3. like a tree— (Jeremiah 17:7; Jeremiah 17:8). planted—settled, fast. by—or, "over." the rivers—canals for irrigation. shall prosper—literally, "make prosper," brings to perfection. The basis of this condition and character is given (Jeremiah 17:8- :). read more
1. The blessed person 1:1-3 read more
Psalms 1This 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... read more
The godly allows the Word of God (Heb. torah, i.e., instruction that comes from God) to shape his conduct rather than the wicked. One expositor saw Jesus Christ as the ultimately godly person profiled in this psalm. [Note: Harry A. Ironside, Studies on Book One of the Psalms, pp. 8-13.] His meditation on it involves prolonged thinking about it that takes place in study and review throughout the day."Meditation is not the setting apart of a special time for personal devotions, whether morning or... read more
All who delight in and meditate on God’s law will prosper like a flourishing fruit tree (cf. Psalms 92:12-14). Their fruit will appear at the proper time, not necessarily immediately, and their general spiritual health, represented by the leaves, will be good. Usually the fruit God said He would produce in the lives of most Old Testament believers was physical prosperity (cf. Deuteronomy 28:1-14). The fruit a Christian bears is mainly a transformed character and godly conduct (cf. Galatians... read more
This Ps. forms an appropriate introduction to the whole Psalter. In some Hebrew MSS it is not numbered with the Psalms, but stands before them as a prologue, and in others it is combined with Psalms 2. It is one of the ’orphan’ psalms, and the want of a title indicates that it did not originally belong to the Davidic collection, 3-41. The subject of the Ps. is the blessedness of the righteous man who studies the Law of Jehovah, as contrasted with the unhappy end of the ungodly. It consists of... read more
Book 1The Pss. in this book are probably among the earliest in the Psalter, and include most of those generally regarded as Davidic. They seem to have existed separately as an early hymn-book, which, with some slight additions from the final editor, was used as the nucleus of the entire collection. They have two wellmarked characteristics: (1) the constant use of the name Jehovah (rendered the Lord), and the comparative absence of the name God (Heb. Elohim); the former occurring 272 times, the... read more
(2) But.—The Hebrew is an elliptical expression implying a strong contrast, “nay but,” “on the contrary.”The positive side of a good man’s character is now described according to the standard which prevailed when the written law first came truly into force.In the law of Jehovah is his delight.—Or, to the law of Jehovah is his inclination. The Hebrew word means primarily “to bend.”Meditate.—Literally, murmur (of a dove, Isaiah 38:14; of men lamenting, Isaiah 16:7; of a lion growling, Isaiah... read more
(3) And he.—Better, So is he. For the image so forcible in an Eastern clime, where vegetation depends on proximity to a stream, comp. Psalms 52:8; Psalms 92:12; Isaiah 44:4; and its development in Jeremiah 17:7-8. The full moral bearing of the image appears in our Lord’s parabolic saying, “a good tree cannot bring forth corrupt fruit, nor an evil tree good fruit.” The physical growth of a tree has in all poetry served as a ready emblem of success, as its decay has of failure. (Recall Wolsey’s... read more
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Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Psalms 1:2
2. law—all of God's word then written, especially the books of Moses (compare Psalms 119:1; Psalms 119:55; Psalms 119:97, &c.). read more