Does the Psalmist in the First Psalm depict Law as Gospel?
Is the progression in the First Psalm roughly analogous to the progression of the Decalogue?
What do the Blessed Man, the tree planted by the streams of water, and the fruit of the tree, symbolize?
How do the various translations, including the Vulgate, differ in their rendering of the First Psalm?
Book Links are in these blogs:
My Favorite Commentaries on the Psalms
https://youtu.be/kyJRf_JoGsI
https://seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/my-favorite-commentaries-on-the-psalms/
The First Psalm is the psalm of the two ways, the way of the wicked and the way of the righteous, an Old Testament Beatitude. As Jesus exhorts us:
“Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is easy, that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”[1]
James Boice quotes Robert Frost from his poem, The Road Not Taken:
“Two roads diverged in a wood, and
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.”[2]
Nikolas Selnecker proclaims that “this Psalm is an appropriate entrance to the whole Psalter,” because “it admonishes that we should cherish and Love the Word of God, and that we should gladly listen to and learn from it. The Word of God alone is the beautiful garden of delight and paradise in which we can have all our joy, delight, and refreshment in this life, and should bear our fruits and live.”[3]
BLESSED IS THE MAN WHO AVOIDS BAD COMPANY
Rabbi Joseph Telushkin observes that, rather than describing what a “virtuous person does, the First Psalm describes what a virtuous person avoids: association with the wicked.” The assumption is “that bad companions generally assert a stronger influence than do good ones.” This psalm does not describe the righteous who avoid the wicked as good or wise. Rather, they are described as happy.”[4]
The Jewish Study Bible notes that the First Psalm is unusual in that it emphasizes Torah study for its own sake, rather than on observance based on Torah study.[5]
The First Psalm opens with:
“Blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers.”[6]
The progression in the First Psalm is roughly analogous to the progression of the Decalogue: If our thoughts are virtuous, then our words can be virtuous. If our thoughts and words are virtuous, then our actions can be virtuous, and our motives will be pure.
St Jerome recounts the progression of sinfulness:
- “First, we entertain sinful thoughts,
- Then, after we have reflected on it, we convert our thoughts into action.
- When we commit sin, moreover, we multiply sin by teaching others to do what we have done.”[7]
Desiderius Erasmus observes that this First Psalm “begins by offering a great reward: bliss. It appeals to everyone to shun vice and turn to the pursuit of virtue, and by obeying divine law to be renewed, to flower again in Christ, in whom they are already grafted through baptism.”
Erasmus continues: “It also enhances the glorious destiny of the pious by contrasting it with the very different lot of the impious, even in this mortal life. Finally, it reveals the happiness which awaits the pious in the Last Judgment and the punishment which awaits the impious.”[8]
The Orthodox Study Bible notes that many early Church Fathers teach us that the man who blessed in the First Psalm is Jesus Christ: “The Incarnation sets the tone of the Psalms,” where “the Incarnate Lord teaches His church how to pray. That is why the Psalms is the prayer book of the church.”[9]
St Augustine teaches us that the blessed man is “our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord-man” “who has not gone astray” “as did Adam, the earthly man who conspired with his wife, Eve, already beguiled by the serpent, to disregard God’s commandments.” “Christ most certainly came in the way of sinners by being born as sinners are, but he did not stand in it, for worldly allurement did not hold him.”[10]
St Gregory of Nyssa proclaims that “the goal of the virtuous life is blessedness.” “That is the summation and object of everything conceived that is good.”[11]
What is truly good? What is blessed? St Basil the Great teaches us that God is truly blessed. “Truly blessed is Goodness itself toward which all things focus, which all things desire, an unchangeable nature, lordly dignity, calm existence; a happy way of life,” in which nothing changes: “a flowing font, abundant grace, inexhaustible treasure.”
St Basil counters: “But stupid and worldly people, ignorant of the nature of good itself,” and of God, “frequently bless things worth nothing: riches, health, renown.”
St Basil asks: “What person is just because of his possessions? What person is self-controlled because of his health? On the contrary, each of these can become the servant of sin for those who use them badly.”
St Basil concludes: “Blessed is he who possesses that which is esteemed to be the greatest value, who shares in the goods that cannot be taken away. How shall we recognize that person? ‘He who has not walked in the council of the ungodly.’”
St Basil teaches us that avoiding “attachment to evil is a request worth praying for. But there remains a second way: immediately after the temptation you should flee from it as if it were a venomous sting.”[12]
John Calvin ponders what the psalmist means when he says: “Blessed is the man. The meaning of the Psalmist is that it shall always be well with God’s devout servants, whose constant endeavor is to make progress in the study of his law.” “The Psalmist does not simply pronounce those happy who fear God, as in other places, but designates godliness by the study of the law, teaching us that God is only rightly served when that law is obeyed.”[13]
James Boice quotes Charles Spurgeon:
“When men are living in sin, they go from bad to worse. At first, they merely WALK in the counsel of the careless and ungodly, who forget God.” “After they become habituated to evil, they STAND in the way of open sinners who willfully violate God’s commandments.” “If they go one step further, they become pestilent teachers and tempters of others, and thus the SIT in the seat of the scornful. They have taken their degree in vice, and as true Doctors of Damnation they are installed.”[14]
THE RIGHTEOUS MEDITATE ON THE LAW DAY AND NIGHT
The First Psalm continues:
“But his (the righteous man’s) delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law he meditates day and night.”[15]
The NET Bible has an alternate translation: “He finds pleasure in obeying the Lord’s commands; he meditates on his commands day and night.” Their scholars’ notes indicate that proper study should change the student’s behavior.[16] Although only a few modern translations mention obedience in this passage,[17] it is hinted at in the modern Vulgate translation, the Douay-Rheims Bible:
“But his (the righteous man’s) will is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law he shall meditate day and night.”[18]
St Jerome, author of the original Vulgate, explains: “Delight in the law refers to the desire to wholeheartedly obey the Lord’s command.”
The Council of Trent originally affirmed the Vulgate as the preferred Catholic translation, though later the church approved for liturgical use the more modern translations. The scholars of Trent affirmed that St Jerome translated from a Hebrew manuscript that has since been lost.
Council of Trent, The Reform Council Foreshadowing Vatican II
https://youtu.be/Thq1blvzWHs
http://www.seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/council-of-trent-the-reform-council-foreshadowing-vatican-ii/
Is the Psalmist declaring the Law as Gospel? Artur Weiser states that this First Psalm emphasizes “what really matters: faith and obedience as the ultimate meaning of the life of the faithful cult community.” Here the Law is “that ordinance for life which is God’s gift and embraces man’s whole life. In that ordinance for life, the divine meaning and value of life is revealed. In the last resort, that ordinance for life determines man’s existence or non-existence. As far as the law expresses this last thought, it is not at variance with the Gospel, but is already a step in the direction of the Gospel.” It echoes the words of Jesus, “I have come not to abolish the law but to fulfill it.”[19]
Origen teaches us that meditation on the law of the Lord should lead to action, and that we can improve our inherent virtue through study. The blessed person “meditates on the law of Lord day and night, not as one who entrusts the words of the law to his memory without works, but as one who, by meditating, performs works consistent with it, until through the disciplined meditation of the works that the law instructs, he is prepared for excelling in all the things that apply for living perfectly according to the law.”[20]
This is a sampling of what other Church Fathers teach us:
Bishop Sahdona: “Let us meditate continuously on the aspects of God, and by means of the Lord’s law, let our will be grafted on to him.”[21]
Theodore of Mopsuestia: “One learns to be bound by the law through continuous meditation so that one shapes himself by it.”[22]
Caesarius of Arles: “Let us reject useless occupations, stinging jests, idle and wicked conversations, as the poison of the devil. Let us frequently read repeatedly the divine lessons, or, if we cannot read them ourselves, let us often and eagerly listen to others read them.”[23]
The medieval Jewish rabbi Rashi counsels us to internalize the lessons of the Law. “In the beginning, it is called the law of the Lord, and after he has toiled to master it, it is called his own Torah.”[24]
Since St Paul elevates the Gospel over the Law, how should Christians interpret this First Psalm that celebrates the law? Desiderus Erasmus broadens the definition of law in accordance with Romans: “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set me free from the law of sin and death.”[25]
Erasmus elaborates: “By law the psalm means all the holy Scriptures; earnest study of them will assist greatly in keeping us from sin. To avoid finding pleasure in the sins of the flesh, take pleasure in the study of Sacred Literature.” “The one sure bulwark against all the assaults of the demons is being thoroughly and wholeheartedly imbued with the Scriptures.”
Erasmus continues: “The human heart is naturally disposed toward love and cannot remain empty of it. The lover himself becomes like that which he loves. If someone loves the holy Scriptures, he is entrapped, changed, transfigured into God.”[26]
Martin Luther warns us: “There is a difference between meditating and thinking. To meditate is to think carefully, deeply, and diligently, to muse on the Scriptures in our heart.” “One cannot meditate on the Law of the Lord unless one’s delight is first fixed on it.”[27]
This love of the law of the Lord is repeated in Psalm 119, the longest psalm which is devoted to the law:
“In the way of thy testimonies I delight
as much as in all riches.
I will meditate on thy precepts,
and fix my eyes on thy ways.
I will delight in thy statutes;
I will not forget thy word.”[28]
“How sweet are thy words to my taste,
sweeter than honey to my mouth!”[29]
“The law of thy mouth is better to me
than thousands of gold and silver pieces.”[30]
THE RIGHTEOUS MAN PROSPERS, LIKE A TREE BY A DESERT STREAM
The First Psalm continues:
“He (the righteous man) is like a tree
planted by streams of water,
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.”[31]
In a desert climate, trees can only grow next to streams or canals, and were typically planted close to the bank so their roots could reach down to the flowing water.[32]
Hilary of Poitiers compares this vision of the blessed man as a tree planted by the streams of water to the vision in Genesis of the tree of life and the tree of knowledge in the Garden of Eden,[33] and to the tree planted in Paradise, where John recounts in Revelation:
“Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. There shall no more be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and his servants shall worship him; they shall see his face, and his name shall be on their foreheads. And night shall be no more; they need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they shall reign for ever and ever.”[34]
St Augustine teaches us: “That tree is our Lord, who draws those who are in the way from the running waters, that is, from the peoples who sin. By drawing them into the roots of his discipline, he will bring forth fruit; that is, he will establish churches in due time, after he has been glorified by his resurrection and ascension into heaven. Once the Holy Spirit had been sent to the apostles, and once they had been established in their faith in him and sent out to the world, he bore the churches as his fruit.”[35]
Father Patrick Reardon compares the growing of this tree to the habit of prayer. “The incessant meditation on God’s Law is not supposed to be immediately useful. Trees do not bear fruit right away. They first must” “drink deeply of its water. Such nourishment must serve first to build up the tree. The fruit will come later on, when it is supposed to. The life of Christian prayer and meditation knows nothing of instant holiness; it is all a matter of perseverance and patience. Some trees do not even begin to bear fruit for many years.”[36]
Many of these thoughts are repeated in the opening books of Joshua:
“This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall have good success.”[37]
James Boice reminds us that “when most people think of the results of upright or godly living, they think of rewards. That is, they think that if they do what God tells them to do, he will reward them, but that if they do not, they will be punished.” However, the Book of Job reminds us that life is not that neat and tidy, that sometimes the just, though innocent and virtuous, sometimes suffer horribly.[38]
The Book of Jeremiah also describes the righteous as a tree planted by water:
“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,
whose trust is the Lord.
He is like a tree planted by water,
that sends out its roots by the stream,
and does not fear when heat comes,
for its leaves remain green,
and is not anxious in the year of drought,
for it does not cease to bear fruit.”[39]
THE WICKED ARE LIKE CHAFF OR DUST THE WIND BLOWS AWAY
The First Psalm continues:
“The wicked are not so,
but are like chaff which the wind drives away.”[40]
James Boice describes how the chaff is separated from the grain. “The threshing floors of Palestine are on hills that catch the best breezes. Grain is brought to them, is crushed by animals or by threshing instruments, then it is pitched high into the air where the wind blows the chaff away. The heavier grain falls back to the threshing floor and is collected. The chaff is scattered or burned.”
“The wicked are like chaff in two senses. Chaff is worthless, chaff is burned. This pictures the futile, empty, worthless life of the godless, as well as their inevitable judgment.”[41]
St John Chrysostom teaches us: “Even as chaff lies exposed to the gusts of wind and is easily caught up and swept along, so is also the sinner driven about by every temptation; for while a sinner is at war with himself and bears that warfare about him, what hope of safety does he possess; betrayed as he is at home, carrying with him that conscience that is a constant enemy?”[42]
The Vulgate translation by St Jerome has an alternate reading, that the wicked “are like the dust which the wind drives from the face of the earth.”[43]
As St Jerome teaches: “Dust does not seem to have any substance, but it does, of course, have a kind of existence of its own. There is no body to it, yet what substance it does have is really by way of punishment. It is scattered here and there and is never in any one place; wherever the wind sweeps it, there its whole force is spent. The same is true of the wicked person. Once he has denied God, he is led by delusion wherever the breath of the devil sends him.”[44]
THE WAYS OF THE WICKED WILL PERISH
The First Psalm concludes:
“Therefore, the wicked will 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 wicked will perish.”[45]
What does this mean, that the wicked will not stand in judgment? St Cyril of Jerusalem explains that the wicked “shall rise, not to be judged, but to be sentenced.”[46] St Jerome explains that the wicked “shall not rise to be judged because they have already been judged.”
Furthermore, St Jerome reasons that “if the wicked perish, there is no chance for their repentance. The psalm does not say that the wicked shall perish but that the way of the wicked shall vanish” and “perish. Not the wicked, but wickedness itself. The one who was wicked shall not perish, but while he is repenting, wickedness vanishes.”[47]
The NET Bible translation avoids the ambiguity the Church Fathers wrestled with:
“For this reason the wicked cannot withstand judgment,
nor can sinners join the assembly of the godly.
Certainly the Lord guards the way of the godly,
but the way of the wicked ends in destruction.”[48]
The scholars’ notes speculate that this does not refer to the final judgment, but rather to an historical punishment the author anticipates, where the righteous would be delivered from the wicked.
According to John Calvin, “the prophet teaches that a happy life depends on a good conscience.”[49]
Charles Spurgeon proclaims: “The righteous man ploughs the furrows of the earth, and sows a harvest here, which shall never be fully reaped till he enters the enjoyments of eternity; but as for the wicked, he ploughs the seas, and though there may seem to be a shining trail behind his keel, yet the waves shall pass over it, and the place that knew him shall know him no more forever.”
Spurgeon continues: “The very WAY of the ungodly shall perish. If it is remembered, it will be remembered for its evil; for the Lord will cause the name of the wicked to rot.” “May the Lord cleans our hearts and our ways, that we may escape the doom of the ungodly, and enjoy the blessedness of the righteous!”[50]
Will the way of the wicked perish here on earth, or in the hereafter? In some verses of the Psalms and Proverbs and other books, and this First Psalm, the author suggests the wicked will eventually be punished in this world, but also blames the sinfulness of the Jewish people for their subjugation by ruthless foreign powers. But the Book of Job delivers a different message: that sometimes the just do suffer in this world, with no relief in this life.
The NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible has an essay on the Retribution Principle, “the conviction that the righteous will prosper and the wicked will suffer, in proportion to both their respective righteousness and wickedness,” followed by an extended essay on how the Book of Job differs from the prevalent Near Eastern thinking.
In the ancient world, the gods were responsible for the administration of justice. In ancient Mesopotamia, evil was part of the universe, which meant that the gods, although immortal, were powerless to totally eliminate suffering. Sometimes humans suffered from the inattentiveness of the gods, or because the proper sacrifices were not offered to the gods.[51] Likewise, the ancient Greek gods, though immortal, did not control events, as they could not control the fates.
Bart Ehrman has written a book on the problem of suffering in the Bible. Although I agree with most of his evidence, I disagree with most of the conclusions he draws from his evidence. Sometime in 2027, I may reflect on the Book of Job and Bart Ehrman’s reflections.
When you live a godly life, sometimes you are happy, sometimes you are not. Sometimes you prosper financially, sometimes you do not. But you will always prosper in your heart.
We will conclude by this prayer by Nikolas Selnecker:
“Almighty and eternal God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from my heart I ask that you through your Holy Spirit would create and maintain in me a longing and love for your holy Word, to pray and cry out to you always.”
“For I am certain of this: Aside from your Word, there is no comfort, faith, life, or salvation.” May I not adopt the way of sinners, so I am not like “chaff that is blown away by the wind! Sanctify me in your true Word, may my faith sustain me, may I possess a good, peaceful conscience, so that I would remain eternally green and fruitful like a palm tree by water and that my leaves, both in this world and in eternal life, would not with. Lord God, hear me and let me be and remain yours. Amen.”[52]
DISCUSSING THE SOURCES
We have a reflection of my favorite commentaries on the Psalms, including commentaries by the Catholic and Orthodox Church Fathers, Protestant reformers and theologians, Jewish rabbis, and commentators.
My Favorite Commentaries on the Psalms
https://youtu.be/kyJRf_JoGsI
https://seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/my-favorite-commentaries-on-the-psalms/
Soon after this reflection is published, we will reflect on my favorite commentaries on the Scriptures, both Old Testament and New Testament, as well as my ecumenical approach to Biblical Interpretation. Currently, I ascribe to the CS Lewis Mere Christianity form of Episcopalianism, which permits me to be as Catholic and Orthodox as I want to be, without having to elevate my denomination while deprecating all other faiths.
Summary of CS Lewis’ Mere Christianity, WWII Ecumenical Broadcast: Morality Not Polemics
https://youtu.be/6-Hc4X0NN8k
https://seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/summary-of-cs-lewis-mere-christianity-wwii-ecumenical-broadcast-morality-not-polemics/
Protestantism, Catholicism, Orthodoxy, and Judaism: Which Is True?
https://youtu.be/EAXyZtZpgYk
https://seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/protestantism-catholicism-orthodoxy-and-judaism-which-is-true/
We have reflections on many of the Church Fathers and Protestant Reformers we quoted, so we will only discuss the lesser-known commentators.
Theodore of Mopsuestia was an early fifth-century bishop of Mopsuestia, with many surviving theological works, although many have been lost. After his death, is legacy was damaged by allegations by Emperor Justinian that he supported the heretical doctrines of Nestorianism, allegations that were motivated by the politics of the debate between the Byzantine and Coptic theologians.[53]
Caesarius of Arles, a fifth-century Bishop of Arles in Merovingian Gaul, was the leading ecclesiastical statements and spiritual force of his age, initiating monastic reforms. Several hundred of his sermons have survived.[54]
Hilary of Poitiers was a fourth-century bishop of Potiers and a Doctor of the Church, abandoning Neoplatonism for Nicene Christianity. While he was influenced by Origen and Athanasius, he penned many original theological reflections that greatly influenced Church teachings.[55]
Nikolas Salnecker was a German musician, theologian, and Protestant Reformer of the sixteenth century, studying under Melanchthon at the University of Wittenberg. He was one of the principal authors of the Book of Concord, a foundational Lutheran work, and authored many theological works, as well as many hymns.[56]
This is our fourth reflection on the Psalms. Psalm 71 is one of the few chapters in the holy Scriptures that directly discusses the anxieties of aging. Psalm 70 and 71 may have been one Psalm in the distant past, and much of Psalm 70 is repeated in Psalm 40. Psalm 137 explores the allegorical and spiritual interpretations of the last verse, where the Jews contemplate bashing the Babylonian babies against the rocks soon after the Babylonian exile.
Psalms 40 and 70: Deliver Both Young and Old from Suffering and Trials
https://youtu.be/JbKQd6vP5qo
https://seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/psalms-40-and-70-deliver-both-young-and-old-from-suffering-and-trials/
Psalm 71: Encouraging Us In Our Old Age
https://seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/psalm-71-encouraging-us-in-our-old-age/
https://youtu.be/NrzVItznE1E
Psalm 137: Should We Bash the Babylonian Babies Against the Rocks? Spiritual and Historical Interpretations
https://youtu.be/wRT68KfvxhU
https://seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/psalm-137-should-we-bash-the-babylonian-babies-spiritual-and-historical-interpretations/
[1] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%207%3A13-14&version=RSVCE
[2] James Boice, Psalms Volume 1, Psalms 1-41 (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1994), Psalm 1, p. 18, quoting Robert Frost, The Road Not Taken, in Major American Writers, vol. 2 (New York: Harcourt, Brace and World, 1952), p. 1609.
[3] Nikolaus Salnecker, The Whole Psalter, Psalm 1, included in Psalm 1, Reformation Commentary on Scripture, Old Testament Volume VII (Downers Grove, IL: Intervarsity Press, 2015), p. 9.
[4] Joseph Telushkin, Biblical Literacy (New York: William Morrow and Company, Inc., 1997), Section 121, p. 332.
[5] The Jewish Study Bible (Oxford University Press, 2004), Psalm 1, pp. 1284-1285
[6] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm%201%3A1&version=RSVCE
[7] Jerome, Selections from the Psalms 1.1, included in Psalm 1, Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, Old Testament Volume VII (Downers Grove, IL: Intervarsity Press, 2008), p. 4.
[8] Desiderius Erasmus, Exposition of Psalm 1, included in Psalm 1, Reformation Commentary on Scripture, Old Testament Volume VII, p. 9.
[9] Orthodox Study Bible (Dallas: Thomas Nelson, 2008), Psalm 1, p. 682. The Church Fathers who teach that Christ is the man in the First Psalm include St John Chrysostom, St Ambrose, St Augustine, St John Cassius, and St Cyril of Alexandria.
[10] Augustine, Expositions on Psalms 10.3, included in Psalm 1, Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, Old Testament Volume VII, p. 3.
[11] Gregory of Nyssa, On the Inscriptions of the Psalms 1.1.5-6, included in Psalm 1, Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, Old Testament Volume VII, p. 2.
[12] Basil the Great, Homilies on Psalms 10.3&6, included in Psalm 1, Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, Old Testament Volume VII, pp. 3 and 5.
[13] John Calvin, in Parallel Classic Commentary on the Psalms (Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 2005), Psalm 1, p. 3.
[14] James Boice, Psalms Volume 1, Psalms 1-41, Psalm 1, p. 16, quoting CH Spurgeon, The Treasury of David, vol 1a, Psalms 1-26 (Downers Grove, IL: Intervarsity Press. 1988), pp. 1-2.
[15] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm%201%3A2&version=RSVCE
[16] New English Translation (NET) Bible, Full Notes Edition (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 1996, 2019), Psalm 1, p. 899.
[17] https://www.biblegateway.com/verse/en/Psalm%201%3A2
[18] Holy Bible, Douay-Rheims Version (Charlotte, NC: St Benedict Press and Tan Books, 1899), Psalm 1, p. 581.
[19] Artur Weiser, The Psalms, A Commentary, Old Testament Library, translated by Herbert Hartwell (Philadelphia, West Minister Press, 1962, 1955), Psalm 1, p. 108.
[20] Origen, Selections from the Psalms 1.2, included in Psalm 1, Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, Old Testament Volume VII, p. 6.
[21] Sahdona, Book of Perfection 61, included in Psalm 1, Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, Old Testament Volume VII, p. 6.
[22] Theodore of Mopsuestia, Commentary on Psalms 1.2, included in Psalm 1, Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, Old Testament Volume VII, p. 6.
[23] Caesarius of Arles, Sermon 75.3, included in Psalm 1, Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, Old Testament Volume VII, p. 7.
[24] https://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/16222/showrashi/true/jewish/Chapter-1.htm
[25] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=romans%208%3A2&version=RSVCE
[26] Desiderius Erasmus, Exposition of Psalm 1, included in Psalm 1, Reformation Commentary on Scripture, Old Testament Volume VII, p. 11.
[27] Martin Luther, First Psalms Lectures, included in Psalm 1, Reformation Commentary on Scripture, Old Testament Volume VII, p. 12.
[28] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%20119%3A14-16&version=RSVCE
[29] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%20119%3A103&version=RSVCE
[30] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%20119%3A72&version=RSVCE
[31] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm%201%3A3&version=RSVCE
[32] NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2016), Psalm 1, p. 880.
[33] Hilary of Poitiers, Homily on Psalm 1.14-15, , included in Psalm 1, Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, Old Testament Volume VII, p. 7.
[34] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=revelation%2022%3A1-5&version=RSVCE
[35] Augustine, Expositions on Psalms 10.3, included in Psalm 1, Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, Old Testament Volume VII, p. 9.
[36] Patrick Henry Reardon, Christ in the Psalms (Ben Lomond, CA: Conciliar Press, 2000), Psalm 1, p. 2.
[37] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=joshua%201%3A8&version=RSVCE
[38] James Boice, Psalms Volume 1, Psalms 1-41, Psalm 1, p. 17.
[39] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=jeremiah%2017%3A7-8&version=RSVCE
[40] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm%201%3A4&version=RSVCE
[41] James Boice, Psalms Volume 1, Psalms 1-41, Psalm 1, p. 18.
[42] John Chrysostom, Homilies Concerning the Statutes 8.4, included in Psalm 1, Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, Old Testament Volume VII, pp. 9-10.
[43] Holy Bible, Douay-Rheims Version, Psalm 1, p. 581.
[44] Jerome, Homily on Psalm 1, included in Psalm 1, Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, Old Testament Volume VII, p. 9.
[45] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm%201%3A5-6&version=RSVCE
[46] Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechetical Lectures 18.14, included in Psalm 1, Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, Old Testament Volume VII, p. 10.
[47] Jerome, Homily on Psalm 1, included in Psalm 1, Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, Old Testament Volume VII, p. 10.
[48] New English Translation (NET) Bible, Psalm 1, p. 900.
[49] John Calvin, in Parallel Classic Commentary on the Psalms, Psalm 1, p. 2.
[50] Charles Spurgeon, in Parallel Classic Commentary on the Psalms, Psalm 1, p. 2.
[51] NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2016), Job, pp. 823-826.
[52] Nikolaus Salnecker, The Whole Psalter, Psalm 1, included in Psalm 1, Reformation Commentary on Scripture, Old Testament Volume VII, p. 16.
[53] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodore_of_Mopsuestia
[54] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caesarius_of_Arles
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