Psalms 1 · The Lantern

How happy the man, who hath not walked in the counsel of the lawless,—and, in the way of sinners, hath not stood, and, in the seat of scoffers, hath not sat;

And "the chair of pestilences" will be the theaters and tribunals, or rather the compliance with wicked and deadly powers and complicity with their deeds.

(Vers. 1) "Blessed is the man who has not walked in the counsel of the wicked." How fitting, how opportune a beginning! For just as those who have undertaken some solemnity of a contest usually propose a prize to be displayed, boast of the honor of the crown, so that they may gather with greater enthusiasm for the competition and strive with more determined effort: in the same…

This Psalm is distinguished from the whole work, for it has no title but serves as a kind of title for the entire work. David composed the Psalms in the manner of one praying, who does not maintain a single mode but adapts himself according to the diverse affections and movements of the one praying.

But, in the law of Yahweh, is his delight,—and, in his law, doth he talk with himself day and night.

Certainly, even if I shall not have been able to understand everything, if I am, nevertheless, busily engaged in the divine Scriptures and "I meditate on the law of God day and night" and at no time at all do I desist inquiring, discussing, investigating, and certainly, what is greatest, praying God and asking for understanding from him who "teaches humankind knowledge," I shal…

One learns to be bound by the law through continuous meditation so that one shapes himself by it.

Now the blessedness of man is in God. Ps. 143: "Blessed is the people whose God is the Lord," etc. The right process toward blessedness is therefore, first, that we submit ourselves to God, and this in two ways. First through the will, by obeying His commandments; and so he says: "but in the law of the Lord"; and this pertains especially to Christ. Jn.

So doth he become like a tree planted by streams of waters,—that yieldeth, its fruit, in its season, whose leaf, also doth not wither, and, whatsoever he doeth, prospereth.

"A tree planted by the waterside, that will bring forth his fruit in due season"; that is, learning and charity and discretion are imparted in due time to those who come to the waters of redemption.

What do you want? To have temporal things and to pass away together with time or not to love the world and to live forever with God? The river of temporal things carries [us] along, but like a tree growing near a river is our Lord Jesus Christ. He assumed flesh, died, rose again, ascended into heaven. He wanted, so to speak, to plant himself near the river of temporal things.

In this part the outcome of blessedness is described: and first its diversity is set forth; second, the reason is assigned, at "because the Lord knows," etc. Concerning the first, he does two things. First he sets forth the outcome for the good; second, for the wicked, at "not so the ungodly," etc.

Not so, the lawless,—but as chaff which is driven about by the wind:

The ungodly have no possible hope of having the image of the happy tree applied to them. The only lot that awaits them is one of wandering and winnowing, crushing, dispersion and unrest; shaken out of the solid framework of their bodily condition, they must be swept away to punishment in dust, a plaything of the wind.

We have spoken of the blessedness of the just man, we have spoken of his reward, that he who has not done three things, and has done two things, is compared to the tree of paradise, that is, to Christ the wisdom. We have spoken, then, of the holy man; now on the contrary let us see what is said of the sinner and of the ungodly. Not so the ungodly.

The outcome for the wicked is the opposite, which is described at "not so," etc. And concerning this he does two things. First he sets forth the similitude; second, he applies it, at "they shall not rise again." But note that here he puts "not so, not so" twice, for greater certainty. Gen.

For this cause, shall the lawless not stand in the judgment,—nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

And even as the righteous who are perfected in good works shall not come into the judgment to be judged, so of the wicked also whose sins are many, and the measure of whose offenses is overflowing, it shall not be required that they should draw near to the judgment, but when they have risen again they shall turn back to Sheol.… All the nations that know not God their Maker are…

(Verse 5.) Therefore the wicked do not rise in judgment. That is, they do not rise to share in the fate of those who will be judged; nor do sinners rise in the council of the righteous. You see that the wicked arise, but they do not rise in the judgment of the righteous, because sinners, though they do not rise in the council of the righteous, do rise in judgment.

Then he applies the similitude at "they shall not rise again," because they are like dust. But against this, 2 Cor. 5: "We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ." Likewise, 1 Cor. 15: "We shall all indeed rise." To which it must be said that this can be read in two ways.

For Yahweh doth acknowledge the way of the righteous; but, the way of the lawless, shall vanish.

God is ignorant of evil deeds, not because he is unable to understand everything or to grasp it with his own intelligence (for it is wrong to think this way about God) but because those deeds are unworthy of his contemplation.… God is ignorant of the way of the wicked, and he knows the way of the righteous.

For the Lord knows the way of the just, and the way of the ungodly shall perish. For the Lord knows the way of the just. And what is so great, if the Lord knows the way of the just? But God is said to know those whom he deigns to know.

Then the reason is given why they shall not rise in judgment: "because the Lord knows," etc. And he speaks properly, because when someone knows what is lost, it is restored; but when he does not know, it is not restored. The just indeed are dissolved through death, but God knows them. 2 Tim.

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