(, just as water causes a tree to flourish,)</span> <span style="color:#2D9BF0">(so rehearsal of YHWH's instruction causes the man to flourish.) (Therefore, by rehearsing YHWH's instruction,)</span> '''he will become like a tree''' <span style="color:#2D9BF0">(that has been removed from a waterless place and)</span> '''transplanted''' <span style="color:#2D9BF0">(by a gardener)</span> '''beside streams of water''' <span style="color:#2D9BF0">(in a garden)</span> '''which gives its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither, and he makes successful all that he does.'''
'''And,''' ''just as water causes a tree to flourish, so rehearsal of YHWH's instruction causes the man to flourish. Therefore, by rehearsing YHWH's instruction,'' '''he will become like a tree''' ''that has been removed from a waterless place and'' '''transplanted''' ''by a gardener'' '''beside streams of water''' ''in a garden'' '''which gives its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither, and he makes successful all that he does.'''


====Grammatical Diagram====
====Grammatical Diagram====

Revision as of 09:34, 28 December 2024


Back to Psalm 1 overview page.

Welcome to the DRAFT Verse-by-Verse Notes for Psalm 1!

The Verse-by-Verse Notes present scholarly, exegetical materials (from all layers of analysis) in a verse-by-verse format. They often present alternative interpretive options and justification for a preferred interpretation. The Verse-by-Verse Notes are aimed at consultant-level users.

The discussion of each verse of this psalm includes the following items.

  1. A link to the part of the overview video where the verse in question is discussed.
  2. The verse in Hebrew and English.[1]
  3. An expanded paraphrase of the verse.[2]
  4. A grammatical diagram of the verse, which includes glosses for each word and phrase.[3]
  5. A series of notes on the verse, which contain information pertaining to the interpretation of the psalm (e.g., meaning of words and phrases, poetic features, difficult grammatical constructions, etc.).

The Happy (vv. 1-3)

v. 1

Watch the Overview video on v. 1.

v. Hebrew Close-but-clear
1a אַ֥שְֽׁרֵי־הָאִ֗ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֤ר׀ לֹ֥א הָלַךְ֮ בַּעֲצַ֪ת רְשָׁ֫עִ֥ים Happy is the one who does not walk in the counsel of wicked people,
1b וּבְדֶ֣רֶךְ חַ֭טָּאִים לֹ֥א עָמָ֑ד and does not come to a standstill in the pathway of sinful people,
1c וּבְמוֹשַׁ֥ב לֵ֝צִ֗ים לֹ֣א יָשָֽׁב׃ and does not settle in the dwelling place of insolent people.

Expanded Paraphrase

When someone's position in life is admirable and desirable, that person is declared "happy". Wicked people are sometimes declared "happy," since their position in life can seem admirable and desirable. But I do not call the wicked "happy". Instead, I say, Happy is the one who does not walk in the counsel of wicked people, does not come to a standstill in the pathway of sinful people, and does not settle in the dwelling place of insolent people.

Grammatical Diagram

Psalm 1 - grammar v. 1(1).jpg

Notes

  • Analytical Summary: Psalm 1:1 is an exclamation of admiration for the one who chooses the opposite path of the wicked.
  • Despite its appearance in most translations, the phrase happy is the one (אַ֥שְֽׁרֵי־הָאִ֗ישׁ) is not a complete sentence; it is a Hebrew construct chain (lit.: "the happiness of the one" = "the happiness experienced by the one").[4] As a sentence fragment, it functions not as an assertion, but as an exclamation which expresses "an attitude of admiration"'[5] and a "desirous longing of one person for the condition of another."[6] English has no equivalent expression, though it is similar to the exclamation "congratulations!"[7] or to the words spoken in a celebratory toast to some person: "Here's to the one!" The word "happy" has been translated variously as "blessed,"[8] "happy",[9] "joys,"[10] etc. The meaning of the word chosen in the RL may be less important than the function of the phrase to express admiration and celebration.[11] "In some languages the congratulation expressed here is lost when the third person is retained, and therefore requires a shift to the second person; for example, 'How fortunate you are' or 'What great happiness is yours.' In some languages the congratulation may be expressed more naturally at the end of the verse rather than at the beginning."[12]
  • In terms of the poetry, the opening word is significant in multiple ways.[13] It starts with the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet (alef), and it sounds like the word for "footsteps" (אֲשֻׁרֵי), probably a deliberate sound-play in light of the pathway imagery in v. 1.[14]
  • Interpreters differ as to whether the one (הָאִ֗ישׁ) is a unique individual (i.e. a king) or a literary representative of a group (i.e. a typical righteous person).[15] In either case, the tree imagery of v. 3 (see notes on v. 3), the allusion to Deuteronomy's kingship law (Deut. 17) in v. 2, and the linguistic/thematic connections between Psalm 1 and Psalm 2 all work together to give "the one" "a distinctly royal profile."[16] While some will explain this in terms of democratization - the office of king is democratized so that everyone who follows the path of Torah is a kind of king[17] - others have argued on the basis of the Joshua-like description of "the one,"[18] the connections between "the one" of Psalm 1 and the anointed king of Ps. 2, and the Messianic shape of the Psalter,[19] that "the one" is a unique royal figure. Translations that use a plural noun ("happy are those") have the advantage of being clearly applicable to both males and females, but they do not allow for any understanding of "the one" as a unique individual. A translation that is both gender neutral ("the one" vs "the man") and singular ("the one" vs "those") allows for a royal interpretation as well as a universal application.[20]
  • "The one" is celebrated, first, for what he does not do: who does not go...come to a standstill... settle...". Most interpreters see a progression in bodily posture in this verse from walking (v. 1a) to standing (v. 1b) to sitting (v. 1c),[21] but the sequence may instead reflect the progressive stages of a journey in a nomadic society: setting out with directions (v. 1a), coming to a stop in the road (v. 1b), and settling down in a dwelling place (v. 1c).[22] This image of a journey maps on to the domain of life, or, more specifically, character development. Character development is like a journey in which a person's destination is determined by the guidance they follow. Those who listen to the guidance of the wicked (v. 1a) will take up sinful practices (v. 1b) and eventually develop character that is antithetical to God's design (v. 1c). The image of a journey is crucial not only to Ps. 1:1 but to the whole Psalter.[23] "In translation it is important to keep the thrust of the poetic imagery if at all possible. Therefore before translating... as nonmetaphors, the translator should see if these expressions will fit his language naturally."[24]
  • The three verbs ("go...come to a standstill...settle") are qatal verbs (הָלַךְ֮...עָמָ֑ד...יָשָֽׁב), which are normally translated as past tense.[25] In this context, however, the verbs are timeless. The effect of using qatal forms instead of the expected yiqtol forms is to add distance, effectively holding at arm's length the very idea of following the counsel of the wicked.[26]
  • To go in the counsel of wicked people (בַּעֲצַ֪ת רְשָׁ֫עִ֥ים) is to live one's life according to the counsel, or advice, which wicked people offer.[27] "In some languages 'advice' [or 'counsel'] is closely related to opinion, and therefore it is necessary to say, for example, 'who say "No" to the evil words of bad people,' 'who keep away from bad people’s evil words,' 'or who avoid what evil people say they should do.' In some languages there are expressions such as 'to follow in the footprints,' meaning to imitate the behavior of someone. In such cases the metaphor can appropriately be retained at least in part as 'who do not follow in the footprints of evil men.'"[28]
  • The word "wicked people" (רְשָׁ֫עִ֥ים) occurs four times in Psalm 1 (vv. 1, 4, 5, 6) - more than any other word.[29] It refers to the "state in which a person's behavior is inconsistent with the requirements of the law, either in a specific matter that is under dispute or as one's general mode of behavior."[30] The word for "wicked people" sounds like the word for "happy," only the sounds are reversed.[31]
  • and does not come to a standstill. "The verb עמד seems at first blush to be out of place in the second line. One expects "walked in the way," an exceedingly common biblical idiom for moral conduct.[32] Yet one may take the Hebrew to mean not just 'stand'... but also 'persist,' as Jerome and Radaq recognized."[33] Compare Psalm 36:5bc where standing "on a path that is not good" (36:5b) is paired with the refusal to reject wickedness (36:5c).[34]
  • "Pathway here refers to the lifestyle of sinners. To 'stand in the pathway of/with sinners' means to closely associate with them in their sinful behavior."[35] It is "to share their way of life (cf. Prov. 1:10-19; Jer. 23:8)."[36]
  • The word "sinful people" (חַ֭טָּאִים, see also v. 5b) is partially synonymous with the previous term "wicked people" (רְשָׁ֫עִ֥ים). Whereas the word "wicked" (רְשָׁ֫עִ֥ים) places the emphasis on the resultant state of guilt that characterizes those who live contrary to God's requirements, the word "sinful" (חַ֭טָּאִים) places the emphasis on "the pattern of actions" that lead to such guilt.[37] "The difference of nuance between רשעים and חטאים is perhaps similar to that of the person convicted of a single theft compared with a career criminal. In the psalms, however, these two terms are often synonymous."[38]
  • The verb so often translated as "sit" (ישב) often means "to settle",[39] and the noun which many translate in Ps. 1:1 as "seat" (מושב) often refers to a “location where a community… lives.”[40] Both words are used, for example, in Ex. 12:20 to refer to Israel's dwelling in Egypt. The latter (מושב) can refer to a seat used for sitting (e.g., 1 Sam 20:18, 25), but in Hebrew, one does not sit "in" (ב) a seat but "on" (על) it. When the preposition "in" (ב) is prefixed to this word, the reference is often to a dwelling place.[41]
  • The word "insolent people" (לֵ֝צִ֗ים), which might also be translated as "scoffers"[42] or "mockers"[43] refers to those who show "contempt for other people and ideas."[44] "Most languages have abundant terms expressing ridicule, often accompanied by derogatory gestures. Frequently figurative language expresses ridicule; for example, 'shake the finger,' 'wag the head,' or 'make faces.'"[45] The CEV translation, "sneering at God," may be too narrow, since the contempt of mockers may also be directed at other people. Whereas the Law of YHWH (see v. 2) is summed up in the commands to love God and one's neighbor,[46] the journey that begins with "the counsel of wicked people" leads to contempt for God and one's neighbor - the very opposite of what God requires.

v. 2-3

Watch the Overview video on v. 2-3.

v. Hebrew Close-but-clear
2a כִּ֤י אִ֥ם בְּתוֹרַ֥ת יְהוָ֗ה חֶ֫פְצ֥וֹ But his delight is in the instruction of YHWH,
2b וּֽבְתוֹרָת֥וֹ יֶהְגֶּ֗ה יוֹמָ֥ם וָלָֽיְלָה׃ and he rehearses his instruction day and night.
3a וְֽהָיָ֗ה כְּעֵץ֮ שָׁת֪וּל עַֽל־פַּלְגֵ֫י מָ֥יִם And he will become like a tree transplanted beside streams of water,
3b אֲשֶׁ֤ר פִּרְי֨וֹ ׀ יִתֵּ֬ן בְּעִתּ֗וֹ which gives its fruit in its season,
3c וְעָלֵ֥הוּ לֹֽא־יִבּ֑וֹל and its leaf does not wither,
3d וְכֹ֖ל אֲשֶׁר־יַעֲשֶׂ֣ה יַצְלִֽיחַ׃ and he makes successful all that he does.

Expanded Paraphrase

But, instead of receiving instruction for life's journey from wicked people, his delight is in the instruction of YHWH, and because he delights in his instruction, he rehearses his instruction day and night. And this instruction teaches him how to live.

And, just as water causes a tree to flourish, so rehearsal of YHWH's instruction causes the man to flourish. Therefore, by rehearsing YHWH's instruction, he will become like a tree that has been removed from a waterless place and transplanted by a gardener beside streams of water in a garden which gives its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither, and he makes successful all that he does.

Grammatical Diagram

Psalm 1 - grammar vv. 2-3(1).jpg

Notes on Verse 2

  • Analytical Summary: Psalm 1:2 continues to celebrate the one who follows the instruction of YHWH instead of the guidance of wicked people.
  • "The transition [from the negative statements in v. 1 to the positive statement in v. 2] is marked by a significant but (כִּ֤י אִ֥ם). This phrase is often used (as here) to introduce an exception after a negative statement and has the effect of 'but rather,' expressing an appropriate alternative to what has preceded."[47] Moreover, "with כִּי אִם the speaker makes it very clear that not only is an alternative involved, but that it is the only possible alternative."[48] In other words, either one follows the counsel of wicked people (v. 1) or one follows the instruction of YHWH (v. 2); there is no middle ground. In translation, "the contrast between what precedes and what follows should be clear and emphatic."[49]
  • The strong contrast is further indicated by the word order of the clauses in v. 2. In both clauses, the prepositional phrase "in the instruction of YHWH... in his instruction is fronted for marked focus, indicating that it is in the instruction of the Lord that he delights and nowhere else. This is "an instance of replacing focus... Fronting invariably takes place in the clause containing the information replacing that of the negated first clause."[50] Languages have different ways of indicating this kind of focus (e.g., word order, tone, cleft constructions).
  • The preposition in (בְּ) is significant, since it is the same preposition that occurred three times in v. 1 ("in the counsel... in the pathway... in the dwelling place"). The delight of "the one" is not "in" these things (v. 1), but exclusively and totally "in the instruction of YHWH" (v. 2).
  • The key word[51] "instruction" (תּוׂרָה) has been translated as "law,"[52] "Law,"[53]" instruction,"[54] "Teaching,"[55] "teachings,"[56] and "commands."[57] Given Psalm 1's allusion to Joshua 1:8 and the usage of the phrase "the instruction of YHWH" (תורת יהוה) elsewhere, the phrase probably refers, at the very least, to the written Law of Moses.[58] Yet Psalm 1's use of other biblical books may suggest that the Psalmist had a larger corpus in mind than just the Pentateuch. "Psalm 1 has made use of a wide variety of texts, most probably all of which were considered to be authoritative material by him: Deuteronomy, Joshua, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Psalms, Job, and Proverbs seem to be the most important corpuses. All these contexts were probably included when he thought of the ‘Torah’ of Yahweh as the comprehensive teaching of Yahweh in Scripture."[59]
  • In Psalm 1, where the metaphor of a journey is so dominant, it may be significant that the word "instruction" (תּוׂרָה) is related to a Hebrew verb (ירה) which "occurs in such practical contexts as the giving of directions in travel (Gen 46:28)."[60] Indeed, "instruction" (תּוׂרָה) is often associated with the image of walking on a pathway.[61]
  • "In some languages 'law' merely refers to regulations sent out from local officials. In order to avoid a restricted meaning of the term law, it is better to shift to 'teaching' or 'instruction,' Furthermore, it may be necessary to indicate that the 'teaching' comes from God, in contrast to a 'teaching' which is about God."[62]
  • The word delight (חֶ֫פְצ֥וֹ) or "pleasure"[63] refers to a "state in which humans feel emotionally attached to a particular event."[64] Although, in Hebrew, this is a verb-less clause ("his delight [is] in the instruction of YHWH") and the word "delight" (חֶ֫פְצ֥וֹ) is a noun, English translations often express this idea with a verb: "he delights;"[65] "he finds pleasure."[66]
  • Because he delights in YHWH's instruction, he rehearses his instruction day and night (וּֽבְתוֹרָת֥וֹ יֶהְגֶּ֗ה יוֹמָ֥ם וָלָֽיְלָה). The verb rehearses (יֶהְגֶּ֗ה) or "meditates"[67] or "studies"[68] refers to an "action by which humans speak softly for themselves as if thinking out loud."[69] If the "instruction of YHWH" does indeed refer to the written Scriptures, then the verb "rehearses" may refer here to the act of reading aloud to oneself in a low undertone, a metonymy for intensive study.[70] "Many languages make no distinction between reading and studying, and attempts to describe a mumbling kind of reading may distract from the essential force of reading diligently. Hence, meditates may often be rendered as 'reading and thinking about.' In cases where it is desirable to express the intensive aspect of reading, one may say 'they read it carefully day and night,' or 'they read and think about its teachings all the time,' or 'they are always reading and thinking about its teachings.'"[71] The psalmist probably chose this particular word, at least in part, in order to allude to Joshua 1:8.[72] "Only Josh. 1 and Ps. 1 use 'meditate' in reference to torah, making relationship likely."[73] If the book of Joshua has already been translated, then translators might consider using the same term in Psalm 1:2 as was used in Joshua 1:8.
  • The phrase day and night (יוֹמָ֥ם וָלָֽיְלָה), which also occurs in Josh. 1:8, is a Hebrew idiom that means "continually."[74] It is significant that the following series of psalms (Pss. 3-14) are structured in a "day-night" pattern. Psalms 3-7 and 10-14 are "composed as alternating sequence of 'day-night-day-night-day' psalms (Pss. 3:6, 8; 4:5, 9; 5:4; 6:7; 7:7; 10:12; 11:2; 12:6; 13:4; 14:2, 5). At the center, Psalms 8-9 are 'night-day' psalms (Pss. 8:4; 9:20)."[75]

Notes for Verse 3

  • Analytical Summary: Psalm 1:3 continues to celebrate the one who, as a result of his devotion to God's instruction, will become like a flourishing tree in God's garden.
  • The tense of the verb he will become (וְֽהָיָ֗ה) may be present ("he is")[76] or future ("he will be[come]").[77] The language of v. 3a is remarkably similar to Jeremiah 17:8.[78] If Psalm 1:3a is "a simple citation from Jeremiah 17:8,"[79] which seems probable,[80] then the verb forms should be rendered the same way in both passages.
  • like a tree (כְּעֵץ֮). The noun "tree" (עֵץ) may refer to a “tree” (sg) or collectively to “trees” (pl), or to the material that comes from trees, i.e. “wood.” When referring to a “tree” or to “trees,” עֵץ “emphasizes only the genus, while individual species of trees (e.g., אֶרָז ‘cedar,’ אֵצֶל ‘tamerisk,’ בְּרוֹשׁ ‘cypress,’ גֶּפֶן ‘grapevine,’ זַיִת ‘olive tree,’ לוּז ‘almond tree,’ שִׁקְמָה ‘sycamore,’ תְּאֵנָה ‘fig tree,’ תָּמָר ‘date palm’) or tree shapes (e.g., סְבַךְ/סְבֹךְ ‘bush’ or the word group אַלָּה/אַלּוֹן אֵלָה/אֵלוֹן ‘large tree,’ usually understood as ‘oak/terebinth’) acquire specific designations.”[81] The particular species of tree is unspecified, though the earliest readers might have envisioned an olive tree (cf. Ps. 52:10) or a palm tree (cf. Ps. 92:14). In light of the image of a garden and the echoes of Eden (see below), the Targum translates "tree" as "tree of life" (כאילן חיי).
  • The tree imagery in v. 3 may have royal overtones (see notes on "the one" in v. 1). “In both biblical and ancient Near Eastern tradition, the individual most typically identified with a tree is a person of royalty."[82] In a Sumerian text: “Šulgi, the king, the graceful lord, is a datepalm planted by the water ditch”; "Like a cedar rooted by abundant water, of pleasant shadow thou art."[83] In Dan. 4, the Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar, is depicted as a massive tree that provides shelter and food to all kinds of creatures (Dan. 4:7-9, 17-19). In Ps. 52, King David is depicted as a "flourishing olive tree in God's house" (Ps. 52:10).
  • The description transplanted on streams of water (שָׁת֪וּל עַֽל־פַּלְגֵ֫י מָ֥יִם) suggests that "this is not the picture of a tree growing naturally beside a river, but of a tree planted (better 'transplanted') by a gardener beside a watercourse or irrigation channel."[84] "The happiness of the righteous man is illustrated by the simile of a tree, which is removed from its native soil and transplanted to the most favoured soil, in a fertile garden irrigated by many channels of water, such as Wady Urtas, where were the gardens of Solomon; Engedi, famed for its fertility; the gardens of Damascus, Egypt, and Babylon, irrigated by canals drawn from the great rivers."[85] The garden imagery in Psalm 1 is, in turn, reminiscent of Eden and the temple of God.[86]
  • The verb transplanted (שָׁת֪וּל) appears 10 times in the Masoretic text of the Hebrew Bible (Jer. 17:8; Ezek. 17:8, 10, 22, 23; 19:10, 13; Hos. 9:13[?]; Ps. 1:3; 92:14) only in the Qal stem and most often as a passive participle (8/10 times). According to BDB and SDBH, the word might be glossed as "to transplant" instead of simply "to plant."[87] This is supported by the use of the word in Ezekiel 17, where a “twig/sapling” (יֹנֶקֶת) plucked from among the tops of the high cedar trees (Ezek. 17:22-23) is transplanted (שׁתל) on Yahweh’s high and lofty mountain for the purpose of growing branches, producing fruit, and becoming a majestic cedar (Ezek. 17:23). The act of “transplanting” (שׁתל) is associated in the biblical literature with gardens (Ezek. 17:8, 10, 22, 23; 19:10[LXX]), water (Jer. 17:8; Ezek. 17:8; 19:10; Ps. 1:3) and fruit/productivity (Jer. 17:8; Ezek. 17:8, 23; 19:10; Ps. 1:3; 92:14).
  • The phrase "streams of water" (פַּלְגֵ֫י מָ֥יִם) probably refers to "artificial water channels."[88] "Unlike trees growing wild in wadis or planted in the fields, where the amount of rainfallvaries, the tree the psalmist envisions has been planted purposefully by irrigation canals, artificial water-channels made for the purpose of irrigation (cf. Prov. 21:1; Eccl. 2:5-6; Isa. 30:25)."[89]
  • This phrase sounds similar to the words "he rehearses... day and night" (יֶהְגֶּ֗ה יוֹמָ֥ם וָלָֽיְלָה) in the previous line (v. 2). The effect of this poetic feature (alliteration) is to draw a connection between the act of meditating on YHWH's instruction (v. 2b) and the water channels that nourish the tree (v. 3a). Translators might consider ways of making a subtle connection between these two phrases.
  • The initial description of the tree is followed by two relative clauses (v. 3bc) further specifying the parts of the tree: its fruit...its leaf. Each of these clauses begins with a noun phrase in the pre-verbal position, which "well fits the description of specifying focus," also known as "listing."[90] The effect is similar to checking off items on a list about the tree: "As for its fruit: it gives it in its season; as for its leaf: it does not wither."
  • The final line of v. 3, and he makes successful all that he does (וְכֹ֖ל אֲשֶׁר־יַעֲשֶׂ֣ה יַצְלִֽיחַ׃), presents some of the most difficult exegetical and translation issues in the psalm.
  • First is the issue of grammar. The relative clause ("all that he does") (כֹ֖ל אֲשֶׁר־יַעֲשֶׂ֣ה) could be the subject ("all that he does is successful"),[91] the object ("he makes successful all that he does"), or an adverbial modifier ("he is successful in all that he does").[92] The first of these options, though common in translations, is unlikely, because the verb הצליח in the hiphil stem is rarely (if ever) used intransitively with an impersonal subject.[93] If the subject is impersonal, then the verb (צלח) appears in the qal stem (e.g. Jer. 12:1; Num. 14:41; Isa. 53:10; 54:17; etc.). Furthermore, given the other passages where similar expressions occur (Ps. 37:7; Deut. 28:29; Isa. 48:15; esp. 2 Chron. 7:11), the second option "is the most natural."[94] Another important piece of evidence for this option is Joshua 1:8, to which Psalm 1 alludes (see above). In Joshua 1:8, the verb is transitive ("make successful"); Joshua is the subject, and "your pathway" is the object.
  • A second and closely related issue is the issue of participants. The subject of the verb in the relative clause ("all that he does") (כֹ֖ל אֲשֶׁר־יַעֲשֶׂ֣ה) could be either the man or the tree, since the verb "does" (עָשָׂה) can refer to the activity of a people or trees.[95] Similarly, the subject of the main clause ("he makes successful") is also ambiguous, since the verb צלח may refer to the flourishing of a person or a tree.[96] The subject of this last verb might also be YHWH, who is the cause of all success.[97] Given the strong allusion to Joshua 1:8 (see above), the primary reference is probably to the man.[98] However, the use of language that might apply equally to people, plants, or God is probably deliberate. "The verbs are chosen so as to carry on the metaphor; for both of them would refer to the tree as well as to the man."[99] It may even be that the double meaning “performs the flourishing that is conveyed. The promise of flourishing is being played out in… the polyvalence of the text.”[100]
  • The word "makes successful" (יַצְלִֽיחַ) is significant in one additional way: it is often used in connection with pathways to describe success on a journey.[101] "So the poet's choice of the word not only allows for the possibility that the subject may be both the tree and the commendable person; it also keeps the dominant metaphor of a journey in view."[102]

The Unhappy (vv. 4-5)

v. 4

Watch the Overview video on v. 4.

v. Hebrew Close-but-clear
4a לֹא־כֵ֥ן הָרְשָׁעִ֑ים Not so the wicked people.
4b כִּ֥י אִם־כַּ֝מֹּ֗ץ אֲֽשֶׁר־תִּדְּפֶ֥נּוּ רֽוּחַ׃ Rather, they will be like chaff that the wind drives away.

Expanded Paraphrase

Not so the wicked people. (The wicked are not ultimately successful,) (and, therefore, they are not to be called "happy".) Rather, they will be like chaff that the wind drives away. (Chaff is the outer part of grain that must be separated from the grain in the process of winnowing.) (Just as chaff grows together with the grain in a field,) (so the wicked currently live together with the righteous.) (But the day is coming when God will hold trial and separate the wicked from the righteous,) (just as chaff is separated from grain at the harvest.)

Grammatical Diagram

Psalm 1 - grammar vv. 4(1).jpg

Notes

  • Analytical Summary: Psalm 1:4 claims that "the wicked people," in contrast to "the one" (vv. 1-3), are not to be considered "happy," because they will not ultimately flourish.
  • The initial description of the wicked, Not so the wicked people (לֹא־כֵ֥ן הָרְשָׁעִ֑ים), creates a strong and abrupt contrast with everything that precedes.[103] The adverb "so" (כֵ֥ן) "refers to the whole description of the righteous in verses 1-3."[104] The wicked are not to be considered "happy" (v. 1a), because they do not follow YHWH's instruction (v. 2), and they are not like a tree (v. 3). The strength and abruptness of the contrast is captured well by those translations that render this line as an exclamation.[105]
  • The line introducing the wicked (v. 4a) resembles the opening phrase of the psalm ("happy is the one", אַ֥שְֽׁרֵי הָאִ֗ישׁ) both in terms of sound[106] and grammar.[107] But whereas the description of "the one" opened with a seven-word line (v. 1a),[108] the opening line for "the wicked" has only two words. "The shortness of the first line in Hebrew, which also lacks a verb, is part of the poetry. The wicked are poetically attenuated."[109]
  • On the wicked people (הָרְשָׁעִ֑ים), see v. 1.
  • The conjunction "rather" (כִּ֥י אִם) is the same word translated "but" at the beginning of v. 2. The repetition may be deliberate, and it forms one of several parallels between the description of the wicked and the description of the righteous ("not" [v. 1 // v. 4a], "but" [v. 2 // v. 4bα], "like" [v. 3 // v. 4bβ]).[110]
  • The words they will be have no formal equivalent in the Hebrew text; there is no verb in this clause. Most translations use a present tense verb in translation ("they are"),[111] but the parallel semantics with "he will become like a tree" (v. 3a, see above) prompts a future tense reading ("they will be").
  • like chaff that the wind drives away (כַּ֝מֹּ֗ץ אֲֽשֶׁר־תִּדְּפֶ֥נּוּ רֽוּחַ) Chaff is separated from grain and blown away by the wind during the winnowing process. “In winnowing, grain is threshed in order to separate the kernel of grain from the husk and straw. The mixture is thrown into the air with a winnowing fork or shovel. The wind blows the light husks away, the heavier straw falls near the edge of the threshing floor, and the grain falls back to the floor to be collected. Both the light husks and the heavier straw are referred to in the words translated ‘chaff’ in the Bible.”[112] As an agricultural image, "chaff" contrasts with the image of the tree in the previous verse (v. 3). As an image of judgment (cf. Mal 3:18; Zeph. 2:2), it points forward to the next verse (v. 5).[113] Just as chaff is separated from grain at the harvest, so the wicked will be separated from the righteous in the judgment. The UBS Handbook asserts that "the main point of the comparison is the worthlessness of the chaff."[114] While worthlessness may be an important point of the comparison, no less important is the fact that chaff, which grows together with grain for a season, is separated from the grain in the harvest (cf. v. 5).[115]
  • "The translation of chaff presents no problem in cultures where grains are grown. Elsewhere it is often necessary to use a descriptive phrase which indicates something light and of little value that can be blown by the wind; for example, 'dry grass' or 'dry leaves.'"[116]

v. 5

Watch the Overview video on v. 5.

v. Hebrew Close-but-clear
5a עַל־כֵּ֤ן ׀ לֹא־יָקֻ֣מוּ רְ֭שָׁעִים בַּמִּשְׁפָּ֑ט Therefore, wicked people will not stand firm in the trial,
5b וְ֝חַטָּאִ֗ים בַּעֲדַ֥ת צַדִּיקִֽים׃ and sinful people [will not stand] in the congregation of righteous people.

Expanded Paraphrase

Therefore (because the wicked are like chaff that is separated from the grain), wicked people will not stand firm in the trial, and sinful people will not stand in the congregation of righteous people.

Grammatical Diagram

Psalm 1 - grammar v. 5(1).jpg

Notes

  • Analytical Summary: Psalm 1:5 concludes, on the basis of the comparison to chaff (v. 4), that the wicked will not remain with the righteous but will be separated at the time of judgment.
  • The word Therefore (עַל־כֵּ֤ן ׀) is a discourse marker (lit.: "because of these") which, in Ps. 1:5, is "used to explain the grounds of why something... will happen."[117] It points back to verse 4 as the reason why wicked people will not stand firm in the trial. They will not stand firm in the trial because they are like chaff, and chaff does not survive the winnowing process. Just as chaff is removed from grain at the harvest, so the wicked will be removed from the righteous in judgment. The logical connection between v. 4 and v. 5 is obscured when translations choose not to represent the discourse marker "therefore" with some equivalent expression.[118] "Unlike TEV [GNT], it should be formally represented in translation; for example, 'And so,' 'For this reason,' or 'On account of this.'"[119]
  • Because they are like chaff, wicked people (רְ֭שָׁעִים) (see notes on v. 1) will not stand firm in the trial (לֹא־יָקֻ֣מוּ רְ֭שָׁעִים בַּמִּשְׁפָּ֑ט). The meaning of "the trial" (בַּמִּשְׁפָּט), or "the judgment,"[120] is "the main question to be answered" in this verse.[121] "Depending on whether one speaks of the Judgment or of a judgment, the meaning of the verse and the scope of the psalm will be different.”[122] Several lines of evidence point strongly in the direction of seeing this as a reference to the (final/eschatological) judgment,[123] in which case YHWH is the judge.[124] The reasons for this interpretation are as follows (see full discussion here):
    • The word "trial" or "judgment" has the definite article (בַּמִּשְׁפָּט = "in the judgment"). Thus, "the article indicates a judgment that is definite in the mind of the speaker."[125] The best explanation is that "במשפט with the article is the well-known Messianic judgment expected by the prophets, which shall separate the pious and the sinner, as chaff and grain are separated on the threshing-floor."[126]
    • The chaff imagery in the preceding verse (v. 4) is associated with eschatological judgment (e.g. Zeph. 2:2; Mal. 3:19). "The metaphoric language (of chaff in v. 4) already hints at the (eschatological) judgment."[127]
    • The following verse says that the way of the wicked "will perish" or "will come to an end" (v. 6), "strongly suggesting that this is divine eschatological judgment."[128]
    • Psalm 1 has close linguistic and thematic connections with the following Psalm (Ps. 2), which has an eschatological outlook. The judgment in Psalm 2 is "described... with the same terms as in Psalm 1...: 'you will perish in the way' (2:11, compare 1:6, 'the way… will perish')."[129]
    • In the traditional ordering of books in the Hebrew Bible, Psalm 1 follows Malachi 3, which predicts "the coming day" when the wicked will become like chaff in the Judgment (Mal. 3:19-21) and exhorts the righteous to remember תורה (Mal. 3:22; cf. Ps. 1:2). The judgment in Malachi 3 is clearly eschatological, and "the parallel of Mal 3 allows us to better understand the eschatological perspective of Ps 1."[130]
    • Finally, "the ancient commentaries of Psalm 1, more convergent in their reading of this text than modern interpretations, agree in raising its eschatological significance. Jews and Christians all see in the judgment of Psalm 1 a mention of the judgment after death."[131]
In sum, "the overtones of final judgement are unmistakable."[132]
  • As for the verb, will not stand firm (לֹא־יָקֻ֣מוּ), "modern translations give us usually three main meanings: a) to stand up or to rise, b) to stand (to keep standing), c) to prevail (in a judgment). As for modern commentaries, they tend to develop one of the three former interpretations."[133] Others, especially ancient commentators, have seen in this verb a reference to resurrection from the dead (e.g. LXX: αναστησονται; Jerome: resurgent). "In spite of the antiquity of this and similar interpretations, the more likely view is that 'to stand' simply means 'to last, endure' in God's judgment, as in Nah. 1:6: 'Who can stand before his indignation? Who can endure the heat of his anger?'"[134] Just as chaff does not survive the winnowing process (v. 4), so the wicked will not survive ("stand firm in") the judgment (v. 5).[135]
  • The sinful people (חַטָּאִים) in v. 5b (see notes on v. 1) are co-referential with "wicked people" in the previous line. "[Translators] should be certain that the text does not imply that the two lines speak of two different groups."[136]
  • The verb will not stand is omitted in this line but is understood from the previous line.[137] "It may be necessary, as TEV does ["Sinners will be condemned by God and kept apart from God's own people"], to have another verb for line b, since 'not stand … in the congregation of the righteous' means that the wicked will not be included among the righteous people. The translation of line b can be 'they (or, the sinners) will not be included among the righteous,' 'there will be no place for sinners in the gathering (or, assembly) of the righteous.'"[138]
  • If v. 5a refers to the final judgment, then the congregation of righteous people (בַּעֲדַ֥ת צַדִּיקִֽים) probably refers to "the Messianic congregation that is left after the godless have been separated out."[139] The word righteous people (צַדִּיקִֽים) is the direct opposite of "wicked people" (רְשָׁעִים) (see notes on v. 1). It refers to a "state in which a person's or deity's behavior is fully consistent with the requirements of the law, either in a specific matter that is under dispute or as one's general mode of behavior."[140] If "the one" (singular) is a unique royal figure (see notes on v. 1), then the "righteous people" (plural) may be those who follow in his footstepstake and take refuge in him (cf. Ps. 2:12).[141]
  • The phrase the congregation of righteous people (בַּעֲדַ֥ת צַדִּיקִֽים) sounds very similar to the phrase "the counsel of wicked people" (בַּעֲצַ֪ת רְשָׁ֫עִ֥ים) in v. 1. In addition to the similarity in sound, both phrases are preceded by a motion verb (v. 1a: "go/walk"; v. 5b: "stand") and the negative particle "not" (לׂא). "The similar wording is intended to drive home the fact that the one who enjoys the 'counsel of the wicked' will ultimately be cut off from any association with the 'assembly of the righteous.'"[142] (See more on this feature here.) The Septuagint, perhaps in light of this connection, translates both phrases using the same word (v. 1a: βουλη δικαιων; v. 5b: βουλη ασεβων).[143] The connection may also function as a kind of inclusio, binding together the body of the psalm (vv. 1-5) before the final summary in v. 6.

Authority (v. 6)

v. 6

Watch the Overview video on v. 6.

v. Hebrew Close-but-clear
6a כִּֽי־יוֹדֵ֣עַ יְ֭הוָה דֶּ֣רֶךְ צַדִּיקִ֑ים Because YHWH cares for the way of righteous people,
6b וְדֶ֖רֶךְ רְשָׁעִ֣ים תֹּאבֵֽד׃ and the way of wicked people will come to an end.

Expanded Paraphrase

(Here, then, is the reason why I declare the righteous, and not the wicked, to be "happy:") Because YHWH cares for the way of righteous people, and (althought it can seem as though wicked people are the ones flourishing) the way of wicked people will come to an end.

Grammatical Diagram

Psalm 1 - grammar v. 6(1).jpg

Notes

  • Analytical Summary: Psalm 1:6 affirms two truths on which the argument of the whole psalm rests.
  • The final verse begins with the discourse marker because (כִּי). While some have argued for an asseverative meaning ("Certainly..."),[144] the prototypical and more common meaning "because" or "for" works well here: "the psalmist gives the reason in v. 6 for what is said in vv. 1-5."[145] The reason why the righteous, and not the wicked, are to be considered "happy" (v. 1) is because of the twin truths affirmed in this verse. "When כִּי is used in this way, translations sometimes leave כִּי untranslated because it does not entirely make sense on a grammatical level."[146]
  • The first truth affirmed in this verse is that YHWH cares for the way of righteous people (יוֹדֵ֣עַ יְ֭הוָה דֶּ֣רֶךְ צַדִּיקִ֑ים). The verb cares for (יוֹדֵ֣עַ) (lit.: "knows")[147] has been translated as "watches over,"[148] "protects,"[149] "guards,"[150] and "cherishes."[151] Each of these translations captures something of the meaning of the verb, which refers to YHWH's intimate and active involvement in the life of the righteous - a "state in which deities are actively involved in circumstances related to the life of humans and care for their well-being."[152] The verb cares for (יוֹדֵ֣עַ) is a participle with timeless semantics: YHWH is ever in a state of caring for the way of righteous people.[153]
  • The Psalm concludes, as it began, with the image of a journey. "The way of a person is a chosen life path that, if left unchanged, determines one's ultimate goal."[154] (For righteous people see notes on v. 5).
  • The second, contrasting, truth affirmed in v. 6 is that the way of wicked people will come to an end (וְדֶ֖רֶךְ רְשָׁעִ֣ים תֹּאבֵֽד). The noun phrase the way of wicked people is fronted as a "marked contrastive construction" which raises the expectation that some contrasting statement is about to be made about the wicked: "But as for the way of wicked people..."[155]
  • The word wicked people (v. 6a, see notes on v. 1 completes an ABCBA pattern that functions as a seam between verse 5 and verse 6: A: "wicked people" (v. 5a), B: "righteous people" (v. 5b), C: "YHWH" (v. 6a) B: "righteous people" (v. 6a), A: "wicked people" (v. 6b).
  • The final word, will come to an end (תֹּאבֵד),[156] refers to a "process by which an event comes to an end, usually under unfavorable circumstances."[157] It has also been translated "will perish"[158], "leads to destruction,"[159] "leads to ruin,"[160] "is doomed."[161] The future tense of the event is crucial to message of the psalm; although it seems like the wicked flourish in the present, their way will come to an end.[162]
  • This word is appropriate as a conclusion to the psalm, not only because it has a sense of finality ("end") but also because it begins with the last letter of the Hebrew alphabet (ת), just as the first word of the psalm began with the first letter of the alphabet (א).[163] "The psalm is as complete as the alphabet - 'from A to Z,' one might say."[164]

Legends

Grammatical diagram

The grammar layer visually represents the grammar and syntax of each clause. It also displays alternative interpretations of the grammar. (For more information, click "Grammar Legend" below.)

Shapes and colours on grammatical diagram

(For more information, click "Phrase-level Legend" below.)

Expanded paraphrase

(For more information, click "Expanded Paraphrase Legend" below.)

References

1

  1. ↑ The Hebrew text comes from Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible, which presents the text of the Leningrad Codex (the Masoretic text). The English text is our own "Close-but-clear" translation (CBC). The CBC is a “wooden” translation that exists to provide a window into the Hebrew text. It is essentially an interlinear that has been put into English word-order. It is also similar to a “back-translation” (of the Hebrew) often used in Bible translation checking. It is important to remember that the CBC is not intended to be a stand-alone translation, but is rather a tool for using the Layer by Layer materials. The CBC is used as the primary display text (along with the Hebrew) for most analytical visualisations. It is also used as the display text for most videos.
  2. ↑ A legend for the expanded paraphrase is available near the bottom of this page, in the section titled "Legends."
  3. ↑ Legends for both the grammatical diagram and the shapes and colours on the grammatical diagram are available near the bottom of this page, in the section titled "Legends."
  4. ↑ Cf. NLT: "Oh, the joys of those..."
  5. ↑ SDBH.
  6. ↑ Waldemar Janzen, "ʾAšrē in the Old Testament." Harvard Theological Review 58, no. 2 (1965): 215-226.
  7. ↑ ʾAšrē differs from baruk ("blessed", cf. Jer. 17:7) in that "Barak is a benediction, ashar more of a congratulation" (Victor Hamilton, TWOT).
  8. ↑ KJV, NIV, ESV, NASB; cf. Jerome beatus and LXX μακαριος
  9. ↑ NRSV, GNT, CSB, JPS1917
  10. ↑ NLT
  11. ↑ 1 Kings 10:8 offers a helpful illustration of the phrase in use. When the Queen of Sheba saw the wealth and Wisdom and King Solomon, she exclaimed, “Happy are your men! Happy are these servants of yours, who continually stand before you and listen to your wisdom!” (1 Kings 10:8). Even though the Queen was a figure of royalty with all the privilege which that entails, she looked up to Solomon’s servants with admiration, because they had the privilege of continually hearing Solomon’s wisdom. She considered their position to be desirable, and so she called them "happy."
  12. ↑ Bratcher and Reyburn 1991:16.
  13. ↑ Despite claims to the contrary, Psalm is poetry. It is written in lines, and it exhibits an abundance of poetic features. See Choon Leong Seow, “An Exquisitely Poetic Introduction to the Psalter,” Journal of Biblical Literature 132, no. 2 (2013): 275–293.
  14. ↑ "Given the controlling metaphor of a journey in this poem, as indicated by the threefold repetition of the word דרך (“way”; vv. 1a, 6a, 6b) and the reference to walking (v. 1a), the אשרי formula is especially appropriate in the title of the poem since the term, whatever its etymology, recalls the verb אשר, which means “walk” (qal) and “make way, lead” (piel). Note the frequent association of אשׁרי with walking (Pss 89:16; 119:1; 128:1; Prov 20:7) and with a journey (Pss 84:6; 119:1; 128:1; Prov 8:32)" (Seow, "An Exquisitely Poetic Introduction to the Psalter," 2013).
  15. ↑ The latter interpretation is reflected in those translations that translate הָאִישׁ with a plural and gender neutral term (e.g., CEV, ERV, GNB, NLT). Other translations use a gender neutral term but retain the singular referent (e.g. CSB, NET, NIV, LPDPT). Older translations tend to use masculine singular terms (LXX, Tg, Jer, KJV, Reina Valera, ESV, NVI, LS1910).
  16. ↑ William Brown, Seeing the Psalms, 2002.
  17. ↑ So Brown (2002): "The poet has reconfigured royal tradition in order to render an expansive and edifying profile of the reader of Psalms." Cf. Barbiero (2003): "There is... a democratization of the royal ideology... Every man is called to identify himself with the figure of David."
  18. ↑ The allusion to Joshua 1:8 in Ps. 1:2-3 is unmistakable. See Gary Edward Schnittjer, Old Testament Use of Old Testament: A Book-by-Book Guide (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Academic, 2021), 471. David Mitchell has argued that ancient Judaism viewed the coming "Messiah ben Joseph" as a new Joshua-like figure, and he reads Psalm 1 in this light (Mitchell Messiah ben Joseph, 2016).
  19. ↑ See e.g. The Message of the Psalter and The Design of the Psalter
  20. ↑ For a more detailed treatment of this issue, see The Identity of the Person in Ps. 1:1.
  21. ↑ "walk...stand...sit" in KJV, NIV, ESV, NASB, CSB, etc.
  22. ↑ The "pathway" imagery (v. 1b) makes the journey interpretation more likely. This is also the more natural interpretation of the clause in v. 1c ("settle... dwelling place;" see below). Cf. Wilson: "The order of these verbs may indicate a gradual descent into evil, in which one first walks alongside, then stops, and ultimately takes up permanent residence in the company of the wicked" (Wilson 2002:94).
  23. ↑ "'Refuge' and 'pathway', I have argued, best capture the broad contours of the Psalter's metaphorical landscape" (Brown 2002:48). The word דֶּרָךְ ("pathway") occurs in Pss. 1:1, 6; 2:12; 5:9; 10:5; 18:22, 31, 33; 25:4, 5, 8, 9, 12; 27:11; 32:8; 35:6; 36:5; 37:5, 7, 14, 23, 34; 39:2; 49:14; 50:23; 51:15; 67:3; 77:14; 80:13; 81:14; 85:14; 86:11; 89:42; 91:11; 95:10; 101:2, 6; 103:7; 107:17, 40; 110:7; 119:1, 3, 5, 14, 26, 27, 29, 30, 32, 33, 35, 37, 59, 168; 128:1; 138:5; 139:3, 24; 143:8; 145:17; 146:9. The word אֹרַח ("path, course") occurs in Pss. 8:9; 16:11; 17:4; 19:6; 25:4, 10; 27:11; 44:19; 119:15, 101, 104, 128; 139:3; 142:4
  24. ↑ Bratcher and Reyburn 1991:17. On translating figurative language (especially into African languages), see "When Words Are Rolled into a Ball: Translating Figurative Language in Africa".
  25. ↑ This is how some of the "literal" English translations treat Ps. 1:1: "walked...stood...sat" (YLT). Cf. LXX which uses the aorist tense: "ἐπορεύθη...ἔστη...ἐκάθισεν;" cf. Jerome, who uses the perfect: "abiit...stetit...sedit"
  26. ↑ Cf. Suzanne Fleischman, Tense and Narrativity: From Medieval Performance to Modern Fiction (London: Routledge, 1990). Similarly, VanGemeren: "The perfect mood of the verbs in each case emphasizes that the godly are never involved with anything tainted with evil (Joüon, par. 112d)" (VanGemeren 1991:54).
  27. ↑ "The expression הלך בעצה ('to walk in the counsel') occurs elsewhere only in 2 Chr 22:5, where the meaning is 'to follow advice'" (Seow 2013). Cf. NLT: "...follow the advice of the wicked."
  28. ↑ Bratcher and Reyburn 1991:16.
  29. ↑ Translated as "wicked" (NIV, NLT, ESV, NASB); "evil" (GNT); "ungodly" (KJV)
  30. ↑ SDBH Cf. NIDOTTE: "Although the adj. can mean guilty, criminal, or godless, most often it serves as a reference to those who are characterized by wickedness... In the Psalter רָשָׁע designates the wicked person who stands diametrically opposed to the צַדִּיק, i.e., God’s saints (37:28), those who love God (145:20), and those who wait on the Lord (32:10). In a word, he is the archenemy of the godly individual (68:2[3]).NIDOTTE
  31. ↑ "The sounds of 4x rasha... have as it were been reversed by ashre which explicitly praises the other group and is followed by 3x asher... From the very first word the villain has been subverted" (Fokkelman 2000).
  32. ↑ Cf. NEB: "walk the road that sinners tread." Similarly, the ancient Syriac translation has "walk in the way."
  33. ↑ "See Pss 33:11; 102:27; Eccl 1:4; 8:3; Lev 13:5; Jer 32:14; 48:11" (Seow 2013). Similarly, Wilson: "the verb עמד has more the sense of 'take a stand' than simply 'stand still.' There is volition (and therefore responsibility) assumed in this action" (Wilson 2002:94). Cf. BDB 764.3f: "persist"; HALOT 840.1: "to become involved with, or to persist in" (בדבר רע) Qoh 8:3"; DCH עמד (entry 8).
  34. ↑ The word for "stand" in this passage is not עמד but התיצב.
  35. ↑ NET
  36. ↑ Anderson 1972:59.
  37. ↑ SDBH. "The nominal pattern of חַ֭טָּאִים (sinners) signifies an occupation or a repeated action" (Waltke 2010:134; cf. IBHS, p. 89, P. 5.4a).
  38. ↑ Wilson 2002:95.
  39. ↑ SDBH, DCH
  40. ↑ SDBH
  41. ↑ E.g., Lev 3:17; 23:3, 14, 21, 31; Ex 10:23; Ezek 34:13
  42. ↑ NASB, ESV, NET
  43. ↑ NIV, NLT
  44. ↑ SDBH
  45. ↑ Bratcher and Reyburn 1991:17.
  46. ↑ Duet. 6:5; Lev. 19:18; cf. Matt. 22:38-40.
  47. ↑ Wilson 2002:95.
  48. ↑ BHRG §40.29.2.
  49. ↑ Bratcher and Reyburn 1991:17. E.g. "Instead" (CSB, CEV, GNT, NET) or "Rather" (GWT).
  50. ↑ Lunn, 197.
  51. ↑ "Our comprehension of this verse and of the whole psalm now depends on the interpretation of the term תורה (Torah)" (Kraus 1988:116).
  52. ↑ KJV, NIV, NLT, ESV, NEB
  53. ↑ GNT
  54. ↑ CSB, ISV
  55. ↑ CEV
  56. ↑ GWT
  57. ↑ NET
  58. ↑ "At least for the postexilic period, תורת יהוה was regularly associated with a law of Moses, sometimes specified as written. Such a reading would also fit quite well with Ps 1:2, not least if taking Josh 1:8 into consideration" (David Willgren, "Why Psalm 1-2 Are Not to Be Considered a Preface to the 'Book' of Psalms." ZAW 2018; 130(3): 384-397.) Cf. Perowne: "The Law here meant is not so much Divine revelation generally as the Law of Moses, the Book of the Law, as is plain from the manifest allusion to Josh. 1:8." Cf. Schnittjer: "The allusions in Ps 1:1 and 1:2–3 to Deut 6:7 and Josh 1:8 means that 'Torah' in Ps 1:2 refers to the Mosaic Torah not the Psalter" (Schnittjer 2021). Cf. Phil Botha, "Intertextuality and the Interpretation of Psalm 1," OTE 18/3 (2005), 503-520; Michael Lefebvre, “‘On His Law He Meditates’: What Is Psalm 1 Introducing?,” JSOT 40, no. 4 (2016): 439–450.
  59. ↑ P.J. Botha, "Interpreting 'Torah' in Psalm 1 in the light of Psalm 119", HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies 68(1). Cf. Kraus: "The תורה is the complete, written revelation of the will of God... [T]he תורה in this sense is the authoritatively valid 'Sacred Scripture'" (Kraus 1988:116).
  60. ↑ NIDOTTE
  61. ↑ Cf. Seow 2013. Ex. 16:4; 2 Kgs. 10:31; Isa. 2:3; 42:24; Ps. 119:1, 29).
  62. ↑ Bratcher and Reyburn 1991:18.
  63. ↑ NET
  64. ↑ SDBH
  65. ↑ GWT, ISV; cf. NLT: "they delight"
  66. ↑ NET; cf. GNT: "they find joy."
  67. ↑ KJV, NIV, NLT, ESV, NASB, CSB
  68. ↑ GNT; cf. LXX μελετάω ("study").
  69. ↑ SDBH
  70. ↑ Cf. Bratcher and Reyburn 1991:18; Anderson: "'He meditates' may mean in our context 'he reads to himself in a low tone'" (Anderson 1972:60).
  71. ↑ Bratcher and Reyburn 1991:18.
  72. ↑ לֹֽא־יָמ֡וּשׁ סֵפֶר֩ הַתּוֹרָ֨ה הַזֶּ֜ה מִפִּ֗יךָ וְהָגִ֤יתָ בּוֹ֙ יוֹמָ֣ם וָלַ֔יְלָה לְמַ֨עַן֙ תִּשְׁמֹ֣ר לַעֲשׂ֔וֹת כְּכָל־הַכָּת֖וּב בּ֑וֹ כִּי־אָ֛ז תַּצְלִ֥יחַ אֶת־דְּרָכֶ֖ךָ וְאָ֥ז תַּשְׂכִּֽיל׃
  73. ↑ Gary Edward Schnittjer, Old Testament Use of Old Testament: A Book-by-Book Guide (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Academic, 2021), 479.
  74. ↑ BDB 401.2. Cf. Ex. 13:21; Josh 1:8; 1 Kings 8:59; Pss. 1:2; 32:4; etc.
  75. ↑ Peter C. W. Ho, The Design of the Psalter: A Macrostructural Analysis (Eugene, Oregon: Pickwick Publications, 2019). Cf. Gianni Barbiero, “Le Premier Livret Du Psautier (Ps 1-41),” Revue des Sciences Religieuses 77, no. 4 (2003): 439–480.
  76. ↑ (NIV, NLT, ESV, CSB, CEV, GNT, NET, NEB). According this this interpretation, the waw prefixed form וְֽהָיָה "carries the same characteristic force as the imperfect in the preceding verse" (NET).
  77. ↑ KJV, ASV, NASB, JPS, ISV. When וְֽהָיָה functions as an ordinary verb, "reference is typically to events that are projected in the future" (BHRG §40.24). Goldingay translates the verb as "becomes" noting that "is" / "will be" is "an under-translation of וְֽהָיָה, given that the verb would be unnecessary" (Goldingay 2006:79).
  78. ↑ וְהָיָ֞ה כְּעֵ֣ץ׀ שָׁת֣וּל עַל־מַ֗יִם
  79. ↑ , Charles A. Briggs and Emilie Briggs, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Book of Psalms, vol. 1, ICC (Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 1906).
  80. ↑ See Jerome Creach, “Like a Tree Planted by the Temple Stream: The Portrait of the Righteous in Psalm 1:3,” The Catholic Biblical Quarterly 61 (1999): 34–46.
  81. ↑ J.A Soggins, “עֵץ,” in Theological Lexicon of the Old Testament (Peabody: Hendrickson Publishers, 1997).
  82. ↑ Brown 2002:69; cf. William Osborne, Trees and Kings: A Comparative Analysis of Tree Imagery in Israel’s Prophetic Tradition and the Ancient Near East, (University Park: Eisenbrauns, 2018).
  83. ↑ Wiedengren, The King and the Tree of Life.
  84. ↑ Rogerson & McKay 1977:17. Cf. the instruction of Amen-em-opet, which contrasts the impulsive person who is "like a tree growing in the open," with the silent person who is "like a tree growing in a garden. It flourishes and doubles its yield; It (stands) before its lord. Its fruit is sweet; its shade is pleasant; and its end is reached in the garden..." (ANET 421f.)
  85. ↑ Charles A. Briggs and Emilie Briggs, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Book of Psalms, vol. 1, ICC (Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 1906).
  86. ↑ Cf. Ps. 92:14: "They are transplanted in YHWH's house; they flourish in the courts of our God;" Ps. 52:10: "I am like a flourishing olive tree in God's house." See Jerome Creach, “Like a Tree Planted by the Temple Stream: The Portrait of the Righteous in Psalm 1:3,” The Catholic Biblical Quarterly 61 (1999): 34–46.
  87. ↑ Cf. Aquila's translation of שתול in Ps. 1:3 as μεταπεφυτευμενον ("transplanted").
  88. ↑ HALOT. Cf. Arthur Jan Keefer, “Proverbs 21:1 and Ancient Near Eastern Hydrology,” Vetus Testamentum 71, no. 2 (November 26, 2020): 205–218. Contrast NLT: "planted along the riverbank."
  89. ↑ VaGemeren 1991:56.
  90. ↑ Nicholas P. Lunn, Word-Order Variation in Biblical Hebrew Poetry: Differentiating Pragmatics and Poetics, Paternoster Biblical Monographs (Milton Keynes: Paternoster, 2006), 198, 53-54.
  91. ↑ NIV, Darby, Douay-Rheims, RV, KJV; most French, German and Russian translations
  92. ↑ NLT, ESV, NASB, CSB, CEV, GNT, NET, JPS
  93. ↑ Goldingay argues on the basis of Judges 18:5 (ונדעה התצליח דרכנו) that "the verb הצליח (hiphil) can be used intransitively with an impersonal subject." However, the Leningrad Codex's text of Judges 18:5 is questionable (see apparatus). Multiple Hebrew manuscripts read the qal form (הֲתִצְלַח) instead of the hiphil; cf. Targum (הְתַצלַח). The passages in Sirach (Sir. 38:13 כי יש עת אשר בידו מצלחת, in ref. to healing; 39:18 רצונו יצליח) are also questionable. In Sir. 38:13, מצלחת may be pointed as a noun (מִצְלַחַת, "success," cf. LXX ευοδια) and in Sir. 39:18, the subject may instead be God (אל), who "causes his will to succeed."
  94. ↑ Delitzsch
  95. ↑ Cf. עשה used of plants in Gen 1:11-12; Isa 5:2,4,10; 37:31 (= 2 Kgs 19:30); Jer 12:2; 17:8; Hos 8:7; 9:17" (Seow 2013). Ezekiel 17:8-10, which "speaks of a vine planted (שתל) by abundant waters to be productive (עשה), a plant that is expected to flourish (צלח)... is an especially pertinent parallel" (Seow 2013). For translations that take this view, see NJPS and Targum Pss.
  96. ↑ E.g. Ezek. 17:8-10.
  97. ↑ Cf. Gen. 39:3, 23.
  98. ↑ So most translations.
  99. ↑ J. J. Stewart Perowne, The Book of Psalms: A New Translation, with Introductions and Notes Explanatory and Critical, From the 3rd London ed. (Andover: Warren F. Draper, 1882).
  100. ↑ Seow 2013.
  101. ↑ E.g. Josh. 1:8; Jer. 12:1; Judg. 18:5
  102. ↑ Seow 2013.
  103. ↑ Cf. Jacobson (2014:62): "This stanza begins on a sharply disjunctive note: Not so the wicked! The Hebrew lōʾ ḵēn provides a harsh transition..."
  104. ↑ Bratcher and Reyburn 1991:20.
  105. ↑ "Not so the wicked!" (NIV); "But not the wicked!" (NLT); "Not so with the wicked!" (NET).
  106. ↑ Note the similar consonants (א-ש-ר / ר-ש-ע) as well as the similar pattern of stressed vowels (ashre haish // lo-ken haresha'im).
  107. ↑ The full definite article (ה) occurs only in v. 1a (הָאִ֗ישׁ) and v. 4a (הָרְשָׁעִ֑ים).
  108. ↑ The Leningrad Codex has only six words, since אַ֥שְֽׁרֵי־הָאִ֗ישׁ are joined by maqqef. The Aleppo Codex, however, has seven words.
  109. ↑ Seow 2013.
  110. ↑ See Pierre Auffret, “Essai Sur La Structure Littéraire Du Psaume 1,” Biblische Zeitschrift 22, no. 1 (1978): 26–45.
  111. ↑ E.g., NIV, NLT, ESV, NASB, CSB, CEV, GNT, NET, etc.
  112. ↑ Leland Ryken, James Wilhoit, and Tremper Longman III, eds, “Chaff,” in Dictionary of Biblical Imagery (Downers Grove: Intervarsity Press, 1998).
  113. ↑ "The metaphoric language already hints at the judgment" (Weber 2006).
  114. ↑ Bratcher and Reyburn 1991:20. Cf. NLT: "like worthless chaff."
  115. ↑ So e.g. Ross: "The figure shows that the ungodly are not only of no value, but also will eventually be removed" (Ross 2011:191). "The simile describes the destiny of the wicked (see vv. 5-6)" (NET).
  116. ↑ Bratcher and Reyburn 1991:20.
  117. ↑ BHRG §40.38.1d. Cf. GWT: "That is why...;" NET: "For this reason..."
  118. ↑ E.g. NLT, GNT, CEV
  119. ↑ Bratcher and Reyburn 1991:20.
  120. ↑ So most English translations.
  121. ↑ Bratcher & Reyburn 1991.
  122. ↑ Auvray 1946.
  123. ↑ So Targum: "the great day of judgment;" CEV: "the day of judgment."
  124. ↑ GNT: "Sinners will be condemned by God."
  125. ↑ NET
  126. ↑ Baethgen 1904:3.
  127. ↑ B. Weber, “Psalm 1 and Its Function as a Directive into the  Psalter and towards a Biblical Theology,” Old Testament Essays 19, no. 1 (January 1, 2006): 237–260.
  128. ↑ Grogan 2008. "The next verse, which speaks of Yahweh’s knowing 'the way of the righteous' while 'the way of the wicked' disappears, seems to support the former interpretation, that is, 'there on the Day of Judgment sinners will be condemned; they will not be with God’s own people'" (Bratcher and Reyburn 1991:21).
  129. ↑ Schaeffer 2001. Cf. Hossfeld and Zenger 1993.
  130. ↑ Gianni Barbiero, “Le Premier Livret Du Psautier (Ps 1-41),” Revue des Sciences Religieuses 77, no. 4 (2003): 439–480. Cf. Robert Alan Cole, “An Integrated Reading of Psalms 1 and 2,” Journal for the Study of the Old Testament 98 (2002): 75–88.
  131. ↑ Christophe Rico, “Yaqumu: Tenir, Prévaloir, Se Relever Ou Ressusciter?: Le Psaume 1,5 a La Lumiere de La Reception Ancienne,” Revue Biblique 126, no. 4 (2019): 497–520.
  132. ↑ Rogerson and McKay 1977:17.
  133. ↑ Christophe Rico, “Yaqumu: Tenir, Prévaloir, Se Relever Ou Ressusciter?: Le Psaume 1,5 a La Lumiere de La Reception Ancienne,” Revue Biblique 126, no. 4 (2019): 497–520.
  134. ↑ Anderson 1972:62. Cf. SDBH.
  135. ↑ Cf. NEB: "will not stand firm;" NJV: "will not survive;" NET: "cannot withstand."
  136. ↑ Bratcher and Reyburn 1991:20.
  137. ↑ This phenomenon of "verb gapping" is common in Hebrew poetry. Cf. Wilfred G. E. Watson, Classical Hebrew Poetry: A Guide to Its Techniques, T & T Clark biblical languages (London ; New York: T & T Clark, 2005), 48; Michael Patrick O'Connor, Hebrew Verse Structure, Eisenbrauns (Winona Lake: 1980), 122f.
  138. ↑ Bratcher and Reyburn (1991:21).
  139. ↑ Baethgen 1904:3. Cf. Briggs: "the congregation after the judgment of the resurrection" (7).
  140. ↑ SDBH
  141. ↑ Note that trees (v. 3) are a source of refuge. Cf. Dan. 4:12 in which the king Nebuchadnezzar is compared to a tree that gives shelter.
  142. ↑ Wilson 2002:98.
  143. ↑ Cf. Seow 2013:288.
  144. ↑ E.g. NET. "The translation understands כי (ki) as asseverative."
  145. ↑ BHRG §40.29.2. Zenger titles this section appropriately as Abschließende Begründung ("final reason") (1993:48). See. Ps. 5:13 for a similar ending of a psalm.
  146. ↑ BHRG §40.29.2. See e.g. CEV, GNT. Many translations, however, begin with "For" (KJV, ESV, NIV, NLT, NASB, CSB)
  147. ↑ KJV, RSV, ESV, NASB; cf. LXX γινωσκει, Jerome: novit.
  148. ↑ NIV, NLT, NEB, CSB
  149. ↑ CEV
  150. ↑ NET
  151. ↑ NJV
  152. ↑ SDBH. Cf. Ps. 37:18.
  153. ↑ Cf. NET: "The Hebrew active participle יוֹדֵעַ has here a characteristic durative force." Perowne: "The participle denotes that this is the character of Jehovah" (1878:111).
  154. ↑ Wilson 2002:98
  155. ↑ Lunn 2006:200.
  156. ↑ Cf. GWT: "will end."
  157. ↑ SDBH.
  158. ↑ KJV, ESV, NASB
  159. ↑ NIV, NLT
  160. ↑ CSB, CEV)
  161. ↑ NEB, JB
  162. ↑ Cf. Jer. 12:1; Mal. 3:15; Ps. 37
  163. ↑ Cf. Pss. 5, 150 and Job 14 for other instances of this phenomenon.
  164. ↑ Seow 2013:289. Cf. Will Soll "Acrostic," ABD: "The alphabet is a ready metaphor for totality and completeness (Gottwald 1954:23-32) and thus serves as an excellent frame for praising the qualities of God (Psalms 111 and 145), the just man (Psalm 112), or the capable woman (Prov. 30:10-31)."