Summary

Line divisions

1a* אַשְׁרֵי־הָאִישׁ

1b אֲשֶׁר לֹא הָלַךְ בַּעֲצַת רְשָׁעִים

1c וּבְדֶרֶךְ חַטָּאִים לֹא עָמָד

1d וּבְמוֹשַׁב לֵצִים לֹא יָשָׁב

2a כִּי אִם בְּתוֹרַת יְהוָה חֶפְצוֹ

2b וּֽבְתוֹרָתוֹ יֶהְגֶּה יוֹמָם וָלָיְלָה

3a וְהָיָה כְּעֵץ שָׁתוּל עַל־פַּלְגֵי מָיִם

3b אֲשֶׁר פִּרְיוֹ יִתֵּן בְּעִתּוֹ

3c וְעָלֵהוּ לֹא־יִבּוֹל

3d וְכֹל אֲשֶׁר־יַעֲשֶׂה יַצְלִיחַ

4a לֹא־כֵן הָרְשָׁעִים

4b כִּי אִם־כַּמֹּץ אֲֽשֶׁר־תִּדְּפֶנּוּ רוּחַ

5a עַל־כֵּן לֹא־יָקֻמוּ רְשָׁעִים בַּמִּשְׁפָּט

5b וְחַטָּאִים בַּעֲדַת צַדִּיקִים

6a כִּי־יוֹדֵעַ יְהוָה דֶּ֣רֶךְ צַדִּיקִים

6b וְדֶרֶךְ רְשָׁעִים תֹּאבֵד,

Section divisions

v.1a (אַשְׁרֵי־הָאִישׁ) as a title.

"The semantic analysis of these lines (see p. 226) suggests that 1a functions primarily as a title – 'The Happy Man,' who is then the subject of the next nine lines (1b-3d) before the poet spends four lines describing the wicked (and 'unhappy') (4a-5b), followed by a conclusion (6a-b)."^[1]

"Midrashic exegesis regards אשרי האיש as a title—the title of Book 1 of the Psalter, according to Midr. Teh. 1:2. Certainly the absence of a superscription in this the first psalm is glaring, as interpreters have long noticed. So one might regard אשרי האיש as an incipit, like הללויה, which serves as an incipit... Indeed, אשׁרי האישׁ may be seen as the title of Psalm 1 and, as such, also of Book1 and indeed of the entire Psalter."^[2]

Structurally, Psalm One divides into three progressively smaller portions, or poetic “strophes.”

Section A – vv. 1-3

Section B – vv. 4-5

Section C – v. 6

The wicked's part of the contrast is much shorter than that of the righteous. Does this reflect the comparative lifespan or honor of each of them, or something else?

The Psalm can be segmented in two main parts: first the celebration of the Law-abiding person (verses 1-3), and the second part (verses 4-6) strengthening this theme by means of contrast, by contrasting the righteous Law-abiding person with the wicked.
- There are a clear paragraph and strophe break at the end of verse 3, before the contrasting of the Torah-loving righteous and the wicked.
- What is less clear is if there is a break at the end of verse 5 (like the NIV). That depends on the interpretation of the connective כִּי and to what extent verse 6 is seen as the concluding summary of the whole Psalm or only of verses 4-6. If כִּי is interpreted as an emphatic ‘indeed’, it lifts the parallelism to a conclusion of the whole Psalm. If כִּי is interpreted as a reason or a ground for the poor results of the wicked, then it may be better to take verse 6 as part of the strophe on the wicked and not have a stanza break.

There are a number of other ways in which commentators have arranged Psalm 1 into its constituent poetic units. The proposed structure agrees with that of Samuel Goh, except that he terms the “strophes” as “stanzas” and considers every verse to be a “strophe.” ^[3] Samuel Terrien also discerns a tripartite pattern but segments the text differently:^[4]

A. The dynamism of the righteous (1-2)

B. The prosperity of the righteous (3)

C. The “evanescence” of the ungodly (4-6)

A variation of the structures suggested above is the following A-B-A’ ring pattern by Willem VanGemeren:^[5]

A. The discerning way of the godly (1-2)

B. The future of the godly and the wicked contrasted (3-5)

A’ The discriminating way of God (6)

Bratcher and Reyburn divide the psalm into two parts:^[6]

A. Describes the truly righteous person(1-3)

B. Compares the wicked person to useless chaff (4-6)

David Dorsey perceives a chiastic arrangement:^[7]

A. Righteous people keep separate from the wicked (1-2)

B. Fruitful, secure state of the righteous (3)

B’ Barren, insecure state of the wicked (4)

A’ Wicked people will be kept separate from the (blessed) righteous on judgement day (5-6)

Similarly, Rolf Jacobson finds a concentric formation, though delineated differently:^[8]

A. The way of the wicked (1)

B. The Torah of the Lord (2)

B’ The prosperity found in the Torah (3)

A’ The judgment of the wicked (4-6)

C. John Collins (so also ESV) argues for the following structure:^[9]

1-2 Contrasting sources of guidance and values

3-4 Contrasting similes of effects of their lives

5-6 Contrasting outcomes of their ways

Fokkelman demarcates three strophes, two long and one short:^[10]

L: vv. 1-2 (54 syllables)

S: v. 3 (35 syllables)

L: vv. 4-6 (55 syllables)

So which one will it be, and what difference does it make? As to “which one,” every analyst must do her/his homework and propose a structure that best seems to fit the psalmist’s rhetorical dynamics and thematic message. Indeed, it is possible the several overlapping arrangements were deliberately intended. On the other hand, the different formations do not all “mean” the same, and at least for presentation purposes, as in an oral recital, one pattern will have to be chosen over the others since the phonology would change for each one (e.g., pause, stress, intonation, etc.) depending on the language.,

Communicative function

Didactic.,

Cohesion

The whole Psalm is written in the 3rd person. See character features table.
Strophe A (vv. 1-3) describes the “righteous” individual, who avoids sin (1), seeks God’s word and will (2), and is “blessed” by God (3). From another perspective, this “righteous” person (cf. vv. 5-6) is first defined in negative terms (what he does not do), then in positive terms (his/her godly behavior), and thirdly in figurative terms (a fruitful tree). Thus, this godly person’s character and conduct are in focus throughout— as is the “Law” (תּוָֹרה), or covenantal instructions of the Lord (significantly repeated in the center of this initial strophe, v. 2ab).
- v.1. Parallel prepositional phrases; parallel motion verbs.
- v.2. Continued fronting of prepositional phrases (2x in v. 1, 2x in v. 2). Contrast with “where” (בְּ) the righteous one is “living”: “with the evil one” vs. “the Law.”
Strophe B (vv. 4-5) describes the wicked (הָרְשָׁעִים), who, like the righteous in the first section, are described in terms of what they are like (v. 4 [≈]) and what they will not do (v. 5 [-]).
The psalm concludes with a short summary strophe (C, v. 6) that only now introduces the superintending divine agent (יְהוָה), whose guiding “Torah” principles govern everything in life for all people—one way, or the other! “God—the ‘proper subject’ of all theology—finally is named as an actor.”^[11] The verse proceeds climactically to distinguish Yahweh’s attitude and actions with regard to the wicked and the righteous—a thematic antithesis that is highlighted by the chiastic word order and syntax of this final verse:

A [positive]: transitive verb + subject (YHWH) – B: “way of the righteous” (object) // B’: [negative]: “way of the wicked” (subject) – A’: intransitive verb.

Many other phonological linkages involving similar sounds and repeated lexical items traverse the psalm, thus knitting the text audibly into a harmonious lyric, yet pervasively didactic whole.,

Discontinuity & boundaries

Shifts in topic mark the primary section divisions. See character features table.
These boundaries are reinforced by a number of formal features
- Morphological: Hiphil verb at the end of the first section (3d); definite article at the beginning of the first and second sections (הָאִישׁ, הָרְשָׁעִים)
- Syntactic: Verbless clauses at the beginning of the first and second sections (anaphora)
- Lexical: רשׁעים at 1a and 4a (anaphora)
- Phonological: inclusio marking boundaries of 1st section (guttural + sibilant + a/ā + ē); preponderance of glides (י,ו) in the first section, dentals the second and third sections (ד, ת); noun phrases that open each section (לֹא כֵן הָרְשָׁעִים / אַשְׁרֵי הָאִישׁ) are similar in sound (structural anaphora): repetition of consonants (א/ע, שׁ, ר) and identical pattern of stressed vowels (ā, ē).,

Prominence

The importance of verse 2 needs to be emphasized somehow in translations.,

Main message

The first part of the Psalm contains information (v. 2) for the blessed that is not included for the wicked in the second part of the Psalm. So the structure of the poem itself seems to suggest that the wicked are characterized by a lack of what the blessed have (a relationship with God through the Torah). The structure thus reinforces the main message of the poem: Blessing proceeds from a relationship with God.

For the heading of Psalm 1, there are several options: 1) The Law, 2) The Blessedness of the Law, 3) The Righteous and the Wicked, or even 4) The Law Prospers the Righteous. The Blessedness of the Law probably most comprehensively captures the theme.

The theme is not only the celebration of the law by itself but the celebration of the righteous adherence to it. The Psalm can be segmented in two parts: first, the celebration of the Torah-abiding person, and the second part (verses 4-6) strengthening this theme by means of contrast, by contrasting the righteous Law-loving person with the wicked. The initial celebration of the Torah by describing the Law-abiding person takes the form of a negative statement what such a person is not like, followed by a positive comparison with a tree planted next to running water and flourishing.

The initial description what such is Torah-loving person is not has a thematic structure of intensification,^[12] the volume increases in crescendo from walking to standing to sitting and from the wicked to sinners to mockers. The negative serves as a foil^[13] or a preparation for the positive, this time again in a structure of intensification, with the comparison of the Torah-loving person with tree next to water, increasingly flourishing, starting with all-season leaves and climaxing in being prosperous in all he or she does.

For further effect, the flourishing tree of the righteous is then contrasted with the wicked. The wicked is compared with chaff, blown by the wind and taken away. Light, feeble, worthless, and of no substance. With an allusion to all the inadequate, non-blessed meetings of the sinners and mockers, this stark comparison with the wicked is then elaborated that he will not be able to stand with honour in the court and be acquitted and even less so at the congregation of the righteous at the sanctuary.

The poem ends by means of summary, contrasting the wicked with the righteous again, and this time, with the exalted statement that the Lord knows the way of the righteous. He is familiar with such a person and engages intimately with him or her. The righteous belongs, not only with honour to the congregation of the people of God, but to the Lord himself. In contrast, the Torah-ignoring wicked will perish, disappearing just like the chaff taken by the wind.,

Connections between sections

v. 4 (c’) corresponds to v. 3 (c) in terms of imagery (כְּעץ / כַּמֹּץ). This connect is strengthened by morphology (כְּ) and phonology (monosyllabic noun w/final ץ). The “wicked” are briefly (a single colon), but graphically described (4) in agricultural imagery that forges a contrastive connection with v. 3. A sonic similarity is also forged between the two nouns “tree” (עֵץ) and “chaff” (מֹץ).
v. 5 (a’) corresponds to v. 1 (a) syntactically (V[NEG] [S] M^ב), lexically (the verbs indicate motion [הלך/עמד/ישׁב // קום], and the nouns רשׁעים and חטאים appear in both verses), and phonologically (בַּעֲצַת – בַּעֲדַת). In verse 5, there is a motion verb (יָקֻ֣מוּ) that is similar to the three verbs in verse 1, but here it describes a motion that the wicked cannot "do". The ultimate fate of the ungodly is summarized in a communal, now also judicial scene (5) that recalls that of v. 1.
That v. 2 (b), the positive description of the righteous, has no correspondent in the 2nd section is significant. The Torah has no place in the wicked person’s life. This is the fundamental distinction between the righteous and the wicked.
Verses 2 and 6 are connected in special ways (as shown by the blue type in the above table)—they both begin with the same introductory word in Hebrew (כי ‘for’), feature sets of parallel words (תורה ‘law’ in verse 2, דרך ‘path’ in verse 6), and are the only two verses in the poem without the Hebrew negative particle (לא ‘no/not’). Perhaps most importantly, these two verses are the only ones that mention God’s covenant Name. What happens in verse 2 seems to affect what happens in verse 6—so, those who delight in the Torah are known by God, but those without Him will perish. (Driving the point home, the author of the psalm omits God’s Name from the second half of verse 6, embodying the grim future of those who do not have God in their lives. Without Him, their way ends in destruction, a reality which the line artistically reflects by simply leaving Him out of the picture.) So, our translators need to know to connect verses 2 and 6 in their translations. This connection is noted by Chan, who writes, "Syntagmatically, יהוה only occurs in v. 6 and v. 2. In the latter reference, יהוה is collocated with the Torah."^[14]. According to Chan, this connection suggests that "the Torah of Yahweh, the object of meditation by any person, serves as a pointer to Yahweh himself. In other words, the revelatory aspect of the Torah is stressed, that the Torah reveals who God is or what his plans are."^[15]

The following propositional analysis shows how the lines and sections of the Psalm are connected semantically: ,

Large-scale structures

The contrast between the righteous (Strophe 1) and the wicked (Strophe 2) is sharpened by the fact that the subunits of Strophes 1 and 2 are arranged in a kind of concentric pattern. This is based on the connections noted in the section above.

a Does not walk...

b Torah

c like a tree

c' like chaff

b' X

a' Will not rise...

One could also view this structural inversion in terms of a medial thematic division: A. the righteous keep separate from the wicked [vv. 1-2]; B. the fruitful productiveness of the righteous [3]; B’ the chaffly unproductiveness of the wicked [4]; A' the separation of the righteous and the wicked in God’s judgment [5-6].

The righteous man does not associate with the wicked (v. 1) – righteous (v. 2-3) – wicked (v. 4-5) - righteous contrasted with wicked (v. 6). Two different “contrasts” or “separations” of righteous versus wicked bookend this psalm, framing yet another (more prominent?) contrast between them.

Chan argues for a chiastic structure for vv. 1-5 (A A' B' B), where the letters (A/B) represent the subjects (righteous/wicked respectively) and the chiasm is formed by distribution of the prepositions בְּ (vv. 1-2, 5) and כְּ (vv. 3-4).^[16] As for v. 6, he notes that it "is about the righteous, which corresponds to AA’ (vv. 1-3) while v. 6b the wicked, corresponds to B’B (vv. 4-5).^[17] Chan's proposed structure is depicted in the following table:

Section	Subject	vv.	Prep.
A	righteous	vv. 1-2	ְבּ
A'	righteous as tree	v. 3	ְכּ
B'	wicked as chaff	v. 4	ְכּ
B	wicked	v. 5	ְבּ
AB	righteous and wicked	v. 6

,

Translation

Translation by Sebastian Floor

¹ Blessed is the man who has not walked according to the counsel of wicked people, nor lived according to the way of sinners, nor dwelt in the assembly of scoffers.

² On the contrary, his delight has been in the law of God. On his law he muses day and night.

³ He will be like a tree transplanted on channels of water whose fruit will be borne on time and whose leaf will not wither. In whatever he might do, he will succeed.

⁴ It is not so for the wicked. On the contrary, he is like the chaff which wind blows away.

⁵ Therefore, the wicked will not be able to arise to accuse in judgment, nor will sinners be able to in the assembly of the righteous

⁶ because Yahweh cares for the righteous on life’s journey, but the wicked will be lost.

Translation by Kevin Grasso

¹ Blessed is the man who has not walked according to the counsel of wicked people, nor lived according to the way of sinners, nor dwelt in the assembly of scoffers.

² On the contrary, his delight has been in the law of God. On his law he muses day and night.

³ He will be like a tree transplanted on channels of water whose fruit will be borne on time and whose leaf will not wither. In whatever he might do, he will succeed.

⁴ It is not so for the wicked. On the contrary, he is like the chaff which wind blows away.

⁵ Therefore, the wicked will not be able to arise to accuse in judgment, nor will sinners be able to in the assembly of the righteous

⁶ because Yahweh cares for the righteous on life’s journey, but the wicked will be lost.

Translation by Brad Willits

¹ Happy is the good man

Who doesn’t listen to the advice of wicked people,

Who doesn’t hang out with them,

Who doesn’t spend time listening to their schemes.

² The good man

Delights in learning about God’s Truth

And spends hours reflecting on it.

³ His life flourishes like a tree planted by the river.

He is productive and lets nothing get him down.

Everything he touches succeeds.

^4-5 But it is not that way with the wicked.

They cannot stand the test of honest truth

And they are an eye sore in a group of good people.

Their life does not flourish like a well-watered tree,

Rather their leaves dry up

And the winds of life blow them away.

⁶ God walks with the righteous down their good road,

But he leaves the wicked to pursue their own self-destruction.

Translation by Ryan Sikes

¹Oh, how happy is the man who

Has not walked by bad advice,

Has not stood in a path of vice,

Has not dwelt in a land of lies!

²But in the teaching of the Lord is his delight.

On his teaching does he dwell by day and night.

³He is like a tree of life

Planted on fresh flowing streams.

Fruit in season! Leaves unfading!

Always blooming! Ever green!

⁴Oh, how different are the wicked!

Like chaff that's driven by the wind.

⁵They will not rise up to contend.

They will not stand with righteous men.

⁶For Yahweh knows the way of the just.

The wicked's way will wind up lost.,

Outline or visual representation

Outline 1 (Wendland's Expository outline^[18])

I. The righteous person is blessed (1-2). Blessed: happy, fortunate, prosperous, and enviable. This could read, “Oh the blessedness of a righteous person.” He is blessed because of

A. What he does not do: Note the progression: Walking, standing, sitting. If you walk in the counsel of the ungodly, you will soon be standing in the way of sinners, and eventually sitting in the congregation of the mockers.

1. He does not walk in the counsel of ungodly men.

a. Walk in the counsel: Following their advice and purposes.

Gal 5:7-8: Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth? This persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you.

2. He does not stand in the way of sinners.

a. Stand means to be submissive and inactive in their presence.

It does not mean we re not to befriend them for purposes of winning them to the Lord.

3. He does not sit with the scornful.

a. Sit: Relax and rest with the mockers.

b. God opposes the scornful: Proverbs 3:34.

B. What he does do:

1. He delights in the law of the Lord.

a. The law of God are His precepts, instructions, teachings.

b. He is in, not under the law.

2. He meditates in God’s law day and night.

Meditate means to ponder and study.

II. Because of this: (3)

A. Position: The righteous will be like a tree planted by the rivers of water.

1. The analogy of the righteous as a tree is common in Scripture:

Isa 61:3: To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.

Isa 30:21: And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.

Ps 92:12: The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.

B. Productive: The righteous will bring forth fruit in his season.

Matt 7:17-20: Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

C. Perpetual. The “leaf” of the righteous will not wither in hard times. God’s trees are evergreens!

Jer 17:7-8: Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.

D. Prosperous. Whatever the righteous does will prosper. This does not mean immunity to problems, sickness, losses, etc., but even in difficulties, he willprosper in the end.

3 Jn 1:2: Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.

2 Chr 26:5: ...and as long as he sought the Lord, God made him to prosper.

E. Planted. God’s trees are planted. They are not wild-growing trees. See Isaiah 61:3.

III. The ungodly or wicked person is one who is disobedient and living without God They are the opposite of the righteous, so this means: (4)

A. They do...

1. Walk in the counsel of ungodly men.

2. Stand in the way of sinners.

3. Sit with the scornful.

B. They do not:

1. Delight in the law of the Lord.

2. Meditate in God’s law day and night.

IV. Because of this: (5)

A. The ungodly are like the chaff which the wind drives away.

1. The wicked are like chaff: Wheat was threshed by beating it on a hard surface to dislodge the grain. It was then tossed into the air. The grain would fall back to the ground, but the chaff (husks) would be blown away by the wind.

2. The wicked are just as unstable. They are worthless, dead, and without substance.

B. The ungodly will not stand in the time of judgment.

1. They stand in the way of sinners, but they won’t stand justified in judgment.

Rev 20:13-15: And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

See also Rev. 6:16-17; 20:11-15; and Matthew 25:31-46.

C. The ungodly will not be among the congregation of the righteous.

1. They sit with the scornful, but they won’t be among the congregation of the righteous.

Rev 21:27: And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.

V. Decisions determine their destiny: (6)

A. The righteous: The Lord knows his way.

(Knows: Fully acquainted with his way.)

Matt 7:14: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.