The Book of Psalm is divided into five sections, Ps 1-41 known as ‘book
one’ is the earliest collection and said to be the Psalms of David, perhaps put
together between 1000-900 BC (David F. Hinson, The Books of the OT). The Psalter begins with ‘beatitude,’ it’s
very first word is a word of comfort promising happiness to the God-fearing
people. The first psalm, standing at the entrance to the Psalter as a signpost,
gives clear guidance regarding the way in which they shall conduct their lives.
Presumably, the compiler of the Psalter deliberately assigned first place to
this psalm in order to call the reader to obedience to God’s will and to trust
in his providential rule.
Form: Psalm
1, by virtue of its language and content, must be classified as “Wisdom Psalm.”
Its terminology and teaching reflect the thought of the Wisdom Literature in
general and the Book of Proverbs in particular. This psalm was probably not
composed in the first instance for use in formal worship; rather, it must be
viewed as a literary and poetic composition, expressing with remarkable clarity
the polarity of persons and their destinies.
Structure: The structure may be set forth as follows: (i)
the solid foundation of the righteous (vv 1-3), (ii) the impermanence of the
wicked (vv 4-5), (iii) a contrast of the righteous and the wicked (v 6).
Within the overall structure, the psalmist
has made careful use of chiasmus,[1]
two parts chiastically arranged: - vv1-2 (A): the righteous person diligent in
the study of the Torah; v 3 (B): simile of a tree; v 4 (B): simile of chaff; vv
5-6 (A): the wicked and their fate.
Setting:
Ps 1 is regarded as introduction/preface to
the entire Psalter (NJBC) by most scholars.
As didactic poem, Ps 1 does not in the first instance have a cultic or social
setting; its primary setting is literary, for it forms an introduction to the
Psalter as a whole and has been placed in its present position by the editor or
compiler of the Psalter for that purpose. But, although the psalm is a distinct
and independent literary composition, there is some evidence, in both the early
Jewish and Christian traditions, to suggest that it was joined to Ps 2, and the
two psalms together were considered to be the first psalm of the Psalter. If
the two psalms were first joined in the Psalter, it maybe that they were
intended to provided a double perspective in introduction; Ps 1 provides an
introduction from the perspective of wisdom, whereas Ps 2 provides a prophetic
approach to the book. It has also been suggested that the two psalms were
joined together to form a coronation liturgy, perhaps for one of the last kings
of Judah; the king, at his coronation, pledged himself to fulfill the
Deuteronomic law of kings.
The solid foundation of the righteous (vv 1-3)
V 1. The righteous are introduced as the
“blessed” or “happy.” Their happy estate is not something given automatically
by God, but is a direct result of their activity. A person can be happy, from a
negative perspective, by avoiding the advice, the life style and the assembly
of wicked persons. The righteous person avoids all dimensions of the way of the
wicked; therein lies the source of blessedness or happiness.
V 2. But a person who is to be happy
must also engage in a positive task which is identified in v. 2 as being
related to the Torah, or
“instruction” which is specifically the instructions God gives to humankind as
a guide for life. The understanding of Torah
contributed to long life, peace and prosperity (Prov 3:1-2), for in its
words God has set down the nature of life which would reach the true
fulfillment for which it was created.
V 3. The happy estate of the righteous
is illuminated in v 3 by the simile of the tree. A tree may flourish or fade,
depending upon its location and access to water. The simile not only
illustrates colorfully the prosperity of the righteous, but also makes a
theological point. The state of blessedness or happiness is not a reward;
rather, it is the result of a particular type of life. Just as a tree with a
constant water supply naturally flourishes, so too the person who avoids evil
and delights in Torah naturally prospers, for such a person is living within
the guidelines set down by the Creator. Thus, the prosperity of the righteous
reflects the wisdom of a life lived according to the plan of life.
The wicked (vv 4-5)
V 4. “The wicked are not so” that is,
they shall not prosper as the righteous. The life of the wicked is summarized
succinctly in simile “chaff” that reflects the practice of winnowing grain at
harvest times. The chaff tossed into the air, blown away by the wind, some fell
on the floor; light and useless, disposed of by the farmer. The wicked are thus
depicted in the simile as lightweights, persons without real substance or
worth.
V 5. The lightness of the wicked is
elaborated in v 5. Where the righteous meet for the pursuit of justice and
government, the wicked have no place and are nor recognized. They live for
themselves and cannot participate in the affairs of those who live for others
and for righteousness.
The contrast (v 6)
V 6. In the last resort, human beings
are of two kinds. They may be righteous; if so, God protects their way. But
they may be wicked, and for the wicked, the final destiny is doom. The doom of
the wicked, as it is expressed in this psalm, is not primarily a punishment,
any more than the happiness of the righteous is a reward. Each is presented as
the natural outcome of a way of life which has been chosen.
Theological explanation: Psalm 1 elaborates on the principle of “the
fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Prov 1:7), with respect to human
behavior. The righteous person is the one whose “fear” (or reverence) of God
affects his daily living; he avoids evil and learns hoe lo live from God’s Torah, and therein lies his wisdom. The
wisdom, as expressed in this psalm, is essentially related to the presented
life; the psalm does not clearly evince any doctrine of future. The anticipated
prosperity is in present life, just as the failure of the wicked is to be a
present reality.
There is further
aspect of this psalm which is relevant to its application. In the last resort,
the principal wisdom of the psalm can be reduced to v 2; the prosperity and
happiness of the righteous depends upon their finding “delight” in the Lord’s Torah. But how is such delight to be
found? In practical terms, it is achieved by constant meditation upon the Torah (v 2b), which is God’s
instruction. As instruction, it contains guidance from the Creator as to the
meaning of creation. Life is lived in futility if it’s fundamental purpose is
never discovered. It is the meaning of human existence which is enshrined in the
Torah, and it is the discovery of
that meaning which flows from meditation upon Torah.
Conclusion: In the world
where materialism and globalization is rampant, various kinds of inhumanities
confront individual and society, which in turn, challenges Christian ethics.
However, at the time of psychological breakdown or physical suffering due to uncontrollable
circumstances; this psalm instills a hope for better order. One shall ripe what
s/he sown as seen from the instruction of the Lord; this is still relevant and
realistic. Being righteous or wicked in life destines the way of the
individual/community. While righteousness leads to prosperity, wickedness leads
to vanity. Therefore, one must choose wisely from the confusing multiple
choice world order, must concentrate on the right path.
References:
Brown, Raymond E., Joseph A. Fitzmyer and Roland E.
Murphy, eds. The New Jerome Biblical
Commentary. Bangalore: TPI, 2011. P. 527.
Craigie, Peter C. Word Biblical Commentary, volume
19, Psalms 1-50. Waco, Texas: Word Books, 1983. Pp. 60-61.
Weiser, Arthur. The Psalms: A Commentary. Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1962. P.
102.
[1] In rhetoric, chiasmus is the figure
of speech in which two or more clauses are
related to each other through a reversal of structures in order to make a
larger point; that is, the clauses display inverted parallelism. Chiasmus was particularly
popular in the literature of the ancient world, including Hebrew,
Greek,
and Latin, where
it was used to articulate the balance of order within the text. (Wikipedia
1/2/20016)
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