Psalm 1
Psalm 1 is the first psalm of the Book of Psalms, beginning in the English King James Version: "Blessed is the man". The Book of Psalms is part of the third section of the Hebrew Bible, and a book of the Christian Old Testament. In Latin, this psalm is known as Beatus vir or Beatus vir, qui non abiit.
The psalm is a regular part of Jewish, Catholic, Anglican, and Protestant liturgies.
Text
Hebrew Bible version
Following is the Hebrew text of Psalm 1:| Verse | Hebrew |
| 1 | אַֽשְֽׁרֵ֥י הָאִ֗ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֚ר לֹ֥א הָלַךְ֘ בַּֽעֲצַ֪ת רְשָׁ֫עִ֥ים וּבְדֶ֣רֶךְ חַ֖טָּאִים לֹ֥א עָמָ֑ד וּבְמוֹשַׁ֥ב לֵ֜צִ֗ים לֹ֣א יָשָֽׁב |
| 2 | כִּ֚י אִ֥ם־בְּתוֹרַ֥ת יְהֹוָ֗ה חֶ֫פְצ֥וֹ וּבְתֽוֹרָת֥וֹ יֶהְ֜גֶּ֗ה יוֹמָ֥ם וָלָֽיְלָה |
| 3 | יִתֵּ֬ן בְּעִתּ֗וֹ וְ֖עָלֵהוּ לֹ֣א יִבּ֑וֹל וְכֹ֖ל אֲשֶׁר־יַֽעֲשֶׂ֣ה יַצְלִֽיחַ |
| 4 | לֹא־כֵ֥ן הָֽרְשָׁעִ֑ים כִּ֥י אִם־כַּ֜מֹּ֗ץ אֲשֶׁר־תִּדְּפֶ֥נּוּ רֽוּחַ |
| 5 | לֹֽא־יָקֻ֣מוּ רְ֖שָׁעִים בַּמִּשְׁפָּ֑ט וְ֜חַטָּאִ֗ים בַּֽעֲדַ֥ת צַדִּיקִֽים |
| 6 | כִּֽי־יוֹדֵ֣עַ יְ֖הֹוָה דֶּ֣רֶךְ צַדִּיקִ֑ים וְדֶ֖רֶךְ רְשָׁעִ֣ים תֹּאבֵֽד |
King James Version
- 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.
- But his delight is in the law of the ; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
- 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 ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.
- Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
- For the knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.
Numbering
Background and themes
Beatus vir, "Blessed is the man..." in Latin, are the first words in the Vulgate Bible of both Psalm 1 and Psalm 112. In illuminated manuscript psalters the start of the main psalms text was traditionally marked by a large Beatus initial for the "B" of "Beatus", and the two opening words are often much larger than the rest of the text. Between them these often take up a whole page. Beatus initials have been significant in the development of manuscript painting, as the location of several developments in the use of initials as the focus of painting.Patrick D. Miller suggests that Psalm 1 "sets the agenda for the Psalter through its "identification of the way of the righteous and the way of the wicked as well as their respective fates" along with "its emphasis on the Torah, the joy of studying it and its positive benefits for those who do". Stephen Dempster suggests that the psalm serves also as an introduction to the Writings, the third section of the Tanakh. Dempster points out the similarities between Psalm 1:2–3 and – in both passages, the one who meditates on the law prospers:
Like many of the psalms, it contrasts the "righteous" person with the "wicked" or "ungodly" or the "sinner". The righteous person is one who takes care to know the laws of God and so has good judgment and avoids bad company. The result is the ability to withstand difficult times in life supported by God's protection. On the other hand, the wicked person's behavior makes them vulnerable to disaster, like chaff blowing away in the wind. The point that the wicked and the righteous will not mingle at the judgment is clearly stated by the writer. The path the wicked have chosen leads to destruction, and at the judgment they receive the natural consequences of that choice.
The righteous man is compared to a tree planted by a stream. His harvest is plentiful, and whatever he does flourishes. The prophet Jeremiah wrote a similar passage: “But blessed is the man who trusts in the, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream.” He elaborated: “It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” Jeremiah implied that an advantage of trusting in the was the ability to withstand difficult times.
Uses
Judaism
Psalms 1, 2, 3, and 4 are recited on Yom Kippur night after Maariv.Verse 1 is quoted in the Mishnah in Pirkei Avot, wherein Haninah ben Teradion explains that a group of people that does not exchange words of Torah is an example of the psalm's "company of scoffers".
Psalm 1 is recited to prevent a miscarriage.
In the Talmud it is stated that Psalm 1 and Psalm 2 were counted as one composition and David's favorite as he used the word "ashrei" in the opening phrase of Psalm 1 and the closing phrase of Psalm 2.
Christianity
In the Church of England's Book of Common Prayer, Psalm 1 is appointed to be read on the morning of the first day of the month.English poet John Milton translated Psalm 1 into English verse in 1653. Scottish poet Robert Burns wrote a paraphrase of it, referring to "the man, in life wherever plac'd,... who walks not in the wicked's way, nor learns their guilty lore!"
Some see the Law and the work of the Messiah set side by side in Psalms 1 and 2, 18 and 19, 118 and 119. They see the law and the Messiah opening the book of Psalms.
Book 1 of the Psalms begins and ends with 'the blessed man': the opening in Psalms 1–2 and the closing in Psalms 40–41. Theologian Hans Boersma notes that "beautifully structured, the first book concludes just as it started". Many see the 'blessed man being Jesus'.
Musical settings
Music artist Kim Hill recorded a contemporary setting of Psalm 1.The Psalms Project released its musical composition of Psalm 1 on the first volume of its album series in 2012.