The Book of Psalms
Analysis
Analysis
BOOK I
Section 1: Saturday Vespers
Division 1:1
Psalm 1 KJV
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 Lord; 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 Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall
perish.
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%201&version=KJV
Psalm 1 KJV Paraphrase
Blessed [is] the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands
in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful. But, his delight [is] in the law of the Lord. In His law, he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the streams
of water, who brings forth his fruit in his season. His leaf also shall not wither. Whatever he does shall prosper.
The ungodly [are] not so: but [are]
like the chaff, which the wind drives away.
Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in
the congregation of the righteous. For
the Lord knows the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall
perish.
Psalm 1 MT with translation
אַ֥שְֽׁרֵי[1]־הָאִ֗ישׁ[2] אֲשֶׁ֤ר[3] ׀ לֹ֥א[4] הָלַךְ֮[5] בַּעֲצַ֪ת[6] רְשָׁ֫עִ֥ים[7] וּבְדֶ֣רֶךְ[8] חַ֭טָּאִים[9] לֹ֥א עָמָ֑ד[10] וּבְמֹושַׁ֥ב[11] לֵ֝צִ֗ים[12] לֹ֣א יָשָֽׁב[13]׃
כִּ֤י[14] אִ֥ם[15] בְּתֹורַ֥ת[16] יְהוָ֗ה[17] חֶ֫פְצֹ֥ו[18] וּֽבְתֹורָתֹ֥ו[19] יֶהְגֶּ֗ה[20] יֹומָ֥ם[21] וָלָֽיְלָה[22]׃
וְֽהָיָ֗ה[23] כְּעֵץ֮[24] שָׁת֪וּל[25] עַֽל[26]־פַּלְגֵ֫י[27] מָ֥יִם[28] אֲשֶׁ֤ר פִּרְיֹ֨ו[29] ׀ יִתֵּ֬ן[30] בְּעִתֹּ֗ו[31] וְעָלֵ֥הוּ[32] לֹֽא־יִבֹּ֑ול[33] וְכֹ֖ל[34] אֲשֶׁר־יַעֲשֶׂ֣ה[35] יַצְלִֽיחַ[36]׃
עַל־כֵּ֤ן
׀ לֹא־יָקֻ֣מוּ[41] רְ֭שָׁעִים
בַּמִּשְׁפָּ֑ט[42] וְ֝חַטָּאִ֗ים
בַּעֲדַ֥ת[43] צַדִּיקִֽים[44]׃[45]
Blessed[48] [is][49] the man
who not-walks in the advice of [the] wicked.[50] In the path of sinners, he not-stands.[51] [52] In the seat of scorners, he not-sits.[53] For if, in [the] Torah of יהוה, he
delights[54] himself; in His Torah, he meditates[55] day and
night. He is like [56]a tree
planted by streams of water, who, his fruit, he gives in his time.[57] His leaf not-withers. All that he does shall prosper.
Not true of the wicked. For if, as the chaff that is blown away by
wind, by truth, he not-arises,[58] [the]
wicked, in the judgment,[59] or sinners
in the assembly of [the] righteous.[60] For He knows, יהוה, [the] path of [the] righteous.[61] [The] path of [the] wicked
perishes.[62]
[1]
Construct of the masculine plural noun אֶשֶׁר: blessed or happy, the majestic or multiple blessings of. Psalms 1:1; 2:12; 32:1, 2; 33:12; 34:8; 40:4;
41:1; 65:4; 84:4, 5, 12; 89:15; 94:12; 106:3; 112:1; 119:1, 2; 127:5; 128:1, 2;
137:8, 9; 144:15, 15; 146:5. Blessed is
preferred: it stresses God’s gift; rather than human emotion as happiness does.
[2]
Man, applicable here to all mankind, having specific reference to Jesus Christ,
the perfect man, from Whom all men and women must derive their ultimate glory.
[3]
The generic indeclinable relative pronoun, originally a demonstrative, includes
personal pronouns, of all genders.
[4]
Adversative participle, including negative adverbs, indicates the absolute
negation of the following verb.
[5]
Kal preterit, third singular masculine of הָלַךְ: a broad nuance of going.
In Psalms, usually walk, but rivers run. Psalms 1:1; 26:1; 105:41; 119:3. Literally, walked not. The truth taught here is eternal, hence it is
taken characteristically here, walks not, or never walks.
[6]
Construct of the feminine singular noun עֵצׇה from יׇעַץ with prefix בַּ: advice or counsel. Psalms 1:1; 13:2; 14:6; 20:4; 33:10, 11;
73:24; 106:13, 43; 107:11; 119:24.
[7]
Masculine plural adjective of רׇשׇׁע from רׇשַׁע:
criminal, hater of God, lawbreaker, ungodly, wicked, as in opposition to the
whole of God’s kingdom, law, and will. Psalms 1:1, 4, 5, 6; 3:7; 7:9; 9:5, 16, 17; 10:2, 3, 4, 13,
15; 11:2, 5, 6; and many other places.
[8]
Masculine singular noun דֶּרֶךְ
from דׇרַךְ
with prefixes בְ and וּ: the beaten path, well
trod road, the way. Psalms
1:1, 6; 2:12; 5:8; 10:5; 18:21, 30, 32; 25:4, 8, 9, 12; and many other places.
[9]
Masculine plural noun of חַטׇּא from חׇטׇא:
sinner, stumbler, a fallen one, a bungler.
Psalms 1:1, 5; 25:8; 26:9; 51:13;
104:35.
[10]
Kal preterit, third singular masculine of עׇמַד: stand or serve. Psalms 1:1; 26:12;
38:11; 106:23; 119:91.
[11]
Construct of the masculine singular noun מוֹשַׁב from יׇשַׁב with prefixes בְ and וּ:
seat, dwelling. Psalm 1:1; 107:4, 7, 32,
36; 132:13.
[12]
Kal active masculine plural participle of לֵּץ from לוּץ: a twister, one who puts the worst
construction on every word, a mocker, scoffer, scorner.
[13]
Kal preterit, third singular masculine of ֹ יׇשׇׁבfrom
יׇשַׁב with prefixes בְ and וּ: sit, dwell, stay, abide, inhabit. Psalm 1:1; 9:4; 23:6; 26:4; 29:10; 47:8;
68:10; 69:35; 119:23; 122:5; and many other
places.
[14] A
particle usually introducing adversative, causal, exceptive, explanatory, or
temporal clauses: for. Gesenius and KJV
prefer adversative to the preceding use of not.
We prefer to include an explanatory nuance of the Blessed Man, who is a
lover of the Lord’s law. Is this adversative to wicked, sinners,
scorners? Yes, of course, but we still
prefer to include an explanatory nuance.
[15] A
particle usually introducing conditional clauses (protasis): if or since. The Man is blessed since (or because) he
loves the Lord’s law. Since (or because) he loves the Lord’s law, he thinks about it
ceaselessly. Having said this, we still
leave the literal, for if, in place. The
literal sense does not translate away, either the adversative or the
explanatory ideas. The literal
translation leaves the logical tension in the hands of the reader, forcing the
reader to consider both aspects. If
opens the door for the possibility that an individual may, or may not love the
Lord’s law. This is a free human choice to make. God does not coerce love from us.
[16]
Construct of the feminine singular noun תּוֹרׇה from יׇרׇה with prefix בְּ: literally Torah, law, teaching, shot
at, cast, throw. All five books of Moses
are in view. It is not accidental that
there are five books of Psalms corresponding to the five books of Moses. The Psalter has a consistent thematic
statement: namely, the praise of Torah.
This theme is introduced here, highlighted in Psalm 19, and climaxed in
Psalm 119. The Messianic King, provided
for in the Davidic Covenant, reigns from the same Torah that He also
wrote. It is important that interpreters
not take this to mean some subset of the Pentateuch. Psalm 1:2; 19:7; 37:31; 40:8;
78:1, 5, 10; 89:30; 94:12; 105:45; 119:1, 18, 29, 34, 44, 51, 53, 55, 61, 70,
72, 77, 85, 92, 97, 109, 113, 126, 136, 142, 150, 153, 163, 165, 174.
[17]
The Tetragrammaton, יהוה, The
Lord.
[18]
Kal preterit, third singular masculine of חׇפֵץ with reflexive suffix וֹ : he delights or pleases himself.
[19]
Feminine singular noun תּוֹרׇה
from יׇרׇה with prefixes בְ and וּ and
suffix וֹ: in
His Torah. וּ introducing the apodosis, is implied, so
“then” need not be stated.
[20]
Kal future, third singular masculine of הׇגׇה: he will meditate, taken
characteristically here, he meditates.
[21]
Masculine singular noun יוֹם
with suffix ׇם: day, daily, by day. The suffix extends and intensifies the
meaning: all day, every day. Psalm 1:2;
13:2; 22:2; 32:4; 42:3, 8; 55:10; 78:14; 91:5; 121:6.
[22]
Masculine singular noun לַיִל
with suffixed paragogic ׇה: night,
nightly, by night. The suffix extends
and intensifies the meaning: all night, every night. The two words, day and night, in these forms,
combine to mean all the time, continuously.
“Pray without ceasing.” The
preposition, by, adds little in the English language and is dropped. Psalm 1:2; and elsewhere.
[23]
Kal preterit, third singular masculine of הׇיׇה with prefix וְ: he was.
This is normal Hebrew style, continuing an imperfect with a perfect, taken characteristically here, he is.
[24]
Masculine singular noun עֵץ from עׇצׇה
with prefix כְּ: as or like a tree.
Psalm 1:3; 74:5; 96:12; 104:16; 105:33; 148:9.
[25]
Kal passive masculine singular participle of שׇׁתַל: planted.
Psalm 1:3; 92:13; 128:3.
[26]
Preposition from עׇלׇה:
with a root meaning of ascent or springing, hence: above, at, away, beside, by,
from, near, over, upon.
[27]
Construct of the masculine plural noun פֶּלֶג from פׇּלַג: divisions,
streams. Psalm 1:3; 46:4; 65:9;
119:136.
[28]
Masculine plural noun from מַי: waters. See Genesis
1:2. Psalm 1:3; 18:11, 15, 16;
22:14; 23:2; and many other places.
[29]
Masculine singular noun פְּרִי
from פׇּרׇה with third person singular masculine suffix וֹ: his
fruit. Psalm 1:3; 21:10; 58:11;
72:16; 104:13; 105:35; 107:34, 37; 127:3; 132:11; 148:9.
[30]
Kal future, third singular masculine of נׇתַן: he gives, yields, bears.
Psalm 1:3; 2:8; 14:7; and a very common
verb used in many other places.
[31]
Common singular noun עֵת from
עׇדׇה with prefix בְּ and third person singular masculine suffix וֹ: in his
time or season. Psalm 1:3; 4:7;
9:9; 10:1, 5; 21:9; 31:15; 32:6; 34:1; 37:19, 39; 62:8; 69:13; 71:9; 81:15;
102:13; 104:27; 105:19; 106:3; 119:20, 126; 145:15.
[32]
Masculine singular noun עׇלֶה
from עׇלׇה with prefix וְ and third person singular masculine suffix וּ: his
leaf. Psalm 1:3; only locus in
Psalms.
[33]
Kal future, third singular masculine of נׇבֵל: wither, fade (wilt, die?).
Psalm 1:3; 18:45; 37:2.
[34]
Masculine singular noun from כׇּלַל with prefix וְ:
complete, all, whole, everything. Psalm
1:3; 39:5; 51:19 (adjective).
[35]
Kal future, third singular masculine of עׇשׇׂה: work, labor, make, create, do.
Psalm 1:3; 37:5; 56:4, 11; 60:12; 66:15; 88:10; 106:19; 107:37;
108:13; 118:6; 119:84; 140:12; 145:19.
[36]
Hiphil future, third singular masculine of צׇלַח: pass, advance, flourish, prosper, succeed, to be or
become successful, shall prosper. Psalm
1:3; 37:7; 45:4; 118:25.
[37] [Construct
of the?] masculine singular adjective or adverb from כּֽוּן: so, established, prepared, fixed, true.
[38]
Masculine singular noun מֹץ from
מֽוּץ with prefix כַּ, adverb, roughly as: press, churn,
oppress, chaff, as the chaff. Psalm
1:4; 35:5.
[39]
Kal future, third singular feminine of נׇדַף, with third singular masculine suffix: to drive
about or away, scatter. Psalm
1:4; 68:2, 2.
[40]
Common singular noun from רֽוּחַ: breath, smell odor, wind.
Psalm 1:4; 11:6; 18:10, 15, 42; 31:5; 32:2; 33:6; 34:18; 35:5; and many other places.
[41] Defective for יׇקוּמוּ; Kal future, third singular feminine of קֽוּם: arise.
Psalm 1:5; 12:5; 24:3; 27:3; 35:11; 68:1; 78:6; 88:10; 94:16; 102:13;
119:62; 140:10.
[42]
Masculine singular noun מִשֽׁפׇּט
from שׇׁפַט with prefix בַּ:
in the judgement. Psalm
1:5; 7:6; 9:4, 7, 16; 10:5; 17:2; 18:22; 19:9; 25:9; 33:5; and
many other places.
[43]
Construct of the feminine singular noun עֵדׇה from יׇעַד with prefix בַּ:
in the assembly or congregation. Psalm
1:5; 7:7; 22:16; 68:30; 74:2; 82:1; 86:14; 106:17, 18; 111:1.
[44]
Masculine plural absolute adjective צַדִּיק from צׇדַק:
just, righteous. Psalm 1:5, 6; 5:12;
7:9, 11; 11:3, 5, 7; 14:5; 31:18; 32:11; 33:1; and
many other places.
[46]
Kal active masculine singular participle from יׇדַע: to discern, experience, know, those who
know, He Who knows. Here the participle
imparts a sense of timelessness: The Lord
is always knowing, He is the Knower.
Psalm 1:6; 9:10; 36:10; 37:18; 44:21; 74:9; 87:4; 89:15; 90:11; 94:11;
119:79; 139:14.
[47]
Kal future, third singular feminine of אׇבַד: strays, wanders, is lost or destroyed, perishes, will
perish. We expect the Hiphil future here
as in verse 3. The play between Hiphil
and Kal indicates that one is divine fiat, while the other inevitably and
inexorably happens. Psalm 1:6; 2:12;
9:3, 18; 37:20; 49:10; 68:2; 73:27; 80:16; 83:17; 92:9; 102:26; 112:10.
[48]
Or happy The Jerusalem Bible (JB)
[49]
The Hebrew sentence is frequently constructed from two nouns without a
verb. Here, “Blessed the man.” English seems best served by supplying a
copula in most cases.
[50]
Who never follows the advice of the wicked JB
[51]
Or loiters on the way that sinners take JB
[52]
Phrases are frequently introduced with the letter, ו, which means and. This is like pasting an & in front of
each phrase. The Hebrew language loves
run-on sentences. Since English deplores
run-on sentences, these &s are ignored unless the sentence logic requires
their presence. This puts many phrases
in apposition; rather than inclusion: both, and. The function of the ו seems better served by grouping sentences
into logical paragraphs. The poetry of
the Hebrew language seems best preserved as a sort of free verse.
[53]
Or sits about with scoffers JB
[54]
Pleasure JB
[55]
Murmurs JB
[56]
Hebrew does not have an indefinite article.
English requires that it be supplied.
[57]
Since the antecedent is the blessed man: namely, Christ; we continue with the
theologically more accurate, “his fruit in his time.”
[58]
Stand firm JB
[59]
When judgement comes JB
[60]
When the virtuous assemble JB
[61]
Takes care of the way the virtuous go JB
Empowers, protects or upholds the way the virtuous take, may have been
better.
[62]
Doomed JB
No comments:
Post a Comment