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Psalm One
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 1
This
psalm, though without a title, may reasonably be thought to be a psalm of
David; since the next psalm, which is also without a title, is ascribed to him,
Acts 4:25; and since both are joined
together as one psalm by the JewsF11T. Bab. Beracot, fol. 9. 2. ;
See Gill on Acts 13:33; and since this is the general
preface to the whole book, which is chiefly of David's penning, it is entitled,
in the metaphrase of Apollinarius,
"a
Song of David, the Prophet and King.'
Psalm 1:1 Blessed
is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in
the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
YLT
1O the happiness of that
one, who Hath not walked in the counsel of the wicked. And in the way of
sinners hath not stood, And in the seat of scorners hath not sat;
Blessed is the man,.... This
psalm begins in like manner as Christ's sermon on the mount, Matthew 5:3; setting forth the praises and
expressing the happiness of the man who is described in this verse and Psalm 1:2. The words may be rendered,
"O, the blessednesses of the man", or "of this man"F12אשרי האיש "beatitudines
illius viri", Montanus, Vatablus, Gejerus. ; he is doubly blessed, a
thrice happy and blessed man; blessed in things temporal and spiritual; happy
in this world, and in that to come. He is to be praised and commended as a good
man, so the Targum:
"the
goodness, or, Oh, the goodness of the man;'
or
as others,
"Oh,
the right goings or happy progress, or prosperous success of the manF13"Recti
incessus, felices progressus, ac prosperi successus", Michaelis; so
Piscator. ,'
who
answers to the following characters; which right walking of his is next observed,
and his prosperity in Psalm 1:3. Some have interpreted this psalm
of Christ, and think it is properly spoken of himF14Justinian. in
Octapl. Psalt, in loc. Romualdus apud Mabillon. Itinerar. Ital. p. 181. ;
that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly: all men are
by nature and practice ungodly, without God, without the true knowledge, fear,
and worship of God and are at enmity against him. It is a character that
belongs to God's elect as well as others, while in a state of nature; and is
sometimes used illustrate the love of Christ in dying for them, and the grace
of God in the justification of them, Romans 4:5. But here it describes not such
who are wicked in heart and life in common only, but the reprobate part of
mankind, profligate and abandoned sinners, such as Jude speaks of, Judges 1:4; and for whom the law is made,
and against whom it lies, 1 Timothy 1:9. The wordF15רשעים "significat eos qui sine quiete et indesinenter
impie degunt", Vatablus. here used signifies such who are restless and
continually in mischief; who are like the troubled sea, which cannot rest, ever
casting up mire and dirt: they are always disquieted themselves, and are ever
disquieting others; nor do they cease from being so till they are laid in their
graves. And to these "counsel" is ascribed, which supposes capacity
and wisdom; as, generally speaking, such are wise and prudent in natural and
civil things, and are wise to do evil, though to do good they have no
knowledge: and counsel implies consultation and deliberation; they act
deliberately in sinning, they cast about in their minds, form schemes, and
contrive ways and means how to accomplish their vicious purposes; and sometimes
they enter into a confederacy, and consult together with one consent, and their
counsel is generally against the Lord, though it does not prosper and prevail;
and against his Christ, his people, truths and ordinances: it takes in both
their principles and practices; and the sum of their counsel is to indulge
themselves in sin, to throw off all religion, and to cast off the fear and
worship of God, Job 21:14. Now "not to walk"
herein is not to hearken to their counsel, to give into it, agree with it,
pursue it, and act according to it; and happy is the man, who, though he may
fall in the way of it, and may have bad counsel given him by ungodly men, yet
does not consent to it, take it, and act upon it. This may be applied to the
times of the Messiah, and the men of the age in which he lived; and the rather,
since the next psalm, in which mention is made of the counsel of the ungodly,
manifestly belongs unto them. The men of that generation were a set of ungodly
men, who consulted against Christ to take away his life; and blessed is the
man, as Joseph of Arimathea, who, though he was in that assembly which
conspired against the life of Christ, did not walk in, nor consent unto, their
counsel and their deeds, Luke 23:51;
nor standeth in the way of sinners; all men are sinners
through Adam's disobedience, and their own actual transgressions, and such were
the elect of God, when Christ died for them; and indeed are so after
conversion, for no man lives without sin. But here it intends notorious
sinners, who are open, bold, and daring in iniquity; the wordF16הטאים "qui longissime aberrant a scopo legis";
Gerjerus. signifies such, who in shooting miss the mark, and go aside from it,
as such sinners do from the law of God; proceed from evil to evil, choose their
own ways, and delight in their abominations. Now their "way" is not
only their "opinion", as the Syriac version renders it, their corrupt
sentiments, but their sinful course of life; which is a way of darkness, a
crooked path, and a road that leads to destruction and death: and happy is the
man that does "not stand" in this way, which denotes openness,
impudence, and continuance; who, though he may fall into this way, does not
abide in it; see Romans 6:1. The Pharisees in the time of
Christ, though they were not openly and outwardly sinners, yet they were
secretly and inwardly such, Matthew 23:28; and the way they stood in
was that of justification by the works of the law, Romans 9:31, but happy is the man, as the
Apostle Paul and others, who stands not in that way, but in the way Christ
Jesus, and in the way of life and righteousness by him;
nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful; by whom may
be meant proud and haughty persons, in opposition to the humble and lowly, as
in Proverbs 3:34; such who are proud of their
natural abilities, knowledge, and wisdom, of their honours and riches, or of
their own righteousness, and despise others; or such who are desperate in
wickedness, of whom there is no hope; see Proverbs 9:7; and Deists and atheists, who
scoff at divine revelation, and mock at a future state, at death, hell, and
judgment, as in Isaiah 28:14. Now happy is the man that
does not sit or keep company with such persons; who comes not into their secret
and into their assembly; does not associate himself with them, nor approve of
their dispositions, words, principles, and actions; see Psalm 26:4. Such were the Scribes and
Pharisees in Christ's time; they derided him and his doctrines, scoffed at him
when he hung upon the cross, and despised him and his apostles, and his Gospel;
but there were some that did not join with them, to whom he, his ministers, and
truths, were precious and in high esteem, and to whom he was the power and
wisdom of God.
Psalm 1:2 2 But his delight is
in the law of the Lord,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
YLT
2But -- in the law of
Jehovah [is] his delight, And in His law he doth meditate by day and by night:
But his delight is
in the law of the Lord,.... Not the law of nature, which was inscribed on Adam's heart
in innocence, but now greatly impaired by sin, and become very imperfect and
very insufficient to make men happy, or to lead them to true felicity; nor the
law of Moses, which is a fiery law, and works wrath, accuses of sin, pronounces
guilty, curses and condemns to death; and therefore cannot be delighted in by a
sensible sinner, unless as it is in the hands of Christ, and as fulfilled by
him, who is the end of it; and as it is written on the heart of a regenerate
man, who, so far as it is, delights in it after the inward man, and serves it
with his spirit: but rather the Scriptures, as much and as many parts of them
as were written in David's time; particularly the five books of Moses, which
are called the Law and the Testimony of the Lord; which being inspired by God,
were profitable and delightful to read, and to hear explained; and as they were
David's delight, and the men of his council, Psalm 119:24; so they were the delight of
every good man, there being many things in them concerning the Messiah, his
grace and kingdom; see Luke 24:44. Moreover the word תורה, here used, signifies "doctrine", and may
intend the evangelic doctrine, as it does in Psalm 19:7; which is a psalm concerning the
doctrine of the apostles that went into all the world; and in like sense is the
word used in Isaiah 2:3; of the doctrine of the Messiah,
that is, the Gospel; and is the same with the law, or doctrine of faith, in Romans 3:27. And this may be called the
doctrine of the Lord, because he is the author of it; it came by him, he
revealed it; and because he is the subject of it; it is concerning him, his
person, office, grace, and righteousness; and so far as it was published in the
times of David, it was a joyful sound, good news and glad tidings, and the
delight of good men;
and in his law doth he meditate day and night; as Joshua was
directed to do, and David did, Joshua 1:8. This is to be understood of a
diligent reading and serious consideration of it; and of the employment of the
thoughts, and of deep study upon it, in order to find out the sense and meaning
of it; and which is to be done constantly, every day, as often as there is leisure
and opportunity for it; or, as Kimchi on the place observes, whenever a man is
free from the business of life; unless this should be taken figuratively, of
the day of prosperity and night of adversity, whether in things temporal or
spiritual, which are each of them proper seasons to meditate in, upon the word
of God and Gospel of Christ.
Psalm 1:3 3 He shall be like a tree Planted
by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf
also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.
YLT
3And he hath been as a tree,
Planted by rivulets of water, That giveth its fruit in its season, And its leaf
doth not wither, And all that he doth he causeth to prosper.
And he shall be like a
tree planted by the rivers of water,.... Or, "for then
shall he be", &c. as Alshech renders the words; and the Hebrew
"vau" is often used for "then"F17Vid. Noldii
Concord. Part. Ebr. p. 308. . As Psalm 1:1 describe the man who is blessed,
this points at his blessedness, and shows and proves him to be an happy man;
for he is comparable to a "tree": not to a dry tree, or a tree
without fruit, or whose fruit is withered, but to a fruitful tree, a green and
flourishing one; green olive tree, or a palm tree, or a cedar in Lebanon; to
which David compares himself and the righteous, Psalm 52:8; and here such an one is compared
to a tree "planted"; not to one that grows of itself, a wild tree, a
tree of the wood; but to one that is removed from its native place and soil,
and planted elsewhere; and so designs such who are broken off of the wild olive
tree, and are grafted into the good olive tree; who are planted in Christ
Jesus, and in the church, the house of the Lord; of which transplantation the
removal of Israel into Canaan's land was an emblem, Psalm 80:8; and such a spiritual plantation
is of God the husbandman; whose planting the saints are efficiently, Isaiah 60:21. And it is owing to the word,
the ingrafted word, James 1:21, which is the means of this
ingrafture, and to the ministers of it instrumentally; some of whom plant, and
others water, 1 Corinthians 3:6. Moreover, the happy man
before described is like a tree that is situated "by the rivers of
water", or "divisions"F18על
פלגי "juxta divisiones"; Musculus, Hammond;
so Ben Melech. and rivulets of water; which running about the plants, make them
very fruitful and flourishing; see Ezekiel 31:4; and which may intend the
river of the love of God, and the streams of it, the discoveries and
applications of it to regenerate persons; and also the fulness of grace in
Christ, who is the fountain of gardens, the well of living waters and streams
from Lebanon, to revive, refresh, supply, and comfort his people, Song of Solomon 4:15; as well as the graces
of the Spirit of God, which are near the saints, and like rivers of water flow
out of them that believe in Christ, John 7:38; to which may be added the word
and ordinances of the Gospel, which are the still waters, to which they are
invited and led, and by which and with which they are greatly refreshed, and
made fruitful. Arama interprets it of the waters of the law; it is best to
understand it of the Gospel; see Isaiah 55:1; it follows,
that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; and so
appears to be a tree of righteousness, filled with the fruits of righteousness,
the graces of the Spirit, and good works; which are brought forth by him under
the influence of grace, as he has opportunity, and according to the measure of
grace bestowed. His leaf also shall not wither; neither tree, nor fruit, nor
leaf shall wither, but shall be always green; which is expressive of the
saints' perseverance: the reasons of which are, they are ingrafted in Christ
the true vine, and abide in him, from whom they have their sap, nourishment,
and fruit, John 15:1; they are rooted and built up in
him, and established in the faith of him; and so they hold fast the profession
of it without wavering;
and whatsoever he doth shall prosper; meaning not
so much in things temporal, of which Arama interprets it, for in these the good
man does not always succeed, but in things spiritual: whatever he does in
faith, from love, to the glory of God, and in the name of Christ, prospers;
yea, those things in which he is concerned, that are adverse, and seem for the
present to be against him, in the issue work for good to him: in short, such a
man is blessed with grace here, and glory hereafter; and therefore must needs
be an happy man.
Psalm 1:4 4 The ungodly are not
so, But are like the chaff which the wind drives away.
YLT
4Not so the wicked: But --
as chaff that wind driveth away!
The ungodly are not
so,.... They are not as the good man is; their manner and course of
life are different; they walk in the counsel of ungodly men, like themselves,
and take counsel against the Lord, his Anointed, and his people: they stand in
the way of sinners, and steer their conversation according to the course of the
world, and sit in the seat of the scornful; laugh at divine revelation, lampoon
the Scriptures, deride good men, make a jest of religion and a future state:
they have no delight in the law of the Lord, they cast it away from them, and
despise it; and are so far from a constant meditation on it, that they never
read it, nor so much as look into it, nor is it ever in their thoughts. They
are not like to a tree, as described in Psalm 1:3, if they are like to trees, it is
to dry trees, and not green ones, to trees without any sap, moisture, and
verdure, and which are only fit fuel for the fire; to the trees of the wood, to
wild olive trees; to trees on an heath, in a desert, in parched land, and not
to trees by rivers of water, but to trees that have no root, and are without
fruit, Judges 1:12. And though they may be in a
seeming prosperous condition for a time, may be in great power, riches, and
honour, and spread themselves like a green bay tree; yet suddenly they are cut
down as the grass, and wither as the green herb; and even their outward
prosperity destroys them; so that not anything they have or do in the issue
prospers: and therefore they are not blessed or happy as the good man is; yea,
they are wretched and miserable, nay, cursed; they are cursed now, and will be
hereafter; they are cursed in their basket and store, their blessings are
curses to them; the law pronounces them cursed; and they will hear, "go ye
cursed", at the day of judgment, see Matthew 25:41. The Vulgate Latin,
Septuagint, and Arabic versions, repeat the words "not so", and read
"not so the ungodly, not so:" which seems to be done for the
confirmation of the truth of it:
but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away; they are like
chaff, which has no root, moisture, greenness, nor fruitfulness; they have
nothing in them solid and substantial; they are destitute of all that is good;
are vain and empty; without the knowledge of God and Christ; without faith in
Christ and love to him; and are sensual, not having the Spirit, his graces and
fruits: they are like chaff for lightness, vain in their imaginations, light in
their principles, frothy in their words, and unstable in all their ways: they
are never long in any position, unsettled, disquieted, and tossed to and fro;
and there is no peace unto them: they are like chaff, useless and unprofitable,
nothing worth, fit only for everlasting burnings, which will be their case. For
when Christ will gather his wheat, the righteous, which are of value, into his
garner, the heavenly glory, he will burn the chaff, the wicked, with
unquenchable fire. They are now like chaff, driven and carried about with every
wind of doctrine, with divers and strange doctrines, and entertain every light
and airy notion; and are easily drawn aside and carried away by the force of
their own lusts, and with every temptation of Satan, who works effectually in
then: and particularly they are like chaff before the wind of terrible
judgments and calamities in this life, and of the awful judgment hereafter,
when they will be driven away from the presence of the Lord into everlasting
destruction. The metaphor is often used in this sense; see Job 21:17; and denotes the secret, sudden,
sure, and easy ruin of the ungodly, which comes upon them like a whirlwind, in
an instant, which they cannot avoid; and they can no more stand before God and
against him, than chaff before the wind. It follows,
Psalm 1:5 5 Therefore the ungodly
shall not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the congregation of the
righteous.
YLT
5Therefore the wicked rise
not in judgment, Nor sinners in the company of the righteous,
Therefore the ungodly
shall not stand in the judgment,.... Neither in temporal judgment, when God
comes forth in a way of wrath and sore displeasure; for who can stand before
him when he is angry? what are chaff and stubble, thorns and briers, to
consuming fire? nor in the last and great day of judgment, so the Targum and
Kimchi interpret the words; for that day will burn like an oven the wicked, who
will be as stubble, and leave neither root nor branch, Malachi 4:1, when the great day of the
Lamb's wrath is come, who will be able to stand? Romans 6:16; there will be no standing for
the wicked when he appears; they will all stand before the judgment seat of
Christ, to take their trial and hear their sentence, 2 Corinthians 5:10; but they shall not
stand in the same place with the righteous, not at Christ's right hand, but at
his left; they shall not stand with an holy confidence, with intrepidity, and
without shame, as the blessed man will; they will not stand, but fall in
judgment; they will not be acquitted and discharged, but be condemned to
everlasting punishment, Matthew 25:30; and this sense the Targum on
the place expresses, "the ungodly shall not be justified in the great
day"; the Vulgate Latin and Septuagint versions render the words,
"the ungodly shall not rise again in judgment"; from whence some have
concluded there will be no resurrection of the wicked: which seems, to be the
sense of Kimchi and other Jewish writers; who assert that the souls of the
wicked perish with their bodies at death, and that the latter rise not, contrary
to Ecclesiastes 12:7; but that the wicked
will, rise may be concluded from the justice of God, which requires that the
bodies which have sinned should be punished; and from the general judgment of
good and bad, and from the account of the punishment of hell, which will be
inflicted on the body as well as on the soul: besides, the contrary doctrine is
a licentious one, and is calculated to harden wicked men in their sins, and is
directly repugnant to the assertions of Christ, and the Apostle Paul, John 5:28; nor has it any foundation in
this text, even admitting such a version; which does not absolutely affirm that
the wicked shall not rise again, but that they shall not rise again in,
judgment, in the first resurrection, the resurrection of the just, and so as to
be acquitted and discharged, but they shall rise to the resurrection of
damnation;
nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; who are made
righteous by the righteousness of Christ imputed to them, and have a work of
grace and holiness wrought in them; and who, under the influence of grace, live
soberly, righteously, and godly; these are the same with the blessed man, Psalm 1:1; and who at the day of judgment
will be perfectly holy, and free from all sin; and they will be all gathered
together by the holy angels; the dead saints will be raised, the living ones
will be changed, and both will be caught up together to meet the Lord in the
air, and will make up one general assembly and church of the firstborn; and
among these, and in this assembly, there will not be a single sinner; there are
now sinners in Zion, foolish virgins with the wise, chaff and tares among
Christ's wheat, and wolves and goats among his sheep; but then there will be an
eternal separation, and no mixing together any more.
Psalm 1:6 6 For the Lord knows the way
of the righteous, But the way of the ungodly shall perish.
YLT
6For Jehovah is knowing the
way of the righteous, And the way of the wicked is lost!
For the Lord knoweth the
way of the righteous,.... The way in which he walks by faith, which is in Jesus
Christ; the way in which he goes to the Father, and carries to him his
sacrifices of prayer and praise, which meet with acceptance through him; the
way in which he seeks for and expects justification, pardon, and salvation,
namely, through the blood, righteousness, and sacrifice of Christ: and also it
may denote his course, his walk and conversation; for the righteous man is a
follower of God, he takes up the cross and follows after Christ: he walks not
after the flesh, but after the Spirit, according to the rule of the word, and
as becomes the Gospel of Christ: and this way of his in every sense the Lord
"knows"; not merely as he is omniscient, for by his omniscience his
eyes are upon the ways of all men; he knows the way of the wicked as well as
the way of the righteous; but the sense is, that the Lord approves of and is
well pleased with his way of faith and holiness; he knows this person, so as to
love him and take delight and pleasure in him; his countenance beholds him with
a smile; he is well pleased with him in Christ and for his sake, on whose
account he has respect to him and to his offerings, to his service and duty, to
his ways and works; and hence he is a blessed man, is in a happy situation, and
all he does prospers, for he and his ways please the Lord: and hence also it is
that neither he nor his way shall perish; the way he is in leads to everlasting
life, and he being a follower of the Lord in a way pleasing to him, he shall
never perish, but have eternal life;
but the way of the ungodly shall perish; for his way
is a wicked way, the way of sinners, Psalm 1:1; it leads to destruction and
death, and all that walk in it shall perish; for if is a way the Lord knows
not, does not approve of, he abhors it; wherefore the man that continues in it
will be unhappy, wretched, and miserable to all eternity. These last words
therefore show the reason of the happiness of one sort of men, and the
unhappiness of the other; and prove and confirm the same: the Lord knows,
approves of, loves, and delights in the one; he does not approve of and delight
in the other.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》