Psalm 1:1-2

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Psalms 1:2

But his delight - His pleasure; his happiness. Instead of finding his happiness in the society and the occupations of the wicked, he finds it in the truth of God. The law or truth of God is not distasteful to him, but he so delights in it as to desire to become more and more acquainted with it, and to have its truths impressed more and more on his heart.In the law of the Lord - The law of Yahweh - the small capitals in the translation indicating here as elsewhere that the original word is... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Psalms 1:1

Psalms 1:1. Blessed is the man The Hebrew words are very emphatical: Blessedness belongs to that man; or, O the blessedness of that man! Blessedness here means happiness. And the character of the truly happy man is described in this Psalm both negatively, in his abstaining from sin; and positively, in his practice of a most important duty, introductory to all other duties. It is then illustrated by a beautiful similitude, borrowed from vegetation; and, lastly, contrasted with the... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Psalms 1:2

Psalms 1:2. But his delight is in the law of the Lord In the study and practice of it, as appears from the context. Having described the character of the truly blessed man negatively, in the preceding verse, he, in this, speaks of it positively. The law of God may be here understood of the whole doctrine delivered by God to his church, consisting of doctrines, precepts, promises, and threatenings, &c.; or more particularly of the preceptive part of it, which is commonly called his... read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Psalms 1:1-6

Pslam 1 The godly and the ungodlyThis 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... read more

E.W. Bullinger

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - Psalms 1:1

TITLE, Psalms. See App-63 and the Structures on pp. 720, 721. Compare Luke 20:42 , Luke 24:44 , Acts 1:20 . BLESSED = How Happy. The first Psalm begins thus and Psalm 2 ends thus. So does the last Psalm of Book I: Psalms 41:1 ; Psalms 41:13 ). Figure of speech Antiptosis ( App-6 ). Compare Jeremiah 17:7 , Jeremiah 17:8 . See App-63 . for the Beatitudes in the Psalms. man. Hebrew ' ish . Put by Figure of speech Synecdoche (of Species), App-6 , for all of both sexes. walketh, &c: i.e.... read more

E.W. Bullinger

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - Psalms 1:2

the law = instruction: i.e. the whole Pentateuch which contains it. meditate: i.e. continually and habitually. read more

James Burton Coffman

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Psalms 1:1

BOOK I: PSALMS 1-41PSALM 1THE RIGHTEOUS AND THE WICKED CONTRASTEDPsalms 1:1"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... read more

James Burton Coffman

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Psalms 1:2

"But his delight is in the law of Jehovah;And on his law doth he meditate day and night."In the last analysis, it is what men desire in their hearts that determines destiny. "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he" (Proverbs 23:7).Men who do not actually desire the glory of God and the ultimate triumph of truth and righteousness shall, of course, never attain any status of being acceptable to God."Meditate day and night ..." This earmark of any servant of God is precisely the reason why it is... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Psalms 1:1

The happiness of the godly; the unhappiness of the ungodly. Psalms 1:1. Blessed is the man— This Psalm is generally supposed to have been designed as a preface to the rest, and as a short luminary of the whole book. The subject of it is, the difference between pious and ungodly men, both in this life and in that which is to come: it was compared either by the collector of this book of Psalms, or by David himself, as Apollinarius and others think. Fenwick, in his introduction to this Psalm,... read more

Robert Jamieson; A. R. Fausset; David Brown

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Psalms 1:1

1. Blessed—literally, "oh, the happiness"—an exclamation of strong emotion, as if resulting from reflecting on the subject. The use of the plural may denote fulness and variety ( :-). counsel . . . way . . . seat—With their corresponding verbs, mark gradations of evil, as acting on the principles, cultivating the society, and permanently conforming to the conduct of the wicked, who are described by three terms, of which the last is indicative of the boldest impiety (compare Psalms 26:4; Psalms... read more

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