Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary
Psalms 1:1

Clarke's Commentary

THE BOOK OF PSALMS

Chronological Notes relative to the Psalms written by David, upon the supposition that they were all composed in a period of about forty-seven years. See the Introduction.

-Year from the Creation, 2942-2989.

-Year before the birth of Christ, 1058-1011.

-Year before the vulgar era of Christ's nativity, 1062-1015.

-Year since the Deluge, according to Archbishop Usher, and the English Bible, 1286-1333.

-Year from the destruction of Troy, according to Dionysius of Halicarnassus, 123-170.

-Year before the first Olympiad, 286-239.

-Year before the building of Rome, 309-262.

-Year of the Julian Period, 3652-3699.

-Year of the Dionysian Period, 460-507.

PSALM I

The blessedness of the righteous shown, in his avoiding every

appearance of evil, 1.

In his godly use of the law of the Lord, 2.

This farther pointed out under the metaphor of a good tree

planted in a good well-watered soil, 3.

The opposite state of the ungodly pointed out, under the

metaphor of chaff driven away by the wind, 4.

The miserableness of sinners, and the final happiness of the

godly, 5, 6.

NOTES ON PSALM I

Verse Psalms 1:1. Blessed is the man — This Psalm has no title, and has been generally considered, but without especial reason, as a preface or introduction to the whole book.

The word אשרי ashrey, which we translate blessed, is properly in the plural form, blessednesses; or may be considered as an exclamation produced by contemplating the state of the man who has taken God for his portion; O the blessedness of the man! And the word האיש haish, is emphatic: THAT man; that one among a thousand who lives for the accomplishment of the end for which God created him.

1. God made man for happiness.

2. Every man feels a desire to be happy.

3. All human beings abhor misery.

4. Happiness is the grand object of pursuit among all men.

5. But so perverted is the human heart, that it seeks happiness where it cannot be found; and in things which are naturally and morally unfit to communicate it.

6. The true way of obtaining it is here laid down.

That walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly — There is a double CLIMAX in this verse, which it will be proper to note:-

There are here three characters, each exceeding the other in sinfulness.

1. The UNGODLY רשעים reshaim from רשע rasha, to be unjust; rendering to none his due; withholding from God, society, and himself, what belongs to each. Ungodly - he who has not God in him; who is without God in the world.

2. SINNERS, חטאים chattaim, from חטא chata, "to miss the mark," "to pass over the prohibited limits," "to transgress." This man not only does no good, but he does evil. The former was without God, but not desperately wicked. The latter adds outward transgression to the sinfulness of his heart.

3. SCORNFUL, לצים letsim, from לצה latsah, "to mock, deride." He who has no religion; lives in the open breach of God's laws, and turns revelation, the immortality of the soul, and the existence of an invisible world, into ridicule. He is at least a deist, and endeavours to dissolve, as much as he can, the bonds of moral obligation in civil society. As the sinner exceeds the ungodly, so the scornful exceeds both.

The second climax is found in the words,

1. Walk;

2. Stand;

3. Sit:

which mark three different degrees of evil in the conduct of those persons.

Observe,

1. The ungodly man - one uninfluenced by God.

2. The sinner - he who adds to ungodliness, transgression.

3. The scornful - the deist, atheist, c., who make a mock of every thing sacred.

The UNGODLY man walks, the SINNER stands, and the SCORNFUL man sits down in the way of iniquity.

Mark certain circumstances of their differing characters and conduct.

1. The ungodly man has his counsel

2. The sinner has his way; and,

3. The scorner has his seat.

The ungodly man is unconcerned about religion; he is neither zealous for his own salvation, nor for that of others: and he counsels and advises those with whom he converses to adopt his plan, and not trouble themselves about praying, reading, repenting, c., c. there is no need for such things live an honest life, make no fuss about religion, and you will fare well enough at last. Now, "blessed is the man who walks not in this man's counsel" who does not come into his measures, nor act according to his plan.

The sinner has his particular way of transgressing; one is a drunkard, another dishonest, another unclean. Few are given to every species of vice. There are many covetous men who abhor drunkenness; many drunkards who abhor covetousness; and so of others. Each has his easily besetting sin; therefore, says the prophet, let the wicked forsake HIS WAY. Now, blessed is he who stands not in such a man's WAY.

The scorner has brought, in reference to himself, all religion and moral feeling to an end. He has sat down-is utterly confirmed in impiety, and makes a mock at sin. His conscience is seared; and he is a believer in all unbelief. Now, blessed is the man who sits not down in his SEAT.

See the correspondent relations in this account.

1. He who walks according to the counsel of the ungodly will soon,

2. Stand to look on the way of sinners; and thus, being off his guard, he will soon be a partaker in their evil deeds.

3. He who has abandoned himself to transgression will, in all probability, soon become hardened by the deceitfulness of sin; and sit down with the scorner, and endeavour to turn religion into ridicule.

The last correspondency we find is: -

1. The seat answers to the sitting of the scornful.

2. The way answers to the standing of the sinner; and

3, the counsel answers to the walking of the ungodly.

The great lesson to be learned from the whole is, sin is progressive; one evil propensity or act leads to another. He who acts by bad counsel may soon do evil deeds; and he who abandons himself to evil doings may end his life in total apostasy from God. "When lust has conceived, it brings forth sin; and when sin is finished, it brings forth death." Solomon the son of David, adds a profitable advice to those words of his father: "Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men; avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away;" Proverbs 4:14-15.

As the blessedness of the man is great who avoids the ways and the workers of iniquity, so his wretchedness is great who acts on the contrary: to him we must reverse the words of David: "Cursed is the man who walketh in the counsel of the ungodly; who standeth in the way of sinners; and who sitteth in the seat of the scornful." Let him that readeth understand.

Bridgeway Bible Commentary

Pslam 1 The godly and the ungodly

This psalm is really an introduction to the whole collection. It shows the life of the godly and the reward it brings, and the life of the ungodly and the judgment it will receive. God is the supreme controller of each person’s destiny, and he orders everything according to his own righteousness.
In both their thought and their behaviour, the godly are different from others. They are constantly increasing their knowledge of God’s Word, and as they allow that Word to change their outlook and attitudes, their character becomes more and more like God’s. Their lives are marked by freshness, strength and growth (1-3). Sinners, by contrast, have no quality or stability in their lives. They have chosen the way that is worthless, and therefore their lives will bring disappointment and end in despair (4-5). God is in control of all human affairs, and he determines the reward or punishment that will result from the way each person has lived (6).

Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible

THE RIGHTEOUS AND THE WICKED CONTRASTED

"Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the wicked, Nor standeth in the way of sinners, Nor sitteth in the seat of scoffers."

The word "blessed" may be read as "happy"; and the three words referring to the unrighteous are synonyms, all of them carrying the same basic meaning, namely, the people who do not love and serve God.

From Genesis to Revelation the Holy Bible recognizes only two classes of people - the same two classes that are identified in this verse, that is, the servants of God and the enemies of God.

In the New Testament especially this dual classification of all mankind appears many times, as in, the sheep and the goats, the wise and the foolish virgins, the builders upon the rock and the builders upon the sand, the faithful servant and the wicked servant, those upon the right hand and those upon the left hand, the wheat and the tares, the wheat and the chaff, doers of good and doers of evil, the fruitful tree and the unfruitful tree, etc.

Only in Jesus' parable of the sower does there appear several classes of the unfruitful soil, but even there the two simple divisions of the unfruitful and the fruitful hearers of God's Word are clearly visible.

Notice also that the happy man is described negatively as one who does not do certain things. Nothing could be farther from God's truth than the notion that only the positive declarations are sufficient. Even in Jesus' Sermon on the Mount there are no less than ten negative commandments in Matthew 6 alone. Without any doubt whatever, serving God is eternally identified with not doing many things.

Another interesting revelation of this verse is the characteristic of wickedness that it is able to exercise an increasingly strong power over any person indulging the least toleration of it. Walking in the counsel of the wicked is soon followed by standing in the way of sinners, and that leads to sitting in the seat of scoffers.

Alexander Pope in his Essay on Man, line 217, described this characteristic of evil thus:

"Vice is a monster of so frightful mien, As to be hated needs but to be seen;
Yet seen to oft, familiar with her face,
We first endure, then pity, then embrace."

Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

Blessed is the man - That is, his condition is a happy or a desirable one. The word used here, אשׁר 'esher means properly, “happiness” or “blessedness.” It is found, however, only in the plural form and in the construct state, and takes the nature and force of an interjection - “ O the happiness of the man!” or “O happy man!” Deuteronomy 33:29 : “happy art thou, O Israel!” 1 Kings 10:8 : “happy are thy men, happy are these thy servants!” Job 5:17 : “happy is the man whom God correcteth!” Psalms 2:12 : “blessed are all they that put their trust in him!” See also Psalms 32:1-2; Psalms 33:12; Psalms 34:8; Psalms 40:4; Psalms 41:1; Psalms 65:4; Psalms 84:4-5, Psalms 84:12, et al., where it is rendered “blessed.” The word is of the most general character, and, in itself, would embrace all that is supposed to constitute real happiness. The particular kind of blessedness referred to here, as explained in the subsequent part of the psalm, consists in the fact that he avoids the companionship of the wicked; that he has pleasure in the law of the Lord; that he will be prospered in this world; and that he will not perish at lasts. The word “man” here, also, is of the most general character, and is designed to include all people, of all times and of all conditions, who possess the character referred to. The term is applicable to the poor as well as to the rich; to the low as well as to the exalted; to the servant as well as to the master; alike to the aged, the middle-aged, and the young. All who have the character here described come under the general description of the happy man - the man whose condition is a happy and a desirable one.

That walketh not - Whose character is that he does not walk in the manner specified. Prof. Alexander renders this, “Who has not walked.” But it implies more than this; it refers to more than the past. It is the characteristic of the man, always and habitually, that he does not thus walk; it has not only been true in the past, but it is true in the present, and will be true in the future. It is that which distinguishes the man. The word “walk” is often used in the Scriptures to denote a way of life or conduct - since life is represented as a journey, and man as a traveler. Psalms 15:2 : “who walketh uprightly.” Compare 1 Kings 9:4; Deuteronomy 19:9; Deuteronomy 28:9; Psalms 81:12-13; Isaiah 33:15.

In the counsel - After the manner, the principles, the plans of this class of men. He does not take counsel of them as to the way in which he should live, but from the law of the Lord, Psalms 1:2. This would include such things as these: he does not follow the advice of sinners, 2 Samuel 16:20; 1 Kings 1:12; he does not execute the purposes or plans of sinners, Isaiah 19:3; he does not frame his life according to their views and suggestions. In his plans and purposes of life he is independent of them, and looks to some other source for the rules to guide him.

Of the ungodly - The wicked. The word used here is general, and would embrace all kinds and degrees of the unrighteous. It is not so specific, and would, in itself, not indicate as definite, or as aggravated depravity, as the terms which follow. The general sentiment here is, that the man referred to is not the companion of wicked men.

Nor standeth - This indicates more deliberation; a character more fixed and decided.

In the way - The path where they are found, or where they usually go. His standing there would be as if he waited for them, or as if he desired to be associated with them. Instead of passing along in his own regular and proper employment, he stations himself in the path where sinners usually go, and lingers and loiters there. Thus, he indicates a desire to be with them. This is often, in fact, illustrated by men who place themselves, as if they had nothing to do, in the usual situation where the wicked pass along, or where they may be met with at the corners of the streets in a great city.

Of sinners - חטאים chaṭṭâ'iym. This word means literally, those who miss the mark; then, those who err from the path of duty or rectitude. It is often used to denote any kind or degree of sin. It is more specific than the former word rendered “ungodly,” as denoting those who depart from the path of duty; who fail in regard to the great end of life; who violate positive and known obligations.

Nor sitteth - This implies still greater deliberation and determination of character than either of the other words employed. The man referred to here does not casually and accidentally walk along with them, nor put himself in their way by standing where they are ordinarily to be found; but he has become one of them by occupying a seat with them; thus deliberately associating with them. He has an established residence among the wicked; he is permanently one of their number.

In the seat - The seat which the scornful usually occupy; the place where such men converse and sit together - as in a ball-room, or in a “club,” where wicked men hold their meetings, or where infidels and scoffers are accustomed to assemble.

Of the scornful - לצים lētsiym. This word properly means those who mock, deride, scoff; those who treat virtue and religion with contempt and scorn. Proverbs 1:22; Proverbs 3:34; Proverbs 9:7-8; Proverbs 13:1; Proverbs 15:12, et saepe. It denotes a higher and more determined grade of wickedness than either of the other words employed, and refers to the consummation of a depraved character, the last stage of wickedness, when God and sacred things are treated with contempt and derision. There is hope of a man as long as he will treat virtue and religion with some degree of respect; there is little or none when he has reached the point in his own character in which virtue and piety are regarded only as fit subjects for ridicule and scorn. We have here, then, a beautiful double gradation or climax, in the nouns and verbs of this verse, indicating successive stages of character. There is, first, casual walking with the wicked, or accidentally falling into their company; there is then a more deliberate inclination for their society, indicated by a voluntary putting of oneself in places where they usually congregate, and standing to wait for them; and then there is a deliberate and settled purpose of associating with them, or of becoming permanently one of them, by regularly sitting among them.

So also it is in regard to the persons with whom they associate. They are, first, irreligious men in general; then, those who have so far advanced in depravity as to disregard known duty, and to violate known obligations; and then, those who become confirmed in infidelity, and who openly mock at virtue, and scoff at the claims of religion. It is unnecessary to say that, in both these respects, this is an accurate description of what actually occurs in the world. He who casually and accidentally walks with the wicked, listening to their counsel, will soon learn to place himself in their way, and to wait for them, desiring their society, and will ultimately be likely to be feared identified with open scoffers; and he who indulges in one form of depravity, or in the neglect of religion in any way, will, unless restrained and converted, be likely to run through every grade of wickedness, until he becomes a confirmed scoffer at all religion. The sentiment in this verse is, that the man who is truly blessed is a man who does none of these things. His associations and preferences are found elsewhere, as is stated in the next verse.

Calvin's Commentary on the Bible

1.Blessed is the man. ⁽¹⁹⁾ The meaning of the Psalmist, as I have stated above, is, that it shall be always well with God’s devout servants, whose constant endeavor it is to make progress in the study of his law. The greater part of mankind being accustomed to deride the conduct of the saints as mere simplicity, and to regard their labor as entirely thrown away, it was of importance that the righteous should be confirmed in the way of holiness, by the consideration of the miserable condition of all men without the blessing of God, and the conviction that God is favorable to none but those who zealously devote themselves to the study of divine truth. Moreover, as corruption has always prevailed in the world, to such a degree, that the general character of men’s lives is nothing else but a continual departure from the law of God, the Psalmist, before asserting the blessedness of the students of the divine law, admonishes them to beware of being carried away by the ungodliness of the multitude around them. Commencing with a declaration of his abhorrence of the wicked, he teaches us how impossible it is for any one to apply his mind to meditation upon God’s laws who has not first withdrawn and separated himself from the society of the ungodly. A needful admonition surely; for we see how thoughtlessly men will throw themselves into the snares of Satan; at least, how few comparatively there are who guard against the enticements of sin. That we may be fully apprised of our danger, it is necessary to remember that the world is fraught with deadly corruption, and that the first step to living well is to renounce the company of the ungodly, otherwise it is sure to infect us with its own pollution.

As the prophet, in the first place, enjoins the godly to beware of temptations to evil, we shall follow the same order. His affirmation, that they are blessed who have no fellowship with the ungodly, is what the common feeling and opinion of mankind will scarcely admit; for while all men naturally desire and seek after happiness, we see how securely they can indulge themselves in their sins, yea, that those of them who have departed farthest from righteousness, in the gratification of their lusts, are accounted happy, because they obtain the desires of their heart. The prophet, on the contrary, here teaches that no man can be duly animated to the fear and service of God, and to the study of his law, until he is firmly persuaded that all the ungodly are miserable, and that they who do not withdraw from their company shall he involved in the same destruction with them. But as it is no easy matter to shun the ungodly with whom we are mingled in the world, so as to be wholly estranged from them, the Psalmist, in order to give the greater emphasis to his exhortation, employs a multiplicity of expressions.

In the first place, he forbids us to walk in their counsel; in the second place, to stand in their way; and, lastly, to sit in their seat

The sum of the whole is, that the servants of God must endeavor utterly to abhor the life of ungodly men. But as it is the policy of Satan to insinuate his deceits, in a very crafty way, the prophet, in order that none may be insensibly deceived, shows how by little and little men are ordinarily induced to turn aside from the right path. They do not, at the first step, advance so far as a proud contempt of God but having once begun to give ear to evil counsel, Satan leads them, step by step, farther astray, till they rush headlong into open transgression. The prophet, therefore, begins with counsel, by which term I understand the wickedness which does not as yet show itself openly. Then he speaks of the way, which is to be understood of the customary mode or manner of living. And he places at the top of the climax the seat, by which metaphorical expression he designates the obduracy produced by the habit of a sinful life. In the same way, also, ought the three phrases, to walk, to stand, and to sit, to be understood. When a person willingly walks after the gratification of his corrupt lusts, the practice of sinning so infatuates him, that, forgetful of himself, he grows hardened in wickedness; and this the prophet terms standing in the way of sinners. Then at length follows a desperate obstinacy, which he expresses by the figure of sitting. Whether there is the same gradation in the Hebrew words רשעים, reshaim, חטאים, chataim, and לצים, letsim, that is to say, a gradual increase of evil, I leave to the judgment of others. ⁽²⁰⁾ To me it does not appear that there is, unless perhaps in the last word. For those are called scorners who, having thrown off all fear of God, commit sin without restraint, in the hope of escaping unpunished, and without compunction or fear sport at the judgment of God, as if they would never be called to render up an account to him. The Hebrew word חטאים, chataim, as it signifies the openly wicked, is very properly joined with the term way, which signifies a professed and habitual manner of living. ⁽²¹⁾ And if, in the time of the Psalmist, it was necessary for the devout worshippers of God to withdraw themselves from the company of the ungodly, in order to frame their life aright, how much more in the present day, when the world has become so much more corrupt, ought we carefully to avoid all dangerous society that we may be kept unstained by its impurities. The prophet, however, not only commands the faithful to keep at a distance from the ungodly, from the dread of being infected by them, but his admonition farther implies, that every one should be careful not to corrupt himself, nor abandon himself to impiety. ⁽²²⁾ A man may not have contracted defilement from evil examples, and yet come to resemble the wicked by spontaneously imitating their corrupt manners.

(19) In the Septuangint, the reading is μακαριος ἀνηρ, blessed is the man. Both Calvin and our English translators have adopted this rendering. But the Hebrew word אשרי, rendered blessed, is in the plural number, and האיש, ha-ish, the man, in the singular. Accordingly, the words have been considered as an exclamation, and may be literally rendered, O, the blessedness of the man! A beautiful and emphatic form of expression.

(20) C’est a dire, un accroissement de mal comme par degrez. — Fr.

(21) Il est bien conjoint avec le verbe signifiant une profession de vivre et un train tout accoustume. — Fr.

(22) Et s’adonner de soy-mesme a impiete. — Fr.

Smith's Bible Commentary

Shall we turn to the Psalms, beginning tonight with the first psalm.

The Psalms are actually divided into five books. It was really the hymnbook for the nation of Israel. They were sung in their original forms. In the Psalms there is really much prophecy, because we are told by Peter that David was a prophet and that he spake by the Holy Spirit. And much of what he spake was prophecy in regards to the coming Messiah, and did have its fulfillment in Jesus Christ. There are many psalms that are known as Messianic psalms. That is, psalms that refer directly to Jesus Christ. We'll get one of those tonight as we get into the second psalm. Each of the five books of the psalms end with a doxology. The first of the books is from Psalms 1:1-6; Psalms 2:1-12; Psalms 3:1-8; Psalms 4:1-8; Psalms 5:1-12; Psalms 6:1-10; Psalms 7:1-17; Psalms 8:1-9; Psalms 9:1-20; Psalms 10:1-18; Psalms 11:1-7; Psalms 12:1-8; Psalms 13:1-6; Psalms 14:1-7; Psalms 15:1-5; Psalms 16:1-11; Psalms 17:1-15; Psalms 18:1-50; Psalms 19:1-14; Psalms 20:1-9; Psalms 21:1-13; Psalms 22:1-31; Psalms 23:1-6; Psalms 24:1-10; Psalms 25:1-22; Psalms 26:1-12; Psalms 27:1-14; Psalms 28:1-9; Psalms 29:1-11; Psalms 30:1-12; Psalms 31:1-24; Psalms 32:1-11; Psalms 33:1-22; Psalms 34:1-22; Psalms 35:1-28; Psalms 36:1-12; Psalms 37:1-40; Psalms 38:1-22; Psalms 39:1-13; Psalms 40:1-17; Psalms 41:1-13, the second is 42-72, the third is 73-89, the fourth is 90-106, and the fifth book of the psalms is from 107-150. The majority of them were written by David. Asaph was an author of some of them. Moses wrote some of them, but they were the songs of the children of Israel.

They speak of human nature. Man's cry after God; man seeking to relate to God. And they cover all of the gamut of man's feelings. They are poetry, but as we have pointed out, poetry to the Hebrew was not rhyming words or sentences, nor was it a rhythm, but it was a rhyming of ideas or a contrasting of ideas. Many of the psalms are known as acrostic psalms. We'll point them out to you as we get to them. That is, that each verse begins with a succeeding letter of the Hebrew alphabet. We have several acrostic psalms. With the Psalms 119:1-176 probably is the best example of an acrostic psalm, however, you find that about eight verses begin, each verse within the eight begins with the letter of the Hebrew alphabet successively, so that the first seven or eight verses begin with aleph, the next begin with beyth, and then daleth, and giymel and so forth. So you go through the Hebrew alphabet with 119 Psalm and it, of course, is the longest chapter in the Bible.

Psalms 1:1-6

The first psalm deals with the godly man and the ungodly man. There is a contrast. And the contrast is probably best expressed by the first and the last words of the psalm. Concerning the godly: blessed. Concerning the ungodly: perished.

Blessed is the man ( Psalms 1:1 ),

The word blessed in the Hebrew has as a meaning, "oh how happy" is the man. First of all, we see this happy man in a negative context. That is,

he is walking not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standing in the way of sinners, nor sitting in the seat of the scornful ( Psalms 1:1 ).

And there does seem to be a progression here. First a person begins quite often just walking in the counsel of the ungodly. The next thing he finds he is standing around in the congregation of the sinners. And finally, he is settled down and is seated in the seat of the scornful. That is the negative side. The blessed man doesn't do this, but contrariwise,

His delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate both day and night ( Psalms 1:2 ).

So from a negative standpoint, the happy man is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, but from a positive standpoint, he is being directed by the counsel of God. He is meditating in the law of the Lord day and night. Now the effect or the results of this:

He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth its fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

So we see, first of all, "Like a tree planted by the rivers of water," in contrast to a tree that is growing out in a barren wilderness. "Bringing forth fruit in his season." An interesting thing about unseasonable fruit, it never matures; it never becomes ripe. You may plant watermelon seeds in August when you eat your watermelons, and the vine might grow and watermelons might come on it, but it is unseasonable. It will never get ripe. It will always be green.

There are some people who never mature, that is, really bring forth mature fruit. Jesus tells us that the seed planted on various types of soil result in various developments of fruition. Some planted by the wayside, immediately is plucked up. On the stony ground, may grow for a moment, but will never bear fruit, never develop because it lacks the depth. That which is thrown among the thorns will grow, but the thorns will choke out the fruitfulness of it ultimately. The cares of this life, deceitfulness of riches the desire for other things. It is only that which falls on the good ground that brings forth good fruit. In varying degrees, thirty, sixty, one hundred fold. Now Jesus said, "Herein is my Father glorified that you bring froth much fruit." Then later on in that fifteenth chapter of John, He said, "You have not chosen Me, I have chosen you and ordained you that you should bring forth fruit. That your fruit should remain." And so as children of God we should be interested in being fruitful, bringing forth fruit. And then we should also be interested in bringing forth fruit that remains, or lasting fruit in our lives.

So often the test of a ministry is the lasting fruit that is brought forth from that ministry. "So like a tree bringing forth fruit in his season, his leaf also shall not wither." That is, there is a freshness to his life, a continual freshness. "And whatsoever he doeth shall prosper."

Now, what is this man doing? He is meditating in the law of the Lord day and night. God has given to us the rules of happiness. God has given to us the rules of prosperity. They are there in His law. "Whatsoever he doeth shall prosper." Moses, when he turned the reigns over to Joshua, said unto Joshua, "This book of the law shall not depart from out of thy mouth but thou shalt meditate therein day and night that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein. For then thou shalt make thy way prosperous and then thou shalt have good success" ( Joshua 1:8 ). Meditate, stay in the Word, the law of the Lord, and then thou shalt be prosperous, you'll have good success. So much the same is declared here in Psalms 1:1-6 .

Now the contrast. And here is where the Hebrew poetry comes in, in contrasting ideas.

The ungodly are not so: but they are like the chaff which the wind driveth away ( Psalms 1:4 ).

Now, this is contrasted to the tree planted by the rivers of water bringing forth fruit in his season, but the ungodly is like chaff, which the wind driveth away.

Now when they threshed their grain... of course, when you gather in your barley or your wheat, it has the hull on it. And so they would pick it up in their hands, and they would get in a place where there is a good stiff breeze. They would rub it in their hands, and they would throw it up in the air. And the wind would take the hulls, the chaff, and blow it away, and just the grain would fall back down. And that was their form of removing the hulls from the grain after they had harvested. Just rubbing it in their hands and then throwing it up into the air and the wind. So it was a very familiar sight to the people, the fellow standing on a windy ridge rubbing his hands, throwing the grain in the air, and watching the chaff just blow away and just the grain falling back down again. So the ungodly are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.

Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish ( Psalms 1:5-6 ). "

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

A trilogy of expressions describes the person who is blessed or right with God. Each of these is more intense than the former one. These descriptions proceed from being casually influenced by the wicked to cooperating with them in their wickedness. However, this is probably a case of synonymous parallelism describing the totality of evil rather than three specific types of activities in a climactic development (cf. Deuteronomy 6:7). [Note: VanGemeren, p. 54.]

"Happy" is a better translation than "blessed" since the Hebrew language has a separate word for "blessed." "Happy" was the Queen of Sheba’s exclamation when she saw Solomon’s greatness (1 Kings 10:8). It appears 26 times in the Psalter. This blessedness is not deserved but is a gift from God. Even when the righteous do not feel happy they are blessed from God’s perspective because He protects them from judgment resulting from the Fall (cf. Genesis 3:15-19). "Blessed" in this verse also occurs in Psalms 2:12 forming an inclusio binding these two psalms together. Likewise the reference to the "way" in this verse occurs again in Psalms 2:11-12.

"Wicked" people willfully persist in evil, "sinners" miss the mark of God’s standards and do not care, and "scoffers" make light of God’s laws and ridicule what is sacred.

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

1. The blessed person 1:1-3

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

Psalms 1

This psalm is one of the best known and favored in the Psalter. It summarizes the two paths of life open to people, the way of the righteous and the way of the wicked (cf. Deuteronomy 30:11-20; Jeremiah 17:5-8). It also deals with God, godly living, and the hope of the godly in view of the Mosaic Covenant promises. Therefore it is an appropriate one to open the collection of 150 psalms. The editors probably intended it to be an introduction to the whole Psalter for this reason. Its figures of speech recur throughout the rest of the book. In view of its content, it is a wisdom psalm and a didactic psalm designed to give understanding to the reader (cf. Proverbs 2:12-22).

"Only three psalms, Psalms 1, 19, 119, can be called Torah psalms in the true sense of the word; that is, their major concentration is the Torah. Torah psalms do not comprise a literary genre of the Psalms, since there is no standard literary pattern comparable to what we have seen with some other literary genres. On the basis of their content, however, they nevertheless form a legitimate category.

"Other psalms dealing with the notion of Torah, although it is not their key idea, are Psalms 18, 25, 33, 68, 78, 81, 89, 93, 94, 99, 103, 105, 111, 112, 147, 148." [Note: Bullock, p. 214.]

This psalm contrasts the righteous person, who because of his or her behavior, experiences blessing in life, with the unrighteous whose ungodly conduct yields the fruit of sorrow and destruction. VanGemeren gave a structural analysis of each of the psalms.

"Bible history seems to be built around the concept of ’two men’: the ’first Adam’ and the ’last Adam’ (Romans 5; 1 Corinthians 15:45)-Cain and Abel, Ishmael and Isaac, Esau and Jacob, David and Saul-and Bible history culminates in Christ and Antichrist. Two men, two ways, two destinies." [Note: Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary: Old Testament Wisdom and Poetry, p. 85.]

Gann's Commentary on the Bible

Book Comments

Walking Thru The Bible

PSALMS

INTRODUCTION

A.    The Hebrew title of the Psalms (sepher tehillim) means "book of praises." The Greek version of the OT bears the title Psalmoi, from this we get the English title, "Psalms."

    1.    The Psalms were for the Jewish nation both prayer book and hymnbook. It is, of course, the longest book of the Bible.

    2.    The book was originally organized as five volumes, with each volume closing with a doxology psalm. The last (Psa 150) forms an appropriate doxology for the entire book.

            Book I        contains Psalms 1-41

            Book II        contains Psalms 41-72

            Book III    contains Psalms 73-89

            Book IV    contains Psalms 90-106

            Book V        contains Psalms 107-150

    3.    It seems likely since certain psalms appear in more than one collection, that each book was complied somewhat independently. (e.g. Psa. 14 and part of Psa. 40 of Book I appear as Psa. 53 and Psa. 70 in Book II; and the latter halves of Psa. 57 and Psa. 60 of Book II appear as Psa.108 in Book V.)

B.    AUTHORSHIP

    1.    ONE is ascribed to Moses, Psalms 90:1.

    2.    SEVENTY-THREE are ascribed to David.

                Book I consists wholly of David’s songs; his name prefixed to all except 1 & 2, which are the preface; 10 which is a part of 9; and 33 which appears as an example of the last verse of Psa. 32.

            Book II eight psalms, 51-65 and 68-70.

            Book III one psalms, 86.

            Book IV two, 101, 103.

            Book V fifteen, 108-110, 122, 124,131,133, 138-145.

    3.        TWO are ascribed to Solomon, that is, "to" or "for" him, (72 & 127). Psalms 72:1, Psalms 72:20 indicates that it was written by David, as a prayer for divine guidance of his son Solomon. If 127 was likewise written by David for Solomon it is forecasting the building of the Temple. If it was written by Solomon, it reflects the building of it (Cf. I Kings 8 and 1 Kings 4:32).

    4.        ELEVEN Psalms are ascribed "to" or "for" the "Sons of Korah" whose names are not recorded. Psa.42, 44-49, 84, 85, 87, 88. Korah’s children did not all perish with him (1 Chronicles 6:22, 1 Chronicles 6:27; 1 Chronicles 9:19; 1 Chronicles 26:1; 2 Chronicles 20:19). They were eminent musicians at the time of David and Solomon.

    5.        TWELVE are ascribed to Asaph, a celebrated Levite, and Chief of the choirs of Israel in the time of David (1 Chronicles 16:4-5). Psalms 50:1, Psalms 73:1 Psalms 83:1. Asaph is a combination poet and the philosopher. His subject matter is doctrinal and perspective. His style is more vehement than David’s.

    6.        ONE EACH is ascribed to the sages of Heman and Ethan, who were the sons of Zerah (1 Chronicles 2:6), and flourished during the captivity. Psalms 88:1, 89. However Psa.88 is also connected with the sons of Korah.

    7.    TWENTY-FOUR have no inscription of any kind.

            Book I         -- 1, 2, 10, 33

            Book II        -- 43, 71

            Book IV    -- 91, 93-97, 99, 104, 105

            Book V        -- 107, 114-119, 136, 137

            (The New Testament writers attribute certain of these to David: Psa. 2 in Acts 4; and Psa. 95 in Heb. 3 & 4).

C.    Classification of the Psalms according to Subject.

    1.        Prayers-- For pardon of sin; under affliction and persecution; relative to public worship expressing trust in God; declaring the psalmists’ integrity;for defeat of enemies.

    2.        Thanksgiving-- For mercies shown.

    3.        Psalms of Praise-- Declaring God’s goodness and mercy; declaring God’s power, majesty, and glory.

    4.        Psalms and Instruction-- Showing the blessings of God’s people and the misery of His enemies; the excellence of God’s law; the vanity of human life without God.

    5.        Prophetical and Typical Psalms-- (Messianic, etc.)

    6.        Historical Psalms-- The creation (Psalms 8:5); Covenant established with Abraham (Psalms 105:9-11); Deliverance from Egypt (Psalms 78:1 & Psalms 78:1).

D.    Superscriptions:

An interesting and difficult feature of the book of Psalms are the explanatory notes attached to the individual psalms.

    1.    "For the Chief Musician." This note is attached to fifty-five psalms. It refers to the leaders of the temple singers and so is translated "choirmaster" by the RSV. "To the Choirmaster" would mean instructions to the choirmaster as to how the particular psalms was to be sung. Thus in the RSV of Psa.4 we have a clear statement of directions: "To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments," i.e., this psalms is to be sung with stringed instruments. This shows the psalms was specially meant for the Temple (tabernacle) worship.

    2.    "Song of Degrees" (Psa. 120-134). The ASV and RSV translate this "Song of Ascents." It refers undoubtedly to a group of psalms that were sung by the Jews on their way up to Jerusalem to keep the annual feasts (cf. Psalms 122:1-4).

    3.    "Maskil" This term is found at the top of thirteen psalms. The word means "instructions" and denotes these psalms as didactic (teaching) in nature.

    4.    "Michtam" (Ps. 16, 56-60) The meaning of this term is unknown. In rabbinical writings it is taken to mean "a golden poem."

    5.    "On Neginoth" This word appears with six psalms and means "with stringed instruments." The ASV and RSV have greatly helped their readers by giving this translation.

    6.    "Upon Nehiloth" means "on wind instruments," probably flutes.

    7.    Other terms:

        a.    There are many other unfamiliar terms also-- for example, Psa.9 "upon Muth-labbed" ("Death of the Son") this means "set to the tune of a song entitled Muthlabben.

        b.    "Selah" occurs seventy-one times, but its precise meaning remains unknown. The word seems to mean "to raise up" and could be instructions for crescendo, or for the lifting the hand to silence to allow a musical interlude, etc.

SUMMARY

    The Psalms express the "heartbeat" or the outpouring of the emotions and personal feelings of God’s people. Men and women everywhere can identify their lot in life with that of the psalmists.     The Psalms tend to display and illustrate the character of our LORD and to enforce the character which His servants are called upon to display.

    In every experience of our own, no matter how deep the pain or great the frustration or how exhilarating the joy, we can find psalms which echo our innermost thoughts; psalms which God used to bring comfort or to confirm to us that He understands.

    The Psalms were used in public worship and private devotions in both ages. In them we share every thought and feeling with our LORD.

SERMON OUTLINE

"Let Us Go Into The House of the Lord"

Psalms 122:1

1.    We see in these words the pleasure which David took in approaching the house of the Lord for worship unto his God.

2.    It is God’s will and command that we worship Him in public worship. Acts 2:42, Acts 2:46; Acts 11:26; Acts 20:7; Hebrews 10:24-25.

I.    THE CALL TO WORSHIP-- "Let us go into the house of the Lord."

A.    WHY WORSHIP? Why have we assembled this morning?

    1.    Because it is a natural and necessary thing for man to do.

    2.    Because worship makes the worshiper like the things he worships. 2 Corinthians 3:18

    3.    Because in worship we are reminded of values which the world makes us forget. Hebrews 11:1.

    4.    Because worship is an experience that rebukes the sin in one’s life. Psalms 42:2; Psalms 84:2.

B.    WHAT IS WORSHIP? WHAT WORSHIP DOES--

    1.    "Religion: is re-tieing man to God. ["Religion" is from the root of the word "ligament."] Worship is the celebration of our religion.

    2.    Our Worship strengthens our religion. It reminds us what God has done for us... It reminds us of our relationship... It reminds us of power available... It renews our commitment ....

II.    THE PLACE OF WORSHIP -- "Let us go into the house of the Lord."

A.    God’s house in the O.T. was the temple -- 1 Kings 8:27

B.    God’s house is His church -- 1 Timothy 3:15; Ephesians 2:22; 1 Peter 1:1

III. THE SPIRIT OF WORSHIP --"I was glad when they said unto me..."

A.    David sure it did him good to "go into the house of the Lord."

B.    True spirit of worship demands reverence-- Psalms 1:1. Hebrews 1:1.

C.    The worship of the apostolic Christian was truly an offering of the heart-- 1 Corinthians 14:15; Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16; Hebrews 10:22

        1.    Worship should be a happy, joyful, uplifting experience.

IV.    WHY WE SHOULD NEVER FORSAKE THE WORSHIP--

A.    On God’s account -- 1 Peter 3:12

B.    On Christ’s account -- Matthew 18:20

C.    For the sake of the church -- 1 Corinthians 12:27; Ephesians 5:30

D.    For our own sake -- Matthew 6:33

CONCLUSION

1.    Let us say with David, "I was glad when ... "

2. The church says in the words of Moses, "Come thou with us, and we will do thee good." (Numbers 10:29).

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Verse Comments

Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

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 Psalms 1:2. The words may be rendered, "O, the blessednesses of the man", or "of this man" l; 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 man m,''

who answers to the following characters; which right walking of his is next observed, and his prosperity in Psalms 1:3. Some have interpreted this psalm of Christ, and think it is properly spoken of him n;

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 word o 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 word p 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 Psalms 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.

l אשרי האיש "beatitudines illius viri", Montanus, Vatablus, Gejerus. m "Recti incessus, felices progressus, ac prosperi successus", Michaelis; so Piscator. n Justinian. in Octapl. Psalt, in loc. Romualdus apud Mabillon. Itinerar. Ital. p. 181. o רשעים "significat eos qui sine quiete et indesinenter impie degunt", Vatablus. p הטאים "qui longissime aberrant a scopo legis"; Gerjerus.

Henry's Complete Commentary on the Bible

      1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.   2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.   3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

      The psalmist begins with the character and condition of a godly man, that those may first take the comfort of that to whom it belongs. Here is,

      I. A description of the godly man's spirit and way, by which we are to try ourselves. The Lord knows those that are his by name, but we must know them by their character; for that is agreeable to a state of probation, that we may study to answer to the character, which is indeed both the command of the law which we are bound in duty to obey and the condition of the promise which we are bound in interest to fulfil. The character of a good man is here given by the rules he chooses to walk by and to take his measures from. What we take at our setting out, and at every turn, for the guide of our conversation, whether the course of this world or the word of God, is of material consequence. An error in the choice of our standard and leader is original and fatal; but, if we be right here, we are in a fair way to do well.

      1. A godly man, that he may avoid the evil, utterly renounces the companionship of evil-doers, and will not be led by them (Psalms 1:1; Psalms 1:1): He walks not in the council of the ungodly, c. This part of his character is put first, because those that will keep the commandments of their God must say to evil-doers, Depart from us (Psalms 119:115), and departing from evil is that in which wisdom begins. (1.) He sees evil-doers round about him the world is full of them; they walk on every side. They are here described by three characters, ungodly, sinners, and scornful. See by what steps men arrive at the height of impiety. Nemo repente fit turpissimus--None reach the height of vice at once. They are ungodly first, casting off the fear of God and living in the neglect of their duty to him: but they rest not there. When the services of religion are laid aside, they come to be sinners, that is, they break out into open rebellion against God and engage in the service of sin and Satan. Omissions make way for commissions, and by these the heart is so hardened that at length they come to be scorners, that is, they openly defy all that is sacred, scoff at religion, and make a jest of sin. Thus is the way of iniquity down-hill; the bad grow worse, sinners themselves become tempters to others and advocates for Baal. The word which we translate ungodly signifies such as are unsettled, aim at no certain end and walk by no certain rule, but are at the command of every lust and at the beck of every temptation. The word for sinners signifies such as are determined for the practice of sin and set it up as their trade. The scornful are those that set their mouths against the heavens. These the good man sees with a sad heart; they are a constant vexation to his righteous soul. But, (2.) He shuns them wherever he sees them. He does not do as they do; and, that he may not, he does not converse familiarly with them. [1.] He does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly. He is not present at their councils, nor does he advise with them; though they are ever so witty, and subtle, and learned, if they are ungodly, they shall not be the men of his counsel. He does not consent to them, nor say as they say,Luke 23:51. He does not take his measures from their principles, nor act according to the advice which they give and take. The ungodly are forward to give their advice against religion, and it is managed so artfully that we have reason to think ourselves happy if we escape being tainted and ensnared by it. [2.] He stands not in the way of sinners; he avoids doing as they do; their way shall not be his way; he will not come into it, much less will he continue in it, as the sinner does, who sets himself in a way that is not good,Psalms 36:4. He avoids (as much as may be) being where they are. That he may not imitate them, he will not associate with them, nor choose them for his companions. He does not stand in their way, to be picked up by them (Proverbs 7:8), but keeps as far from them as from a place or person infected with the plague, for fear of the contagion, Proverbs 4:14; Proverbs 4:15. He that would be kept from harm must keep out of harm's way. [3.] He sits not in the seat of the scornful; he does not repose himself with those that sit down secure in their wickedness and please themselves with the searedness of their own consciences. He does not associate with those that sit in close cabal to find out ways and means for the support and advancement of the devil's kingdom, or that sit in open judgment, magisterially to condemn the generation of the righteous. The seat of the drunkards is the seat of the scornful,Psalms 69:12. Happy is the man that never sits in it, Hosea 7:5.

      2. A godly man, that he may do that which is good and cleave to it, submits to the guidance of the word of God and makes that familiar to him, Psalms 1:2; Psalms 1:2. This is that which keeps him out of the way of the ungodly and fortifies him against their temptations. By the words of thy lips I have kept me from the path of the deceiver,Psalms 17:4. We need not court the fellowship of sinners, either for pleasure or for improvement, while we have fellowship with the word of God and with God himself in and by his word. When thou awakest it shall talk with thee,Proverbs 6:22. We may judge of our spiritual state by asking, "What is the law of God to us? What account do we make of it? What place has it in us?" See here, (1.) The entire affection which a good man has for the law of God: His delight is in it. He delights in it, though it be a law, a yoke, because it is the law of God, which is holy, just, and good, which he freely consents to, and so delights in, after the inner man,Romans 7:16; Romans 7:22. All who are well pleased that there is a God must be well pleased that there is a Bible, a revelation of God, of his will, and of the only way to happiness in him. (2.) The intimate acquaintance which a good man keeps up with the word of God: In that law doth he meditate day and night; and by this it appears that his delight is in it, for what we love we love to think of, Psalms 119:97. To meditate in God's word is to discourse with ourselves concerning the great things contained in it, with a close application of mind, a fixedness of thought, till we be suitably affected with those things and experience the savour and power of them in our hearts. This we must do day and night; we must have a constant habitual regard to the word of God as the rule of our actions and the spring of our comforts, and we must have it in our thoughts, accordingly, upon every occasion that occurs, whether night or day. No time is amiss for meditating on the word of God, nor is any time unseasonable for those visits. We must not only set ourselves to meditate on God's word morning and evening, at the entrance of the day and of the night, but these thought should be interwoven with the business and converse of every day and with the repose and slumbers of every night. When I awake I am still with thee.

      II. An assurance given of the godly man's happiness, with which we should encourage ourselves to answer the character of such. 1. In general, he is blessed,Psalms 5:1. God blesses him, and that blessing will make him happy. Blessednesses are to him, blessings of all kinds, of the upper and nether springs, enough to make him completely happy; none of the ingredients of happiness shall be wanting to him. When the psalmist undertakes to describe a blessed man, he describes a good man; for, after all, those only are happy, truly happy, that are holy, truly holy; and we are more concerned to know the way to blessedness than to know wherein that blessedness will consist. Nay, goodness and holiness are not only the way to happiness (Revelation 22:14) but happiness itself; supposing there were not another life after this, yet that man is a happy man that keeps in the way of his duty. 2. His blessedness is here illustrated by a similitude (Psalms 1:3; Psalms 1:3): He shall be like a tree, fruitful and flourishing. This is the effect, (1.) Of his pious practice; he meditates in the law of God, turns that in succum et sanguinem--into juice and blood, and that makes him like a tree. The more we converse with the word of God the better furnished we are for every good word and work. Or, (2.) Of the promised blessing; he is blessed of the Lord, and therefore he shall be like a tree. The divine blessing produces real effects. It is the happiness of a godly man, [1.] That he is planted by the grace of God. These trees were by nature wild olives, and will continue so till they are grafted anew, and so planted by a power from above. Never any good tree grew of itself; it is the planting of the Lord, and therefore he must in it be glorified. Isaiah 61:3, The trees of the Lord are full of sap. [2.] That he is placed by the means of grace, here called the rivers of water, those rivers which make glad the city of our God (Psalms 46:4); from these a good man receives supplies of strength and vigour, but in secret undiscerned ways. [3.] That his practices shall be fruit, abounding to a good account, Philippians 4:17. To those whom God first blessed he said, Be fruitful (Genesis 1:22), and still the comfort and honour of fruitfulness are a recompense for the labour of it. It is expected from those who enjoy the mercies of grace that, both in the temper of their minds and in the tenour of their lives, they comply with the intentions of that grace, and then they bring forth fruit. And, be it observed to the praise of the great dresser of the vineyard, they bring forth their fruit (that which is required of them) in due season, when it is most beautiful and most useful, improving every opportunity of doing good and doing it in its proper time. [4.] That his profession shall be preserved from blemish and decay: His leaf also shall not wither. As to those who bring forth only the leaves of profession, without any good fruit, even their leaf will wither and they shall be as much ashamed of their profession as ever they were proud of it; but, if the word of God rule in the heart, that will keep the profession green, both to our comfort and to our credit; the laurels thus won shall never wither. [5.] That prosperity shall attend him wherever he goes, soul-prosperity. Whatever he does, in conformity to the law, it shall prosper and succeed to his mind, or above his hope.

      In singing Psalms 1:1-3, being duly affected with the malignant and dangerous nature of sin, the transcendent excellencies of the divine law, and the power and efficacy of God's grace, from which our fruit is found, we must teach and admonish ourselves, and one another, to watch against sin and all approaches towards it, to converse much with the word of God, and abound in the fruit of righteousness; and, in praying over them, we must seek to God for his grace both to fortify us against every evil word and work and to furnish us for every good word and work.