The Blessed Path of the Righteous One

The author is unknown, but its truth is known and acknowledged to be a fitting introduction to the whole Psalter.  Its substance is the theme of the main body of the Psalms.  

It describes two kinds of men, with their attitudes, desires and destinies.  This is a familiar contrast, e.g. the sheep and the goats and the righteous and unrighteous.  It speaks of three ways of sinning and three descriptions of sinners.  Their end is described in no uncertain terms. 

But the man who delights in God and His Word is the blest man, or literally, the very happy man.  He is fruitful in life and in the life to come.  The contrast is clear; it is between true happiness and unhappiness.  There is a direct connection between the law of God, the practice of its morality and genuine happiness.

Psalm 1

1  That man hath perfect blessedness
who walketh not astray
In counsel of ungodly men,
nor stands in sinners’ way,

Nor sitteth in the scorner’ chair:
2  But placeth his delight
Upon God’s law, and meditates
on his law day and night.

3  He shall be like a tree that grows
near planted by a river,
Which in his season yields his fruit,
and his leaf fadeth never:

And all he doth shall prosper well.
4  The wicked are not so;
But like they are unto the chaff,
which wind drives to and fro.

5  In judgment therefore shall not stand
such as ungodly are;
Nor in th’ assembly of the just
shall wicked men appear.

6  For why? The way of godly men
unto the Lord is known;
Where the way of wicked men
shall quite be overthrown.