Verse three uses a simile to describe what a blessed man will be like if he follows the instructions; He will be “like a tree planted by the rivers of water…” This is not the only time that this simile is used in Scripture, as it is seen in the Book of Jeremiah with similar language.[1]
Results of Obedience
The simile in Jeremiah is used to describe a man whose trust and hope is in the LORD and has promises attached to it.[2] R.E.O. White stated that “The life of such a man is ever fresh and fruitful, like a deep-rooted riverside tree.”[3] He describes a healthy tree planted in an environment that has allowed its roots to grow deep.
Note that the tree is planted, it has not grown wild. It was set in a particular place, by “rivers of water.” It has the implication that it was planted in a garden or grove for a specific purpose, for its own health, but also to bear fruit.
The tree does not benefit much from the fruit, unless it falls to the ground below, decomposes, and offers nutrients to itself and the surrounding environment. However, it has the potential to benefit the environment as a whole and a person might be nourished as it is plucked off the branch.
It will also have leaves that “shall not wither” and whatever the blessed man does will “prosper,” just like the promise that is attached to God’s imperative in Joshua. In the next verse, the results of the wicked will be described with another simile.
Results of Disobedience
In verse four, the ungodly will be “like chaff which the wind drives away.” This Hebrew word for chaff is used eight times in the OT.[4] All are used in similes and seven are related to the ungodly or the enemy.
This seed covering will not be like the firmly planted tree but, dry and parched, it will be driven away by the slightest breeze. In the NT, the chaff will be burned up with unquenchable fire (Matthew 3:12, Luke 3:17).
The psalmist’s use of similes describes a stark difference between the blessed and the ungodly. There does not appear to be room for anything in between. Furthermore, the psalmist now plainly states that the ungodly and sinner will not stand in judgment, nor in the congregation of the righteous (Psalm 1:5).
Obedience Versus Disobedience
The final verse, again, shows the stark difference between the blessed man, who is in right standing with the LORD, and the ungodly. The LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish (Psalm 1:6). The psalmist has done this with another parallelism, but this time it is an antithetic parallelism, whereby the second line is opposite of the first line.
Also noted is the same Hebrew word for “path”, in verse one, is used again in the final verse, but this time it is translated as “way.” There is another definition of this Hebrew word that fits better, considering the context. Way can also mean “conduct, way of life…” Therefore, the Lord is holy and only knows the conduct of the righteous.
In contrast, the way, or conduct, of the ungodly will perish. It will be burned up like the chaff mentioned in the NT (Matthew 3:12, Luke 3:17).
It is important to point out the first psalm in the Hebrew book of praises is a poem that consists of instruction. It could also be classified as a wisdom psalm. Its wording makes it seem like it would be right at home in the book of Proverbs. Why does the book of praises start out with these instructions and with a comparison about the righteous and the ungodly?
Order
There is evidence of order throughout Scripture. It starts with the orderly creation of the heavens and the earth in Genesis and ends with the orderly creation of the new heavens and the new earth in Revelation. The Book of Psalms is filled with evidence of divine order. The book starts with instructions on how to live and ends with the high praise contained in Psalm 150.
Structure is also seen in the psalmist’s use of acrostics. One example is explained as follows, “… (Ps 34) has only 22 verses, since the first word of each verse begins with a Heb. letter in alphabetic order.”[5] However, the best example is seen in the longest chapter in the Bible; Psalm 119. As pointed out in The New Unger’s Bible Dictionary, “Each strophe has eight lines, each beginning with the same letter, the first eight lines beginning with Aleph, the next with Beth, and so on.”[6]
The final example of order is also presented from the book of Psalms. Robert Jamieson et al. explained the progression found in Psalm 22, 23, and 24 in this way “Thus Psalm 22 plainly portrays the dying agonies of Messiah; Psalm 23, His peaceful rest in Paradise after His death on the cross; and Psalm 24, His glorious ascension into heaven.”[7]
Psalm 1 was placed in its position for a specific purpose. It was placed first among the 150 chapters of this ancient book of praise. There are no accidents nor coincidences in the Word of God. He is a God of structure and order. He is the creator of all things. He creates everything with a purpose; to fulfill His will and for His pleasure.
While much more could be said about the divine order found throughout Scripture, these few examples show that it is highly likely that the first psalm was placed at the beginning of the book for a purpose.
Stay tuned for the final section, part 5, for the practical application of this passage.
References
[1] For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the river, And will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit. The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982), (Jeremiah 17:8).
[2] Ibid.
[3] R. E. O. White, “Psalms,” in Evangelical Commentary on the Bible, vol. 3, Baker Reference Library (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1995), 374.
[4] Job 21:18, Psalms 1:4, 35:5, Isaiah 17:13, 29:5, 41:15, Hosea 13:3, and Zephaniah 2:2.
[5] G. Herbert Livingston, “Acrostic,” ed. Charles F. Pfeiffer, Howard F. Vos, and John Rea, The Wycliffe Bible Encyclopedia (Moody Press, 1975).
[6] Merrill Frederick Unger et al., The New Unger’s Bible Dictionary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1988).
[7] Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset, and David Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, 11.
Dan Buteau has been married for the last 33 years and is a father of four adult children. He is also a grandfather to five children. He serves as a Pastor at a church in southern Maine. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Math Studies from Granite State University and he is currently a Master’s of Theology student at Liberty University. In addition, Dan served in the United States Marine Corps for four years and is retired from a 25-year career in law enforcement. He has a hunger and thirst for the Word of God and is continuing to obey the calling of his Savior, Jesus Christ, as he carries out the Great Commission.
