Psalms
Chapter 1
1
The Two Ways
Blessed is the man who does not go where the wicked gather,or stand in the way of sinners, or sit where the scoffers sit!
2
Instead, he finds delight in the law of the Lord and meditates day and night on his commandments.
3
He is like a tree beside a brook producing its fruit in due season, its leaves never withering. Everything he does is a success.
4
But it is different with the wicked. They are like chaff driven away by the wind.
5
The wicked will not stand when judgment comes, nor the sinners when the righteous assemble.
6
For the Lord knows the way of the righteous but cuts off the way of the wicked.
Commentaries
1
The stark contrast between the virtuous and the wicked is a hallmark of Hebrew thought and its uncompromising literary expression. The psalmist recognized the mixture of good and evil within himself and those around him. As St. Paul expressed much later—and he spoke for everyone—‘I can want to do what is right, but I am unable to do it’ (Rom 7:18). Aware of this inner tension, we recite this psalm with a sense of hypocrisy. It is not a declaration of one’s virtue but a constant reminder that we all face choices. We may never fully reach either extreme of virtue or vice, but at every moment, we are heading toward one or the other. It is helpful to remember what the end of each path looks like. It is better to keep in mind that we have a powerful companion on the virtuous journey, but on the wicked path, we are alone.