3. like a tree— (Jeremiah 17:7; Jeremiah 17:8). planted—settled, fast. by—or, "over." the rivers—canals for irrigation. shall prosper—literally, "make prosper," brings to perfection. The basis of this condition and character is given (Jeremiah 17:8- :). read more
1. The blessed person 1:1-3 read more
Psalms 1This psalm is one of the best known and favored in the Psalter. It summarizes the two paths of life open to people, the way of the righteous and the way of the wicked (cf. Deuteronomy 30:11-20; Jeremiah 17:5-8). It also deals with God, godly living, and the hope of the godly in view of the Mosaic Covenant promises. Therefore it is an appropriate one to open the collection of 150 psalms. The editors probably intended it to be an introduction to the whole Psalter for this reason. Its... read more
All who delight in and meditate on God’s law will prosper like a flourishing fruit tree (cf. Psalms 92:12-14). Their fruit will appear at the proper time, not necessarily immediately, and their general spiritual health, represented by the leaves, will be good. Usually the fruit God said He would produce in the lives of most Old Testament believers was physical prosperity (cf. Deuteronomy 28:1-14). The fruit a Christian bears is mainly a transformed character and godly conduct (cf. Galatians... read more
This Ps. forms an appropriate introduction to the whole Psalter. In some Hebrew MSS it is not numbered with the Psalms, but stands before them as a prologue, and in others it is combined with Psalms 2. It is one of the ’orphan’ psalms, and the want of a title indicates that it did not originally belong to the Davidic collection, 3-41. The subject of the Ps. is the blessedness of the righteous man who studies the Law of Jehovah, as contrasted with the unhappy end of the ungodly. It consists of... read more
Book 1The Pss. in this book are probably among the earliest in the Psalter, and include most of those generally regarded as Davidic. They seem to have existed separately as an early hymn-book, which, with some slight additions from the final editor, was used as the nucleus of the entire collection. They have two wellmarked characteristics: (1) the constant use of the name Jehovah (rendered the Lord), and the comparative absence of the name God (Heb. Elohim); the former occurring 272 times, the... read more
(3) And he.—Better, So is he. For the image so forcible in an Eastern clime, where vegetation depends on proximity to a stream, comp. Psalms 52:8; Psalms 92:12; Isaiah 44:4; and its development in Jeremiah 17:7-8. The full moral bearing of the image appears in our Lord’s parabolic saying, “a good tree cannot bring forth corrupt fruit, nor an evil tree good fruit.” The physical growth of a tree has in all poetry served as a ready emblem of success, as its decay has of failure. (Recall Wolsey’s... read more
The Tree and the Chaff Psalms 1:1 There is a law to obey which is life; there is a King, to serve Whom is blessedness, and rebellion against Whom is destruction. I. Note first the picture of a fair and fruitful life. If you have not learned to shelter your positive goodness behind a barrier of negative abstinence, there will be little vitality and little fruit in the weakling plants that are trying to blossom in the undefended open, swept by every wind. But then note further how in this... read more
Psalms 1:1-6THE Psalter may be regarded as the heart’s echo to the speech of God, the manifold music of its windswept strings as God’s breath sweeps across them. Law and Prophecy are the two main elements of that speech, and the first two psalms, as a double prelude to the book, answer to these, the former setting forth the blessedness of loving and keeping the law, and the latter celebrating the enthronement of Messiah. Jewish tradition says that they were originally one, and a well-attested... read more
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Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Psalms 1:3
Psalms 1:3. Like a tree planted by the rivers of water— It is observed by Fleury, in his excellent dissertation concerning this and several other psalms of the like kind, whose subjects are purely moral, that the want of tender expressions and pathetic sentiments is sufficiently compensated by beautiful paintings, fine metaphors, and noble comparisons. The literal sense of the word פלגי palgei rendered rivers, is divisions, which may refer to the custom of conveying water to orchards or gardens... read more