Psalm 1
In thanksgiving for Jenee's dedication to the Word of God.
- Reading the Text:
- NRSV (with link to Anglicized NRSV, Common Worship Psalter, ASB Psalter, and BCP Psalter) at Oremus Bible Browser.
- Hebrew Interlinear Bible, WLCv, WLC5, CHES, AV.
- The Bible Gateway: NRSV, RSV, NIV, NASB, CEV, The Message, KJV, etc.
- The Blue Letter Bible. KJV, alternate versions, Hebrew text with concordance, commentaries.
- The World Wide Study Bible includes commentary, exposition and sermons.
- Historical References, Commentary and
Comparative Texts:
- "Moral Law," Comparative World Scriptures from United Communities of Spirit.
- Chapter XXXV, Chapter LII of The First Epistle to the Corinthians, Clement of Rome (ca. 96).
- Chapter X, Chapter XI of the Epistle of Barnabas. (ca. 130)
- Chapter XL, The First Apology of Justin Martyr. (c 150)
- Chapter XXII, Chapter LXXXVI, Dialogue With Trypho, Justin Martyr. (c 160)
- III.VI.1, IV.XVII.1, V.VIII.4, Adversus Haereses, Irenaeus of Lyons. (c. 180)
- Chapter III, De Spectaculis, Tertullian (c. 197)
- 1.10, III.11 (LXX), III.12, Paedagogus, Clement of Alexandria (c 200)
- II.15, III.16, IV.18, IV.24, VII.18, Stromata, Clement of Alexandria (c 200)
- Chapter IV, Considering Repentance, Tertullian (c. 203)
- II.19, Against Marcion, Tertullian (c. 208)
- IV.28, IV.42, Against Marcion, Tertullian (c. 210)
- Chapter XIV, On Idolatry, Tertullian (c. 211)
- Chapter VI, Chapter XVIII, On Modesty, Tertullian (c. 217)
- X.15, Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew, Origen. (c.247)
- "Homily on Psalm 1," by Hilary of Poitiers (315-367).
- Rashi's Commentary, c. 1075. chabad.org.
- From Augustine's Exposition on the Psalms.
- From the Geneva Notes.
- From Matthew Henry's Commentary.
- From Wesley's Notes.
- From the Commentary on the Whole Bible (Jamieson, Fausset and Brown, 1871).
- From The Treasury of David by Charles H. Spurgeon. (1885)
- Contemporary Commentary, Studies, and Exegesis:
- "Law," sermon discussion from Frederick Buechner, Frederick Buechner Blog.
- "God's law in itself, has been stated in seven words: 'Whoever does not love abides in death' (1 John 3:14). Like it or not, that's how it is."
- Commentary,
Psalm 1, Mark Throntveit, Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org, 2012.
- "It's important not to overemphasize this stark opposition between the "righteous" and the "wicked" in a simplistic, black-and-white way. This most wisdom-like of the Psalms is not claiming that there are no shades of gray in our commitment and walk of faith."
- "Putting Evil in Its Place," Dr. Amy Erickson, ON Scripture, 2012.
- "A map is necessary because human will is not enough to keep one on the path towards the good."
- "The Road Less Traveled," Danielle Shroyer, The Hardest Question, 2012.
- "Where are we walking, standing, and sitting?"
- "Replanted," Martha Spong, Reflectionary, 2012.
- The Timeless Psalms: Psalm 1, Joan Stott, prayers and meditations based on lectionary Psalms, 2012.
- Psalm 1, Easter 7B, Comments (commentary) and Clippings (technical notes for in-depth study), Chris Haslam, Anglican Diocese of Montreal.
- Psalm 1, Easter 7B, The Old Testament Readings: Weekly Comments on the
Revised Common Lectionary, Howard Wallace Audrey Schindler, Morag Logan,
Paul Tonson, Lorraine Parkinson, Theological Hall of the Uniting Church,
Melbourne, Australia.
- "The torah or 'teaching' functions in this psalm in the same way the temple does elsewhere, as the 'place' of divine presence and the source of human security and life."
- Join the Feast, Psalm 1, J.P. Kang, Union PSCE,
2009.
- "Are life's possibilities really as starkly opposed as the psalmist concludes? If the profile of the 'righteous' strikes one as idealistic and/or hypocritical, it might be instructive to consider the exhortations to perpetual joy, prayer, and thanksgiving in 1 Thess 5:16-18. Many of us may even find it easier to identify, for various reasons, with the 'wicked'! How, then, can we preach Psalm 1 without simply moralizing?"
- Commentary, Psalm 1, James Howell, Preaching This Week,
WorkingPreacher.org, 2010.
- "How fascinating: the book of Psalms, the prayer book of the Bible, the hymnal of ancient Israel, opens with a poem about ethics, lifestyle, and decisions."
- The Timeless Psalms: Psalm 1, (Easter 7B), Joan Stott, prayers and meditations based on lectionary Psalms, 2012.
- Psalm 1, Proper 25B, Comments (commentary) and Clippings (technical notes for in-depth study), Chris Haslam, Anglican Diocese of Montreal.
-
Psalm 1,
Pentecost 16B, Weekly Comments on the Revised Common
Lectionary, Howard Wallace Audrey Schindler, Morag Logan, Paul Tonson, Lorraine Parkinson, Theological Hall of the Uniting Church,
Melbourne, Australia.
- "Psalm 1 is a wisdom poem. More accurately it is a wisdom poem that has been shaped to focus on the wisdom of giving attention to the torah, the instruction or teaching of God."
- "The Prayers of the Psalter," Henry Wansbrough, Introduction to the Psalms. (Scroll down for information about this Psalm.)
-
"Psalm
1: Two Ways of Life," by Greg Herrick at the Biblical
Studies Foundation.
- "The goal of meditation is to know God better and to apply his word to our lives. This reaches well beyond just knowing facts about the Bible. It calls us to trust the God of the Bible."
- "Two
Ways of Life: Psalm 1," by J. Hampton Keathley III at the Biblical Studies Foundation.
- "As I observe much of the church today, at first glance it looks like wheat, but on closer observation, it is often more like the chaff that the wind drives about with every wind of the various doctrines of man and the modernity of our secular society. My dear friends, make the powerful Word the foundation of your life and ministry and get involved in ministries where the Word is truly the heart and soul of that church."
-
Kairos CoMotion Lectionary Discussion,
Psalm 1, Wesley White. "A place of
conversation regarding Progressive Christianity."
- "Journeys and destinations are not all that easily connected. It may not be all that helpful to turn this dynamic into static consequences of heaven or hell."
- "What Makes Us Happy?" Larry Broding's Word-Sunday.Com: A Lectionary Resource for Catholics.
-
"The Delights of Discipline,"
Expository Essay,
Psalm 1, Dr. William R. Long.
- "This is the discipline that the Psalmist urges and other Scriptures confirm. It is one that leads to the blessed life. Are we up for it?"
- Psalm 1 in
A Psalm for All Seasons -
Studies in the Book of Psalms by Robert L. Deffinbaugh at the Biblical Studies
Foundation.
- "If the man who is blessed of God is the one who chooses to abide in the Word of God, let us begin abiding in the Psalms. The blessed man was not the man who read commentaries about the Scriptures or who listened to sermons, but the man who was personally studying the Word of God for himself."
- Psalm 1, Proper 6C, Comments (commentary) and Clippings (technical notes for in-depth study), Chris Haslam, Anglican Diocese of Montreal.
- "Law," sermon discussion from Frederick Buechner, Frederick Buechner Blog.
- Articles & Background:
-
"Dying Well," Abigail Rian Evans,
(other resources at)
"Health," Christian Reflection, The Center for Christian
Ethics at Baylor University, 2007.
- "Dying well begins with our perspective on life and living well."
-
"Anti-Jewish
Interpretations of Psalm 1 in Luther and in Modern German Protestantism," Uwe
F.W. Bauer in The Journal of Hebrew Scriptures, Volume 2, Article 2 (1998).
- "If one were to look for a common basis of the anti-Jewish statements of these exegetes, a decisive factor, in my opinion, is Christology, more specifically, the Reformation’s justification-Christology with its exclusivistic, anti-Jewish configuration."
-
"Dying Well," Abigail Rian Evans,
(other resources at)
"Health," Christian Reflection, The Center for Christian
Ethics at Baylor University, 2007.
- Recommended articles
from ATLAS, an online collection of religion and theology journals, are
linked below.
ATLAS Access options are available for academic institutions, alumni of
selected theological schools, and clergy/church offices. Annotated list of "starting place" articles at ATLAS for this week's texts (includes direct links).
- Anderson, G.W.,
"A Note on Psalm 1:1," Vetus Testamentum, 1974.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - André, Gunnel,
"'Walk', 'Stand', and 'Sit' in Psalm 1:1-2," Vetus Testamentum,
1982. (Use navigation arrow at ATLAS site to advance to the next page from this
link for the beginning of the article.)
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Bullough, Sebastian,
"The Question of Metre in Psalm 1," Vetus Testamentum, 1967.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Chalmers, Aaron,
"'There Is No Deliverer (from my Hand)'--A Formal Analysis," Vetus
Testamentum, 2005.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Cole, Robert,
"An Integrated Reading of Psalms 1 and 2," Journal for the Study of
the Old Testament, 2002.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Collins, C. John,
"Psalm 1: Structure and Rhetoric," Presbyterion, 2005.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Cox, Claude, "When Torah Embraced Wisdom and Song;
Job 28:28, Ecclesiastes 12:13, and Psalm 1:2," Restoration Quarterly,
2007.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Creach, Jerome F.D.,
"Like a Tree Planted by the Temple Stream: the Portrait of the Righteous in
Psalm 1:3," The Catholic
Biblical Quarterly, 1999.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Grant, Jamie A., "Szcześliwy, kto...:
Czesław Miłosz's translation of the Psalms," Catholic Biblical
Quarterly, 2007.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Reif, Stefan C.,
"Ibn Ezra on Psalm 1:1-2," Vetus Testamentum, 1984.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Snaith, N.H.,
"Psalm 1:1 and Isaiah 40:31," Vetus Testamentum, 1979.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Thomas, Marlin E.,
"Psalms 1 and 112 as a Paradigm for the Comparison of Wisdom Motifs in the
Psalms," Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, 1986.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Throckmorton, Burton Hamilton, "Language and the
Bible," Religious Education, 1985.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials - Tuell, Steven Shawn, "Psalm 1," Interpretation,
2009.
EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
- Anderson, G.W.,
"A Note on Psalm 1:1," Vetus Testamentum, 1974.
- Reviews:
- Sermons:
- "Foolish Wisdom," the Rev. Dr. Rick Dietrich, Day 1, 2003.
- With Children:
- "The Law of the Lord Makes Us Happy," Sunday School Lessons: Family Bible Study, art projects, music, stories, etc.
- Drama:
- Liturgy:
- The Timeless Psalms: Psalm 1, (Easter 7B), Joan Stott, prayers and meditations based on lectionary Psalms, 2012.
- Responsive Liturgical Paraphrase at The Billabong by Rev Jeff Shrowder, Uniting Church in Australia.
- Graphics & Bulletin Materials:
- Images for this week's readings, Pitts Theology Library Digital Image Archive.
- Hymns and Music:
- Hymnary.org, hymns, scores, media, information.
- Psalm 1, Isaac Everett, commentary and exegesis by Alan Cooper, The Emergent Psalter, 2009.
- Contemporary/Praise Song suggestions, Together to Celebrate, David MacGregor.
- Hymns with Scripture Allusions: Psalm 1. The Cyber Hymnal.
- Hymn Selections, The Lutheran Hymnal, Lutheran Worship.
- "Blessed Are They" (Psalm 1), lyrics, midi, sheet music, mp3. Stephen J. Pearson, The Psalmistry. See Terms of Use.
- Psalm 1 set to Mendelssohn (77 77 77 77 77), by Dale A. Schoening, Metrical Psalms.
- Fine Arts Images Linked at The Text This Week's Art Index:
- Movies scenes with the following themes, listed at The Text This Week's Movie Concordance:
- Study Links and Resources for the Book of Psalms
