Psalm 1 — Blessed is the man

^1:1^ Blessed is the man who has not walked in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stood in the way of sinners, nor sat in the chair of pestilence. ^1:2^ But his will is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he shall meditate day and night.

^1:3a^ And he shall be like a tree which is planted near running waters, which shall bring forth its fruit in due season. And his leaf shall not fall off:

^1:3b^ and all that he shall do shall prosper. ^1:4^ Not so the wicked, not so, but they are like the dust, which the wind drives from the face of the earth. ^1:5^ Therefore, the wicked shall not rise again in judgment, nor sinners in the council of the just. ^1:6^ For the Lord knows the way of the just, and the way of the wicked shall perish.

1. This psalm is distinct from the rest of the work, for it does not have a title, but is itself a sort of title to the whole work. And David composed the Psalms in the manner of one praying, who does not keep to one style, but follows his various feelings and movements. Therefore, this first psalm expresses the feeling of a man lifting up his eyes to the whole state of the world and considering how some succeed and some fall short. And Christ was first among the blessed, Adam among the evil.

And it should be noted that all, blessed and evil alike, are of accord in one thing, and differ in two. They are of accord in happiness, which all seek, but they differ in their advance toward happiness and in their outcome, since some reach it, and some do not. (Cf. ST I-II, q. 5, a. 8.)

Therefore, this psalm is divided into two parts.

The first describes the advance of all toward happiness;

the second, the outcome: he shall be like a tree which is planted near running waters.

Within the first part, he discusses two things:

first, the advance of evil people;

second, of good people: but his will is in the law of the Lord.

Regarding the advance of evil people, three things are to be considered.

First, deliberation about sin, and this is in thought;

second, consent and execution;

third, leading others to act similarly; and this is the worst.

And so he first presents the counsel of the evil: blessed is the man who has not walked in the counsel of the ungodly. He says, who has not walked, since even when a man is deliberating, he is in the process of going.

Second, he presents consent and execution, saying, in the way of sinners, that is, in action. The way of the ungodly is darkness; they know not when they fail (Prov 4:19). Nor stood, namely by consenting and acting. He says, of the ungodly, since impiety is a sin against God, and of sinners, since it is a sin against a neighbor.

In the chair, that is, inducing others to sin—here is the third element in the advance of evil people. In the chair means teaching others to sin as a master, and so he says it is of pestilence, since a pestilence is an infectious disease. Pestilent men bring a city to ruin (Prov 29:8). Therefore, he who goes like this is not blessed, but he who goes in the opposite way.

Now the happiness of man is in God. Blessed is the people whose God is the Lord (Ps 143:15). Therefore, first in this psalm is the straight way to happiness, that we may submit ourselves to God, and this way is twofold.

First, through the will, by obeying his commands, and so he says, but in the law of the Lord, and this pertains in a special way to Christ. I came down from heaven not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me (John 6:38). It is similarly appropriate to each just person. And he says in the law through love, not “under” the law through fear. The law is not made for the just (1 Tim 1:9).

The second aspect of submitting ourselves to God is through the intellect, by meditating continually, and so he says, on his law he shall meditate day and night, that is, continually, be it at certain hours both of the day and of the night or in both prosperity and adversity.

2. This second part of the psalm describes the outcome of blessedness,

and he first discusses its diversity;

second, he indicates its cause: for the Lord knows the way of the just.

Regarding the diversity of outcomes, he presents first the outcome of the good;

second, of the evil, at not so the wicked.

He uses an image to describe the outcome of the good;

and first, he proposes the image;

second, he applies it: and all that he shall do shall prosper.

For the image is taken from a tree, which involves three aspects: namely, its planting, its bearing fruit, and its continuation.

For planting, it is necessary that the earth be moistened by water; otherwise, it will dry up. And so it is said, which is planted near running waters, that is, near the waters of grace. He who believes in me . . . from within him shall flow rivers of living water (John 7:38).

And he who plants his roots near these waters will be fruitful in doing good works, and this is what follows: which shall bring forth its fruit. The fruit of the Spirit is charity, joy, peace, patience, long suffering, goodness, benignity (Gal 5:22).

In due season, that is, when it is the time for working: while we have time, let us work good to all (Gal 6:10).

He does not wither, but rather is preserved. Some trees are preserved in their main body, but not in their leaves, while some are preserved also in their leaves, as it is with the just, and so he says, his leaf shall not fall off, that is, he will not be deserted by God in the smallest of exterior works. The just shall spring up like a green leaf (Prov 11:28).

3. Next, when he says, and all that he shall do shall prosper, he applies the image, having proposed it, since the blessed will prosper in all things. This occurs when they attain their intended end with regard to all that they desire, since the just reach happiness. O Lord, save me; O Lord, make me prosper well (Ps 117:25).

The outcome of evil people is the opposite, which is described in the phrase, not so the wicked, not so.

And regarding this, he first proposes an image;

second, he applies it: he shall not rise again.

But it should be noted that he writes not so twice to express greater certitude: that you saw for the second time a dream pertaining to the same thing is a token of the certainty (Gen 41:32). Or, since they act not so in their progress, not so do they receive in the outcome. You received good things in your lifetime, and likewise Lazarus evil things; now he is comforted and you are tormented (Luke 16:25).

They are fittingly compared to dust, since it has three qualities opposite to those which were said to belong to the just man. Dust does not cleave to the ground but is on the surface, whereas a planted tree is rooted. Further, a tree is one unity, and is moist. But dust is divided from itself in its particles, dry and arid.

This signifies that the good are, like a tree, united by charity. Appoint a solemn day, with shady boughs, even to the horn of the altar (Ps 117:27). The evil, in contrast, are divided: among the proud there are always contentions (Prov 13:10).

Again, the good hold fast, rooted in spiritual things and the divine goods, but the evil are sustained by exterior goods. Therefore, they are without the water of grace. You are dust and into dust you shall return (Gen 3:19). And so all their wickedness will fall, as a leaf falls from the vine and from the fig tree (Isa 34:4). It is rightly said about the good that his leaf shall not fall off. A hair of your head shall not perish (Luke 21:18). But of the wicked it is said that they are driven from the face of the earth, that is, from the superficial goods, those whom the wind, that is, tribulation, drives from the face of the earth. I have seen those who work iniquity and sow sorrows and reap them perishing by the blast of God and consumed by the spirit of his mouth (Job 4:8–9).

Afterwards, he applies the image: they shall not rise again, since they are like the dust. But opposed to this is 2 Corinthians 5:10: we must all be manifested before the judgment seat of Christ. Also, we shall all rise again (1 Cor 15:51). To which it must be said that this can be read in two ways.

For a man under judgment is properly said to “rise” when his cause is supported by the sentence of the judge. Therefore, the wicked shall not rise, since, in the judgment, sentence is not given in their favor, but rather against them. So another text has, they shall not be established. But the good, although they may be afflicted because of the sin of our first parents, will nevertheless have sentence given in their favor. Nor shall sinners gather in the council of the just, since the good will gather in eternal life, to which the evil shall not be admitted.

Or this could be understood in regard to the healing property of justice, for which people are healed by their own judgment. If we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged (1 Cor 11:31). And this is why he says, they shall not rise in judgment, namely their own judgment, about which it is said, rise up you who sleep, and rise up from the dead, and Christ shall illuminate you (Eph 5:14).

This could refer to the fact that some are healed by the counsel of the good, but the evil are not; and so in this way, too, the evil shall not rise up from sin.

Or it means that the wicked, that is, the unfaithful, will not rise in the judgment of testing and examination, since, according to Gregory, some shall be condemned but not judged, such as those without faith; some will be neither judged nor condemned, namely the apostles and perfect men; some shall be judged and condemned, such as the evil who have faith. (Gregory the Great, Moralia in Job 26.26 (Corpus Christianorum Series Latina, 143B:1302).) Therefore, the faithful will not rise in the judgment of testing to be examined. He who does not believe is already judged (John 3:18). Now, sinners shall not rise in the council of the just, because it would not be the case that they would be judged and not condemned.

Afterward, he gives the reason why this sort shall not rise in judgment: since the Lord knows the way of the just. And this is fitting, since when someone knows something is ruined, it is restored, but when he does not know, it is not restored. Now, the just will be carried away by death, but God nevertheless knows them. The Lord knows those who are his (2 Tim 2:19), namely, he knows them with the knowledge of approval, and so they will be restored. But he does not know the way of the wicked with the knowledge of approval, and so the way of the wicked shall perish. Psalm 118:176 says: I have gone astray like a sheep that is lost; seek your servant, because I have not forgotten your commandments. Psalm 34:6 says: let their way become dark and slippery.