Property: Text
From Psalms: Layer by Layer
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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%5B?%5D; 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."'"`UNIQ--ref-0000009D-QINU`"' 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%5BLXX%5D), water (Jer 17:8; Ezek 17:8; 19:10; Ps 1:3) and fruit/productivity (Jer 17:8; Ezek 17:8, 23; 19:10; Pss 1:3; 92:14). +
The phrase '''water channels''' (פַּלְגֵי מָיִם) probably refers to "artificial water channels."'"`UNIQ--ref-00000016-QINU`"' "Unlike trees growing wild in wadis or planted in the fields, where the amount of rainfall varies, 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)."'"`UNIQ--ref-00000017-QINU`"' The common translation "streams of water" mistakenly implies a naturally occurring water source. +
The phrase "water channels" (פַּלְגֵי מָיִם) similar to the words "he rehearses... day and night" (יֶהְגֶּה יוֹמָם וָלָיְלָה) 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). +
The initial description of the tree is followed by two relative clauses (v. 3bc) further describing the parts of the tree: '''its fruit...whose leaves'''. Each of these relative clauses introduces the parts of the tree with a topic-fronted noun phrase. +
The antecedent of the pronoun in the phrase '''its season''' (עִתּוֹ) is probably the fruit rather than the tree.'"`UNIQ--ref-00000000-QINU`"' +
The phrase "the wicked" (הָרְשָׁעִים) in v. 4, like the phrase "the one" in v. 1, has the definite article. In v. 4, the article is probably anaphoric, referring to "the wicked" as those who were introduced in v. 1: "the wicked people whom I mentioned earlier." +
The article on "chaff" is probably generic. "The article of class marks out not a particular single person or thing but a class of persons, things, or qualities that are unique and determined in themselves... It is especially common in comparisons" (IBHS §13.5.1f; see e.g., Gen 19:28; Isa 34:4). +
The meaning of "'''the judgment'''" (בַּמִּשְׁפָּט) is "the main question to be answered" in this verse.'"`UNIQ--ref-00000004-QINU`"' "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.”'"`UNIQ--ref-00000005-QINU`"' For a detailed discussion of the issue, see %5B%5BThe Meaning of מִשׁפָּט in Ps. 1:5%5D%5D. In short, v. 5 probably refers to divine judgment that is definite, decisive, and, from the perspective of the psalm, in the future.'"`UNIQ--ref-00000006-QINU`"' It refers to a future event when YHWH will separate the righteous from the wicked, just as chaff is separated from wheat (v. 4), and remove the wicked from the land (cf. Ps 37) so that the way of the wicked "will come to an end" (v. 6b). This interpretation is probably reflected in the Masoretic Text, which vocalises משפט as a definite noun (בַּמִּשְׁפָּט). The immediately surrounding verses, which describe the wicked as "chaff" (v. 4; cf. Zeph 2:2) and say that their way will "perish / come to an end" (v. 6) support this interpretation. The wider literary context of Psalm 1 (its position between Mal 3 and Ps 2) also supports this interpretation. At the very least, this context of Psalm 1 suggests that "the judgment" was probably understood eschatologically from a very early period. It is not surprising, then, that ancient interpreters continued to read the Psalm eschatologically.'"`UNIQ--ref-00000007-QINU`"' +
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."'"`UNIQ--ref-00000000-QINU`"' Others, especially ancient commentators, have seen in this verb a reference to the resurrection from the dead (e.g. LXX: αναστησονται; Jerome: ''resurgent''). Yet "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?'"'"`UNIQ--ref-00000001-QINU`"' Just as chaff does not survive the winnowing process (v. 4), so the wicked will not survive ("stand firm in") the judgment (v. 5).'"`UNIQ--ref-00000002-QINU`"' +
The verb '''%5Bwill not stand%5D''' is omitted in the b-line but is understood from the previous line.'"`UNIQ--ref-00000000-QINU`"' +
The word '''righteous people''' (צַדִּיקִֽים) is the opposite of "wicked people" (רְשָׁעִים). 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."'"`UNIQ--ref-00000002-QINU`"' +
The phrase translated '''group of righteous people''' (עֲדַת צַדִּיקִים) in v. 5 is often translated "congregation" or "assembly" of the righteous (cf. KJV, ESV, NIV, NET). But this gloss might be too formal; the word עדה simply refers to "a relatively large group of people with a common history or purpose" (SDBH). In this case, the group of people are those whom YHWH the judge (cf. v. 5a) has declared to be in the right (i.e., צדיקים).'"`UNIQ--ref-00000000-QINU`"' Sinful people, who are declared to be in the wrong (i.e., רשעים) will, by definition, not join this group. This phrase sounds very similar to the phrase "in the counsel of wicked people" (בַּעֲצַת רְשָׁעִים) 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.'"'"`UNIQ--ref-00000001-QINU`"' The connection also functions as a kind of ''inclusio'', binding together the body of the psalm (vv. 1-5) before the final summary in v. 6. +
"The way of righteous people" is the "way >> pattern of life" that characterizes righteous people; it is the metaphorical "path" on which they walk. (So also "way of wicked people"). +
The verb '''cares for''' (יוֹדֵעַ) (lit.: "knows")'"`UNIQ--ref-00000000-QINU`"' has been translated as "watches over,"'"`UNIQ--ref-00000001-QINU`"' "protects,"'"`UNIQ--ref-00000002-QINU`"' "guards,"'"`UNIQ--ref-00000003-QINU`"' and "cherishes."'"`UNIQ--ref-00000004-QINU`"' 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."'"`UNIQ--ref-00000005-QINU`"' The verb is a participle with gnomic semantics: YHWH is ever in a state of caring for the way of righteous people.'"`UNIQ--ref-00000006-QINU`"' +
The final word of the psalm, '''will come to an end''' (תֹּאבֵד),'"`UNIQ--ref-00000000-QINU`"' refers to a "process by which an event comes to an end, usually under unfavorable circumstances."'"`UNIQ--ref-00000001-QINU`"' It has also been translated "will perish"'"`UNIQ--ref-00000002-QINU`"', "leads to destruction,"'"`UNIQ--ref-00000003-QINU`"' "leads to ruin,"'"`UNIQ--ref-00000004-QINU`"' "is doomed."'"`UNIQ--ref-00000005-QINU`"' Recognizing the future tense of the verb is crucial to understanding the message of the psalm; although it seems like the wicked flourish in the present, their way will come to an end.'"`UNIQ--ref-00000006-QINU`"' 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).'"`UNIQ--ref-00000007-QINU`"' "The psalm is as complete as the alphabet - 'from A to Z,' one might say."'"`UNIQ--ref-00000008-QINU`"' +
Although translated as a clause in English with present-tense semantics ("happy is the one"), in Hebrew this is a sentence fragment, an exclamation ("the happiness of the one!," cf. NLT). +
Most English translations use present tense verbs here ("walks... stands... sits"). In Hebrew, however, the verbs are past tense (qatal), and the verse describes the type of person who has never done the actions listed. See e.g., NJPS: "Happy is the man who has not followed the counsel of the wicked, or taken the path of sinners, or joined the company of the insolent" (cf. LXX: ἐπορεύθη...ἔστη...ἐκάθισεν; Jerome %5Biuxta Hebr.%5D: abiit... stetit... sedit; Symmachus: κεκοινώνηκε %5Bv. 1c%5D). Rogland translates the verse similarly, noting that Hebrew Proverbs often use qatal verbs to express "a past tense relative to some other reference point" (2003, 43): "Blessed is the man who has never walked in the counsel of the wicked, and has never stood in the path of sinners, and has never sat in the seat of scoffers" (Rogland 2003, 45; cf. Prov 3:13; Pss 15:3-5; 24:4; 40:5; 119:2-3). The reference point, in this case, is the time at which the person is being celebrated (i.e., considered "blessed"). The fact that the person will continue to refrain from these actions is an implicature. +
Possibly, in light of the preceding ''qatal'' verbs, this could be translated, "his delight has been in YHWH's instruction." +
The tense of the verb וְהָיָה could be present ("he is," so NIV, NLT, ESV, CSB, CEV, GNT, NET, NEB) or future ("he will be%5Bcome%5D," so KJV, ASV, NASB, JPS, ISV). According to the present-tense interpretation, the waw prefixed form וְהָיָה "carries the same characteristic force as the imperfect in the preceding verse" (NET). But if the poet wanted to say "he is like a tree," then he could have used a simple verbless clause. Furthermore, when וְֽהָיָה functions as an ordinary verb (rather than a discourse marker), "reference is typically to events that are projected in the future" (BHRG §40.24). See also LXX: καὶ ἔσται; Jerome (iuxta Hebr.): et erit. +
The verb "transplant" is lexically telic (i.e., the act of "transplanting" has a built-in end-point). The participle "transplanted" is, then, more precisely, "having been transplanted." He will become (future) like a tree that has been (past) transplanted. +