Hebrew-עִבְרִית ; traslitteration ; NKJV ; t-ASH
אַ֥שְֽׁרֵי־ הָאִ֗ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֤ר ׀ לֹ֥א הָלַךְ֮ בַּעֲצַ֪ת רְשָׁ֫עִ֥ים וּבְדֶ֣רֶךְ חַ֭טָּאִים לֹ֥א עָמָ֑ד וּבְמוֹשַׁ֥ב לֵ֝צִ֗ים לֹ֣א יָשָֽׁב׃
‘ashrêy-hâ’iysh ‘asher lo’ hâlakh baatsath reshâiym ubhedherekh chathâ’iym lo’ `âmâdh ubhemoshabh lêtsiym lo’ yâshâbh
1 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
1 Blessings on the man who did not follow the counsel of the wicked, neither did he stand in the way of sinners nor sit in the company of scorners.
כִּ֤י אִ֥ם בְּתוֹרַ֥ת יְהוָ֗ה חֶ֫פְצ֥וֹ וּֽבְתוֹרָת֥וֹ יֶהְגֶּ֗ה יוֹמָ֥ם וָלָֽיְלָה׃
kiy ‘im bethorathAdonay chephtso ubhethorâtho yehgeh yomâm vâlâyelâh
2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night.
2 But his desire is in the Law of the LORD, and in His Law he meditates day and night.
וְֽהָיָ֗ה כְּעֵץ֮ שָׁת֪וּל עַֽל־ פַּלְגֵ֫י מָ֥יִם אֲשֶׁ֤ר פִּרְי֨וֹ ׀ יִתֵּ֬ן בְּעִתּ֗וֹ וְעָלֵ֥הוּ לֹֽא־ יִבּ֑וֹל וְכֹ֖ל אֲשֶׁר־ יַעֲשֶׂ֣ה יַצְלִֽיחַ׃
vehâyâh keêts shâthul al-palghêy mâyim asher piryo yittên beitto veâlêhu lo-yibbol vekhol ‘asher-ya`aseh yatsliyach
3 He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.
3 He shall be as a tree planted beside streams of water, which brings forth its fruit in its season, and its leaves do not wilt; and whatever he does prospers.
לֹא־ כֵ֥ן הָרְשָׁעִ֑ים כִּ֥י אִם־ כַּ֝מֹּ֗ץ אֲֽשֶׁר־ תִּדְּפֶ֥נּוּ רֽוּחַ׃
lo’-khên hâreshâ`iym kiy’im-kammots ‘asher-tiddephennu ruach
4 The ungodly are not so, but are like the chaff which the wind drives away.
4 Not so the wicked, but [they are] like [dust of] chaff that wind drives away.
עַל־ כֵּ֤ן ׀ לֹא־ יָקֻ֣מוּ רְ֭שָׁעִים בַּמִּשְׁפָּ֑ט וְ֝חַטָּאִ֗ים בַּעֲדַ֥ת צַדִּיקִֽים׃
al-kên lo’-yâqumu reshâiym bammishpâth vechathâiym baadhath tsaddiyqiym
5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
5 Therefore, the wicked shall not stand in the judgment, nor shall the sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
כִּֽי־ יוֹדֵ֣עַ יְ֭הוָה דֶּ֣רֶךְ צַדִּיקִ֑ים וְדֶ֖רֶךְ רְשָׁעִ֣ים תֹּאבֵֽד׃
kiy-yodhêa Adonay derekh tsaddiyqiym vedherekh reshâ iym to’bhêdh
6 For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish.
6 For the LORD knows the Way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will be destroyed.
Commentary
The two paths: The Way of the righteous and the way of the wicked
The first Psalm of the Biblical order begins with a message of fundamental importance for doctrine, that is, what direction we should take on the path of life. Believers must begin their own personal journey knowing that, depending on the road they will follow, they will arrive at two completely different destinations. To make a shift from place to place means to grow and evolve through a process of gradual development, one only has to decide whether to proceed along the path of the righteous or the path of the wicked, and GOD leaves freedom of choice since Genesis.
“Blessings on the man“: The Hebrew word אַ֥שֽׁרֵ “esher” indicates happiness and fulfillment, and is a form of the Hebrew word “ashar” which in its root means “to be righteous”, so the man or woman who behaves righteously will be blessed by the CREATOR and consequently happy.This beatitude is concrete and attainable by anyone, one does not have to be a king, a prophet or a priest to have this favor, the Psalm begins by stating that whoever, even the poorest, wretched or sinner among men will begin to behave according to justice will receive the blessings of GOD.
“Did not follow… neither did he stand… not sit”: The righteous man keeps himself away from the road that leads to sin, and avoids being in the company of those who do not follow righteousness. Sin in time progresses, the thought alone will soon lead to a wicked action, so our conscience, our mind and our heart must “move away” from all forms of wrongdoing. The road will surely not be easy, but like all things that are reached with difficulty, the reward is much greater than the effort itself.
“Neither did he stand in the way of sinners“: the righteous man cannot walk in the same direction as sinners, nor is he afraid to take the road less travelled, for he knows that it leads to blessing, happiness and eternal life. “Enter through the narrow door; for wide is the door, and wide is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter it (Matthew 7, 13).
“Nor sit in the company of scorners“: Just entertaining, “sitting” with wicked people can direct the believer towards evil, and for those who have faith even a simple criticism or one word too many can trigger the motion that leads to sin.
“His desire is in the Law of the LORD”: the just seeks the word of GOD because he understands its truth and greatness. Martin Luther said that he could not live in heaven without the word of GOD, but that he could live well enough in hell with it. If the thirst of the young man is sated by pleasures, that of the wise man by the knowledge of truth, and the Word of GOD is the greatest thing that has come to us from our ancestors for our good and our growth.
“On His Law he meditates day and night”: The righteous man meditates on the word of GOD, he does not only listen to it because he would forget it, but he reflects on it and meditates on it for a long time. Many do not understand why they read, but they do not meditate. “It is not only reading that does us good; but the soul feeds on it inwardly and digests it. Charles Haddon Spurgeon once said, “A preacher once told me that he had read the Bible twenty times on his knees and had never found the doctrine of election in it. Most likely not. It’s a very uncomfortable position to read in. If he had sat in an easy chair he would have been much more able to understand it.
“He shall be as a tree planted beside streams of water“: The tree near a river has a continuous source of nourishment that strengthens it, does not wither and sinks deeper and deeper into its roots, it will not waver.
“brings forth its fruit in its season“: The righteous always bear fruit, but at the right time. Some are discouraged because although they have begun to walk in righteousness, the fruits are not immediately visible and palpable. But nature is a sign of patience: first the seed, then the water, and the sprout, then the shrub, the tree, the flower and finally the fruit. There are no infertile trees in the orchard of GOD.
“Not so the wicked“: Though it may often seem that the wicked prosper and receive more than the righteous, life teaches us that this is not so. The goods of the righteous are lasting, while those of the wicked are like the chaff that the wind scatters. The chaff is the “shell” around the grain of wheat that must be removed before the grain can be ground, it is only a small shell without substance, and so are the wicked. There is a huge difference between a tree and the chaff.
“The wicked shall not stand in the judgment, nor shall the sinners in the congregation of the righteous.“: When the wicked are at the head and judge a community they inexorably lead it to ruin.
“The LORD knows the Way of the righteous“: The righteous can live with the assurance that their actions will be rewarded, GOD knows their way and guides them constantly.
“But the way of the wicked will be destroyed”: The way of the wicked leads to a wide path that may seem easy, but the final destination will always be the destruction and extinction of their species.