Psalm 1 Semantics

From Psalms: Layer by Layer
Jump to: navigation, search

Psalm Overview

About the Semantics Layer

Semantics is the study of how language is used to represent meaning. The goal of semantic analysis for interpreting and translating the Bible is to understand the meaning of words and how they relate to each other in context. We want to understand what is implicit about word meaning – and thus assumed by the original audience – and make it explicit – and thus clear for us who are removed by time, language, and culture. The semantics layer is composed of three major branches: lexical semantics, phrase-level semantics and verbal semantics. (Click 'Expand' to the right for more information.)

Semantics Visuals for Psalm 1

Lexical and Phrase-level Semantics Diagram

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

v. 1


  • Despite its appearance in most translations, the phrase happy is the one (אַשְׁרֵי־הָאִישׁ) is not a complete sentence; it is a Hebrew construct chain] (lit.: "the happiness of the one" = "the happiness experienced by the one;" cf. NLT: "Oh, the joys of those..."). As a sentence fragment, it functions not as an assertion, but as an exclamation which expresses "an attitude of admiration"' (SDBH) and a "desirous longing of one person for the condition of another."[1] English has no equivalent expression, though it is similar to the exclamation "congratulations!"[2] 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" (KJV, NIV, ESV, NASB; cf. Jerome beatus and LXX μακάριος), "happy" (NRSV, GNT, CSB, JPS 1917), "joys" (NLT) etc. The meaning of the word per se is less important than the function of the phrase to express admiration and celebration. First 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."

Psalm 1 - Ashre - happiness.jpg

  • Interpreters differ as to whether the one (הָאִישׁ) is a unique individual (i.e. a king) or a literary representative of a group (i.e. a typical righteous person). 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, Targum, Jerome, KJV, Reina Valera, ESV, NVI, LS1910). For a detailed discussion of the issue, see The Identity of the Person in Ps 1:1. In short, when we consider Psalm 1 as an isolated poem, it seems best to identify the person described in vv. 1-3 as a typical righteous person. Blessings that begin with אַשְׁרֵי usually apply to people generally, even if a masculine singular noun is used (e.g., Pss 32:1-2; 34:9; 40:5; 41:2; 84:6, 13; 94:12; 127:5). Furthermore, there is a clear literary correspondence between "the righteous" (plural) of v. 6a and "the one" of vv. 1-3. At the same time, it seems clear that the person in Psalm 1 is given a royal profile and that, in the literary context of Pss 1-2 and the Psalter as a whole, this royal profile is amplified.
  • Most interpreters see a progression in bodily posture in this verse from walking (v. 1a) to standing (v. 1b) to sitting (v. 1c) ("walk...stand...sit" in KJV, NIV, ESV, NASB, CSB, etc.) but the sequence may instead reflect the progressive stages of a journey in a nomadic society: setting out with directions (v. 1a), committing to a path (v. 1b), and settling down in a dwelling place (v. 1c). 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).[3]
  • The noun phrase "the one" (הָאִישׁ) has the definite article. The intended identity is clear, as it is immediately modified by the compound אֲשֶׁר clause.
  • The bet preposition in the phrase "in (ב) the counsel of the wicked" indicates the mode of action,[4] i.e., "no anda según el consejo" ('does not walk according to the counsel'; RVA2015). *The following two bet prepositions ("in the way... in the dwelling place") are spatial.
  • The "counsel of the wicked" is the counsel, or advice that the wicked give; the "way of sinful people" is the way on which sinful people stand, i.e., the pattern of life to which they are committed; and the "dwelling place of insolent people" is the place where insolent people dwell, i.e., the pattern of life into which they are firmly settled.
  • To "walk (הָלַךְ) in the counsel of wicked people (בַּעֲצַת רְשָׁעִים)" is to live one's life according to the counsel, or advice, which wicked people offer.[5]
  • The word wicked people (רְשָׁעִים) occurs four times in Psalm 1 (vv. 1, 4, 5, 6) - more than any other word.[6] 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."[7]
  • The verb stand (עָמַד) appears to be telic ("stand" = "take a stand") rather than a telic ("stand" = "stand around"). Similarly, Wilson 2002, 94, "the verb עָמָד has more the sense of 'take a stand' than simply 'stand still.' There is volition (and therefore responsibility) assumed in this action." Cf. BDB 764.3f: "persist"; HALOT 840.1: "to become involved with, or to persist in" (בדבר רע) Qoh 8:3"; DCH עָמַד (entry 8).</ref> Compare Ps 36:5bc where standing "on a path that is not good" (36:5b) is paired with the refusal to reject wickedness (36:5c).[8] Cf. Seow: "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.[9] Yet one may take the Hebrew to mean not just 'stand'... but also 'persist,' as Jerome and Radaq recognized."[10]
  • "'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."[11] It is "to share their way of life (cf. Prov 1:10-19; Jer 23:8)."[12]
  • The word sinful people (חַטָּאִים, see also v. 5b) is partially synonymous with the previous term "wicked people" (רְשָׁעִים). Whereas the word "wicked" (רְשָׁעִים) places the emphasis on the resultant state of guilt that characterizes those who live contrary to God's requirements, the word "sinful" (חַטָּאִים) places the emphasis on "the pattern of actions" that leads to such guilt.[13] "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."[14]
  • The verb so often translated as "sit" (ישב) often means "to settle",[15] and the noun which many translate in Ps 1:1 as "seat" (מוֹשַׁב) often refers to a “location where a community… lives.”[16] Both words are used, for example, in Exod 12:20 to refer to Israel's dwelling in Egypt. The latter (מוֹשַׁב) 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.[17]
  • The word insolent people (לֵצִים), which might also be translated as "scoffers"[18] or "mockers"[19] refers to those who show "contempt for other people and ideas."[20] "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.'"[21] 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,[22] 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

SimpleGrammar
DiscourseUnit [v. 2]
      Fragment
        conjunction: כִּי אִם Instead
      Fragment
        ClauseCluster
          Clause
            Subject
              ConstructChain <gloss="his delight">
                noun: חֶפְצ delight
                suffix-pronoun: וֹ him
            Predicate
              verb: is
            Complement
              Adverbial
                PrepositionalPhrase
                  Preposition
                    preposition: בְּ in
                  Object
                    ConstructChain <gloss="YHWH’s instruction">
                      noun: תוֹרַת instruction
                      noun: יְהוָה YHWH
          Conjunction
            conjunction: וּ and
          Clause
            Predicate
              verb: יֶהְגֶּה he rehearses
              Adverbial
                adverb: יוֹמָם day
                Conjunction
                  conjunction: וָ and
                adverb: לָיְלָה night
              Adverbial
                PrepositionalPhrase <gloss="his instruction">
                  Preposition
                    preposition: בְ in
                  Object
                    ConstructChain 
                      noun: תוֹרָת instruction
                      suffix-pronoun: וֹ him


  • The key word[23] instruction (תּוׂרָה) has been translated as "law,"[24] "Law,"[25]" instruction,"[26] "Teaching,"[27] "teachings,"[28] and "commands."[29] 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.[30] Yet Psalm 1's use of other biblical books may suggest that the Psalmist had a larger corpus in mind than just the Pentateuch. As Botha notes, "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 corpora. All these contexts were probably included when he thought of the ‘Torah’ of Yahweh as the comprehensive teaching of Yahweh in Scripture."[31]
  • In Psalm 1, where the metaphor of a journey is so dominant, it is also worth noting 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)."[32] Indeed, "instruction" (תּוׂרָה) is often associated with the image of walking on a pathway.[33]
  • The word delight (חֶפְצוֹ) or "pleasure"[34] refers to a "state in which humans feel emotionally attached to a particular event."[35]
  • Some commentators think that the antecedent of the pronoun in the phrase his instruction (v. 2b) is "the one" rather than YHWH. Rashi, for example, writes, "At first it is called 'YHWH's instruction,' but after he has labored over it it is called his instruction."[36] But the parallel between בְּתוֹרַת יְהוָה in v. 2a and בְתוֹרָתוֹ in v. 2b suggests that YHWH is the antecedent of the pronoun in the b-line.
  • The verb meditates (יֶהְגֶּה)[37] or "studies"[38] refers to an "action by which humans speak softly for themselves as if thinking out loud."[39] 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.[40] "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.'"[41] The psalmist probably chose this particular word, at least in part, in order to allude to Joshua 1:8.[42] "Only Josh. 1 and Ps. 1 use 'meditate' in reference to torah, making relationship likely."[43]

Psalm 1 - Hagah - meditate.jpg

  • "YHWH's instruction" is the instruction that YHWH gives (cf. "the advice that wicked people give" in v. 1).
  • The phrase day and night (יוֹמָם וָלָיְלָה), which also occurs in Josh 1:8 (alluded to here), is a Hebrew idiom that means "continually."[44] See also the use of the same collocation in Lev 8:35: וּפֶתַח֩ אֹ֨הֶל מוֹעֵ֜ד תֵּשְׁב֨וּ) יוֹמָ֤ם וָלַ֙יְלָה֙ שִׁבְעַ֣ת יָמִ֔ים), in which שִׁבְעַת יָמִים ("seven days") provides the duration of the sitting, while יוֹמָם וָלָיְלָה ("day and night") provides the times of day that the sitting should take place, i.e., continually.[45]
  • 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)."[46]

v. 3

SimpleGrammar
DiscourseUnit [v. 3]
      Fragment
        particle: וְ and
      Fragment
        ClauseCluster
          Clause
            Predicate
              verb: הָיָה he will become
              Complement
                Adjectival
                  PrepositionalPhrase
                    Preposition
                      preposition: כְּ like
                    Object
                      Nominal
                        noun: עֵץ a tree
                        Adjectival
                          Clause
                            Predicate
                              verb-participle: שָׁתוּל transplanted
                              Adverbial
                                PrepositionalPhrase
                                  Preposition
                                    preposition: עַל on >> beside
                                  Object
                                    ConstructChain
                                      noun: פַּלְגֵי channels
                                      noun: מָיִם water
                        RelativeClause
                          RelativeParticle
                            particle: אֲשֶׁר that
                          ClauseCluster
                            Clause
                              Subject <located="relative clause head">
                              Predicate
                                verb: יִתֵּן gives
                                Adverbial
                                  PrepositionalPhrase
                                    Preposition
                                      preposition: בְּ in
                                    Object
                                      ConstructChain <gloss="its season"">
                                        noun: עִתּ season
                                        suffix-pronoun: וֹ it
                                Object
                                  ConstructChain <gloss="its fruit">
                                    noun: פִּרְי fruit
                                    suffix-pronoun: וֹ it
                            Conjunction
                              conjunction: וְ and
                            Clause
                              Subject
                                ConstructChain <gloss="its leaves">
                                  noun: עָלֵה leaf >> leaves
                                  suffix-pronoun: וּ it
                              Predicate
                                verb: יִבּוֹל withers
                                Adverbial
                                  particle: לֹא not
                            Conjunction <status="alternative">
                              conjunction: וְ and <status="alternative">
                            Clause <status="alternative">
                              Predicate
                                verb: יַצְלִיחַ it causes to flourish
                                Object
                                  Nominal
                                    quantifier: כֹל all
                                    RelativeClause
                                      RelativeParticle
                                        particle: אֲשֶׁר that
                                      Clause
                                        Predicate
                                          verb: יַעֲשֶׂה it produces
                                          Object <located="relative clause head">
          Conjunction
            conjunction: וְ and
          Clause 
            Subject <status="alternative">
              Nominal
                quantifier: כֹל all
                RelativeClause
                  RelativeParticle
                    particle: אֲשֶׁר that
                  Clause
                    Predicate
                      verb: יַעֲשֶׂה he does
                      Object <located="relative clause head">
            Predicate
              verb: יַצְלִיחַ he will cause to flourish
              verb: will flourish <status="alternative">
              Object
                Nominal
                  quantifier: כֹל all
                  RelativeClause
                    RelativeParticle
                      particle: אֲשֶׁר that
                    Clause
                      Predicate
                        verb: יַעֲשֶׂה he does
                        Object <located="relative clause head">


  • The tense of the verb translated and he will become (וְהָיָה) could be present ("he is," so NIV, NLT, ESV, CSB, CEV, GNT, NET, NEB) or future ("he will be[come]," 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."[47] But if the poet wanted to see "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."[48]
  • 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.”[49] The particular species of tree is unspecified, though we might envision an olive tree (cf. Ps 52:10), a palm tree or cedar (cf. Ps 92:14). In light of the image of a garden and the echoes of Eden, the Targum translates "tree" as "tree of life" (כאילן חיי).
  • The description transplanted by water channels (שָׁתוּל עַל־פַּלְגֵי מָיִם)[50] 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."[51] "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 favored 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."[52] The garden imagery in Psalm 1 is, in turn, reminiscent of Eden and the temple of God.[53]
  • 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."[54] 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; Pss 1:3; 92:14).
  • The phrase water channels (פַּלְגֵי מָיִם) probably refers to "artificial water channels."[55] "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)."[56] 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.[57]

v. 4

SimpleGrammar
DiscourseUnit [v. 4]
      Fragment
        Clause
          Subject
            Nominal
              article: הָ the
              adjective: רְשָׁעִים wicked
          Predicate
            Predicate
              Adverbial
                particle: לֹא not
              Adverbial
                adverb: כֵן so
      Fragment <status="alternative">
        Clause
          Predicate
            Predicate
              Adverbial
                particle: לֹא not <status="alternative emendation">
              Adverbial
                adverb: כֵן so <status="alternative emendation">
      Fragment
        Conjunction
          conjunction: כִּי אִם Instead
      Fragment
        Clause
          Predicate
            verb: they will be
            Complement
              PrepositionalPhrase
                Preposition
                  preposition: כַּ like
                Object
                  article: ה the <status="elided">
                  noun: מֹּץ chaff
                  RelativeClause
                    RelativeParticle
                      particle: אֲשֶׁר that
                    Clause
                      Subject
                        noun: רוּחַ wind
                      Predicate
                        verb: תִּדְּפֶנּ drives away
                        Object <located="relative clause head">
                          suffix-pronoun: וּ it


  • 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).

v. 5

SimpleGrammar
DiscourseUnit [v. 5]
      Fragment
        conjunction: עַל־כֵּן Therefore
      Fragment
        ClauseCluster
          Clause
            Subject
              Nominal
                adjective: רְשָׁעִים wicked
            Predicate
              verb: יָקֻמוּ will stand firm
              Adverbial
                particle: לֹא not
              Adverbial
                PrepositionalPhrase
                  Preposition
                    preposition: בַּ in
                  Object
                    article: ה (the) <status="elided">
                    noun: מִּשְׁפָּט judgment
          Conjunction
            conjunction: וְ and
          Clause
            Subject
              Nominal
                adjective: חַטָּאִים sinful
            Predicate
              verb:  יָקֻמוּ will stand <status="elided">
              adverb: לֹא not <status="elided">
              Adverbial
                PrepositionalPhrase
                  Preposition
                    preposition: בַּ in
                  Object
                    ConstructChain <gloss="the group of righteous people">
                      Nominal
                        noun: עֲדַת group
                      Nominal
                        adjective: צַדִּיקִים righteous


  • The meaning of "the judgment" (בַּמִּשְׁפָּט) is "the main question to be answered" in this verse.[58] "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.”[59] For a detailed discussion of the issue, see The Meaning of מִשׁפָּט in Ps. 1:5. In short, v. 5 probably refers to divine judgment that is definite, decisive, and, from the perspective of the psalm, in the future.[60] 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.[61]
  • 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."[62] 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?'"[63] Just as chaff does not survive the winnowing process (v. 4), so the wicked will not survive ("stand firm in") the judgment (v. 5).[64]
  • The verb [will not stand] is omitted in the b-line but is understood from the previous line.[65]
  • 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."[66]
  • 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).[67] 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.'"[68] 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.

v. 6

SimpleGrammar
DiscourseUnit [v. 6]
      Fragment
        conjunction: כִּי For
      Fragment
        ClauseCluster
          Clause
            Subject
              noun: יְהוָה YHWH
            Predicate
              verb-participle: יוֹדֵעַ cares for
              Object
                ConstructChain <gloss="the way of righteous people">
                  noun: דֶּרֶךְ way
                  Nominal
                    adjective: צַדִּיקִים righteous
          Conjunction
            conjunction: וְ and
          Clause
            Subject
              ConstructChain <gloss="the way of wicked people">
                noun: דֶרֶךְ way
                Nominal
                  adjective: רְשָׁעִים wicked
            Predicate
              verb: תֹּאבֵד will come to an end


  • "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")[69] has been translated as "watches over,"[70] "protects,"[71] "guards,"[72] and "cherishes."[73] 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."[74] The verb is a participle with gnomic semantics: YHWH is ever in a state of caring for the way of righteous people.[75]
  • The final word of the psalm, will come to an end (תֹּאבֵד),[76] refers to a "process by which an event comes to an end, usually under unfavorable circumstances."[77] It has also been translated "will perish"[78], "leads to destruction,"[79] "leads to ruin,"[80] "is doomed."[81] 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.[82] 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).[83] "The psalm is as complete as the alphabet - 'from A to Z,' one might say."[84]

Verbal Semantics Chart

(For more information, click "Verbal Legend" below.)

Psalm 001 - Verbal Semantics - Ps 1.jpg

Bibliography

Anderson, A. A. 1972. The Book of Psalms. Vol. 1. NCBC. Greenwood, SC: Attic.
Auvray, Paul. 1946. “Le Psaume 1.” Revue Biblique 53 (3): 365–71.
Barbiero, Gianni. 1999. Das erste Psalmenbuch als Einheit: eine synchrone Analyse von Psalm 1-41. Österreichische biblische Studien ; Bd. 16. Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang.
Botha, Phil. 2005. “Intertextuality and the Interpretation of Psalm 1.” OTE 18 (3): 503–20.
Bratcher, Robert G., and William D. Reyburn. 1991. A Handbook on Psalms. UBS Handbook Series. New York: United Bible Societies.
Briggs, Charles A., and Emilie Briggs. 1906. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Book of Psalms. Vol. 1. ICC. Edinburgh: T & T Clark.
Creach, Jerome. 1999. “Like a Tree Planted by the Temple Stream: The Portrait of the Righteous in Psalm 1:3.” The Catholic Biblical Quarterly 61:34–46.
Jacobson, Rolf A., et al. 2014. The Book of Psalms. The New International Commentary on the Old Testament. Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.
Ho, Peter C. W. 2019. The Design of the Psalter: A Macrostructural Analysis. Eugene, Oregon: Pickwick Publications.
Hossfeld, Frank-Lothar, and Erich Zenger. 1993. Die Psalmen I: Psalm 1–50. Neue Echter Bibel. Würzburg: Echter.
Janzen, Waldemar. 1965. “’Ašrê in the Old Testament.” The Harvard Theological Review 58 (2): 215–26.
Keefer, Arthur Jan. 2020. “Proverbs 21:1 and Ancient Near Eastern Hydrology.” Vetus Testamentum 71 (2): 205–18.
Kraus, Hans-Joachim. 1988. Psalms 1-59 : A Commentary. Minneapolis : Augsburg Pub. House.
Lefebvre, Michael. 2016. “‘On His Law He Meditates’: What Is Psalm 1 Introducing?” JSOT 40 (4): 439–50.
O’Connor, Michael Patrick. 1980. Hebrew Verse Structure. Winona Lake, Ind: Eisenbrauns.
Rico, Christophe. 2019. “Yaqumu: Tenir, Prévaloir, Se Relever Ou Ressusciter?: Le Psaume 1,5 a La Lumiere de La Reception Ancienne.” Revue Biblique 126 (4): 497–520.
Rogerson, J. W., and J. W. McKay. 1977. Psalms. Vol. 1. The Cambridge Bible Commentary on the New English Bible. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Seow, Choon Leong. 2013. “An Exquisitely Poetic Introduction to the Psalter.” Journal of Biblical Literature 132 (2): 275–93.
Schnittjer, Gary Edward. 2021. Old Testament Use of Old Testament: A Book-by-Book Guide. Grand Rapids: HarperCollins Christian Publishing.
VanGemeren, Willem A. 1991. The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Psalms. Edited by Tremper Longman and David E. Garland. Vol. 5. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
Watson, Wilfred G. E. 2005. Classical Hebrew Poetry: A Guide to Its Techniques. T & T Clark Biblical Languages. London ; New York: T & T Clark.
Willgren, David. 2018. “Why Psalms 1–2 Are Not to Be Considered a Preface to the ‘Book’ of Psalms.” ZAW 130 (3): 384–97.
Wilson, Gerald H. 2002. Psalms. Vol. 1. NIVAC. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

References

  1. ↑ Janzen, 1965, 215-226.
  2. ↑ Cf. TWOT.
  3. ↑ Cf. Wilson 2002, 94.
  4. ↑ See BHRG §39.7(4).
  5. ↑ Cf. 2 Chr 22:5, "where the meaning is 'to follow advice'" (Seow 2013); cf. NLT: "...follow the advice of the wicked." The bet preposition in the phrase "in (ב) the counsel of the wicked" indicates the mode of action (see BHRG §39.7(4)), i.e., "no anda según el consejo" ('does not walk according to the counsel'; RVA2015).
  6. ↑ Translated as "wicked" (NIV, NLT, ESV, NASB); "evil" (GNT); "ungodly" (KJV).
  7. ↑ 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]).
  8. ↑ Though the word for "stand" in this passage is not עמד but התיצב.
  9. ↑ Cf. NEB: "walk the road that sinners tread." Similarly, the ancient Syriac translation has "walk in the way."
  10. ↑ Seow 2013. Cf. Pss 33:11; 102:27; Eccl 1:4; 8:3; Lev 13:5; Jer 32:14; 48:11.
  11. ↑ NET.
  12. ↑ Anderson 1972, 59.
  13. ↑ SDBH. "The nominal pattern of חַטָּאִים (sinners) signifies an occupation or a repeated action" (Waltke 2010, 134; cf. IBHS, p. 89, P. 5.4a).
  14. ↑ Wilson 2002, 95.
  15. ↑ SDBH, DCH.
  16. ↑ SDBH.
  17. ↑ E.g., Lev 3:17; 23:3, 14, 21, 31; Exod 10:23; Ezek 34:13.
  18. ↑ NASB, ESV, NET.
  19. ↑ NIV, NLT.
  20. ↑ SDBH.
  21. ↑ Bratcher and Reyburn 1991, 17.
  22. ↑ Deut 6:5; Lev 19:18; cf., Matt 22:38-40.
  23. ↑ "Our comprehension of this verse and of the whole psalm now depends on the interpretation of the term תורה (Torah)" (Kraus 1988, 116).
  24. ↑ KJV, NIV, NLT, ESV, NEB.
  25. ↑ GNT.
  26. ↑ CSB, ISV.
  27. ↑ CEV.
  28. ↑ GWT.
  29. ↑ NET.
  30. ↑ "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" (Willgren 2018, 384-397; cf. Schnittjer 2021: "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." See also Botha 2005, 503-520; Lefebvre 2016, 439–450.
  31. ↑ Botha 2005; 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).
  32. ↑ NIDOTTE.
  33. ↑ See Exod 16:4; 2 Kgs 10:31; Isa 2:3; 42:24; Ps 119:1, 29; cf. Seow 2013.
  34. ↑ NET.
  35. ↑ SDBH.
  36. ↑ מתחלה היא נקראת תורת י״י, ומשעמל בה היא נקראת תורתו.
  37. ↑ KJV, NIV, NLT, ESV, NASB, CSB, have "meditate."
  38. ↑ So GNT; cf. LXX μελετάω ("study").
  39. ↑ SDBH.
  40. ↑ 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).
  41. ↑ Bratcher and Reyburn 1991, 18.
  42. ↑ לֹא־יָמוּשׁ סֵפֶר הַתּוֹרָה הַזֶּה מִפִּיךָ וְהָגִיתָ בּוֹ יוֹמָם וָלַיְלָה לְמַעַן תִּשְׁמֹר לַעֲשׂוֹת כְּכָל־הַכָּתוּב בּוֹ כִּי־אָז תַּצְלִיחַ אֶת־דְּרָכֶךָ וְאָז תַּשְׂכִּיל׃
  43. ↑ Schnittjer 2021, 479.
  44. ↑ BDB 401.2. Cf. Exod 13:21; Josh 1:8; 1 Kgs 8:59; Pss 1:2; 32:4; etc.
  45. ↑ BDB.
  46. ↑ Ho 2019; cf. Barbiero 2003, 439–480.
  47. ↑ NET.
  48. ↑ BHRG §40.24. See also LXX: καὶ ἔσται; Jerome (iuxta Hebr.): et erit.
  49. ↑ TLOT.
  50. ↑ The preposition עַל is a contingent locative, i.e., "in the vicinity of" (Mena 2012, 88-90).
  51. ↑ 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.)
  52. ↑ Briggs 1906.
  53. ↑ 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 Creach 1999, 34–46.
  54. ↑ Cf. Aquila's translation of שָׁת֪וּל in Ps. 1:3 as μεταπεφυτευμενον ("transplanted").
  55. ↑ HALOT and SDBH. Cf. Keefer 2020, 205–218. Contrast NLT: "planted along the riverbank."
  56. ↑ VanGemeren 1991, 56.
  57. ↑ Cf. Lev 26:4—וְנָתַתִּ֥י גִשְׁמֵיכֶ֖ם בְּעִתָּ֑ם.
  58. ↑ Bratcher & Reyburn 1991.
  59. ↑ Auvray 1946.
  60. ↑ So Targum: "the great day of judgment;" CEV: "the day of judgment."
  61. ↑ Cf. Rico 2019.
  62. ↑ Rico 2019, 497–520.
  63. ↑ Anderson 1972, 62. Cf. SDBH.
  64. ↑ Cf. NEB: "will not stand firm;" NJV: "will not survive;" NET: "cannot withstand."
  65. ↑ This phenomenon of "verb gapping" or "elision" is common in Hebrew poetry. Cf. Watson, 2005, 48; O'Connor 1980, 122f.
  66. ↑ SDBH.
  67. ↑ Baetgen identifies this group as "the Messianic congregation that is left after the godless have been separated out" (1904, 3), and Briggs as "the congregation after the judgment of the resurrection" (7).
  68. ↑ Wilson 2002, 98. The Septuagint, perhaps in light of this connection, translates both phrases using the same word (v. 1a: βουλη δικαιων; v. 5b: βουλη ασεβων).
  69. ↑ KJV, RSV, ESV, NASB; cf. LXX γινωσκει, Jerome: novit.
  70. ↑ NIV, NLT, NEB, CSB.
  71. ↑ CEV.
  72. ↑ NET.
  73. ↑ NJV.
  74. ↑ SDBH. Cf. Ps. 37:18.
  75. ↑ See Ps 37:18—יוֹדֵ֣עַ יְ֭הוָה יְמֵ֣י תְמִימִ֑ם. 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). See BHRG §20.3.3, which says that "the participle may refer to habitual events" and JM §121b who list some examples of the participle with "frequentive aspect." Similarly, Joosten (2020, 5) says that "in other usages, the verbalized participle expresses functions that can also be expressed with yiqtol. Both forms can refer to habitual processes..." (citing Exod 13:15 as an example).
  76. ↑ Cf. GWT: "will end."
  77. ↑ SDBH.
  78. ↑ KJV, ESV, NASB.
  79. ↑ NIV, NLT.
  80. ↑ CSB, CEV.
  81. ↑ NEB.
  82. ↑ Cf. LXX: ἀπολεῖται; Jerome (iuxta Hebr.): peribit.
  83. ↑ Cf. Pss 5, 150 and Job 14 for other instances of this phenomenon.
  84. ↑ Seow 2013, 289.
Retrieved from "https://psalms.scriptura.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=Psalm_1_Semantics&oldid=70967"