Psalm 1 read in Russian. Psalter. Prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos
The Psalter begins with Psalm 1, the text of which every Christian knows, because it is often quoted during worship, and it is with him that the reading of the Psalter begins in Great Lent. Despite the fact that the Psalter begins with it, the psalmist David is not the author of the text. The text is filled with reflections on the righteousness of man.
History of writing
The authorship of the text has not yet been established, but it was not King David, since in the Hebrew, Greek and Latin Writings he usually signed under his texts. Since the psalm belongs to the type of meditation song, it does not contain descriptions of any events or references to historical periods. This also makes it difficult to establish the time of writing and the historical context.
The main idea of Psalm 1 is the idea that the righteous are blessed
Due to later references (the book of Acts, for example), researchers come to the conclusion that earlier the first and second psalms were one song. If this is a correct guess, then we can say that the first two psalms were written by David, during his war with the Syrians and the Ammonites, which are described in the book of Kings.
The interpretation of the psalm
The main idea of the text is the idea that the righteous is blessed. By the word "blessed" is meant the word happy, i.e. a person who fulfills the commandments of God and walks in His ways is happy. He means not only earthly well-being, but also a spiritual state of tranquility and happiness. By the word "husband" he means just a person, and the wicked here is a person who has nothing to do with the Lord and the commandments.
More detailed analysis verses will give a better idea of the text:
- The first verse describes the actions of a righteous man: he does not associate in any way with sinners and the unrighteous. “Does not walk, ... does not stand, ... does not sit” - three types of evasion from evil, despite the internal craving for evil, a person in every possible way avoids it and the slightest temptation.
- The second verse says that the righteous, instead of being with the unrighteous, are immersed all day long in thoughts of the highest. The righteous is characterized on the positive side, he correlates each of his actions with God's will and His law. The will here is an attraction to the "law of the Lord", i.e. to the Divine.
- The third verse describes the condition of a righteous person - the consequence of the fulfillment of God's law - is the growth and well-being of a person in both the spiritual and material spheres. For a better understanding of the idea, the author compares such a person with a tree near a pond.
- Verses 4-6 compare two types of people who keep and those who do not keep the Law. The author characterizes sinners - they are like dust, they cannot stand still, they have no weight. Here we are talking about the court over such, but it is not completely clear what kind of court - heavenly or court during life.
The psalmist David promises the faithful follower success in every undertaking, because the Lord becomes his patron
Reading Rules
Psalm 1 is included in the first kathisma and is read at the morning service, i.e. Saturday night at church. At home, you can read this text in Russian or in a modern translation:
1 Blessed is the man who does not go to the council of the wicked, and does not stand in the way of sinners, and does not sit in the assembly of corrupters,
2 but his will is in the law of the Lord, and he meditates on his law day and night!
3 And he shall be like a tree planted by streams of water, which bears its fruit in its season, and whose leaf does not wither; and in everything he does, he will succeed.
4 Not so - the wicked, [not so]: but they are like dust blown up by the wind [from the face of the earth].
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
6 For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.
- the heart is filled with despondency;
- faith is shaken in trials and needs support;
- before the start of agricultural work;
- when the time of temptation comes.
Psalter. Psalm 1
The beginning of the first kathisma and psalm No. 1 listen to:
https://azbyka.ru/audio/audio1/Svjashhennoe_pisanie/psaltir_tsl_mohov/002.%20%D0%9A%D0%B0%D1%84%D0%B8%D0%B7%D0%BC%D0%B0%201 .%20%D0%9F%D1%81%D0%B0%D0%BB%D0%BE%D0%BC%201.mp3KATHISMA 1
| Psalm 1
Psalm to David, not inscribed by a Jew |
Psalm 1
Psalm of David, not inscribed among the Jews. |
| 1 Blessed is the man, who does not go to the council of the unclean, and on the way of sinners is not a hundred, and does not sit on the seat of the destroyers, | 1 Blessed is the man who does not go to the council of the wicked, and does not stand in the way of sinners, and does not sit in the assembly of corrupters, |
| 2 but his will is in the law of the Lord, and in his law shall he learn day and night. | 2 but his will is in the law of the Lord, and he meditates on his law day and night! |
| 3 And it shall be like a tree planted by the outgoing waters, and it will bear its fruit in its season, and its leaf will not fall away, and all that it makes will succeed. | 3 And he shall be like a tree planted by streams of water, which bears its fruit in its season, and whose leaf does not wither; and in everything he does, he will succeed. |
| 4 Not so ungodly, not so, but like dust, which the wind sweeps up from the face of the earth. | 4 Not so, the wicked, not so: but they are like dust blown up by the wind from the face of the earth. |
| 5 For this sake the unclean will not be raised for judgment, below the wicked in the council of the righteous. | 5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. |
| 6 For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, and the way of the unclean shall perish. | 6 For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish. |
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EXPLANATION AND BRIEF INTERPRETATION OF PSALM 1
The first psalm depicts the blessed state of the righteous as opposed to the disastrous state of the wicked, blessedness is the foundation and beginning of the doctrine of the moral life of people, and it is communicated only to righteous people, that is, willingly fulfilling the law of the Lord.
Ps. 1:1 Blessed is the man who does not go to the council of the wicked, and does not stand on the path of sinners, and does not sit on the seat of the destroyers.
Here the word "husband" must be understood as a "man", and not just a man.
According to the teachings of St. Athanasius advice of the wicked this is "a meeting, or gathering, of crafty people", and according to St. Basil the Great, to advice of the wicked wicked thoughts can be attributed, from which an wicked deed begins.
Don't go, don't stay, don't sit, - means: who did not go, does not walk and does not stop. Those. blessed is he who does not share the thoughts and feelings of ungodly people and observes the purity of thoughts; and if he is drawn into evil, he does not stand in it, does not become ossified; blessed is he who does not participate in the meetings of the destroyers of faith and morality, who moves away from agreement and complicity with the wicked.
Ps. 1:2 But his will is in the law of the Lord, and in his law he will learn day and night.
The piety of a believing person is kept in the steady fulfillment of the will of God.
Ps. 1:3 And it will be like a tree planted by the outgoing waters, if it will give its fruit in its time, and its leaf will not fall off, and everything, if it creates, will have time.
These words are practically the same as the words of God, spoken through the prophet Jeremiah (chapter 17 of the prophecies of Jeremiah), who denounced the wickedness of the Jews: "Blessed is the man who(which) hopes in the Lord, and it will be like a tree planted by the waters, and will put down its roots in goodness: it will not be afraid when the heat comes(heat, drought) and its stem shall be green, and in the time of rain it shall not be afraid, nor shall it cease to bear fruit.”
Ps. 1:4 Not so ungodly, not so, but like dust, which the wind sweeps up from the face of the earth.
Pious people, unlike the wicked, do everything with the hope of God's help, therefore the grace of God is poured out on them, and these works are always successful. What's up the wicked deprived of the grace of God's assistance, and therefore, like dust blown up by the wind from the face of the earth these works are destroyed and bear no fruit. They, by the longsuffering of God, often enjoy all the blessings of this world; meanwhile, as it is written in the book of Job, they say to God: “Get away from us, we don’t want to know Your ways! What is the Almighty that we should serve Him? and what is the use of resorting to Him?” Being atheists, they live in sin and indulge in all vices, all shameful passions ( Rome. 1:24–32). Being themselves evil and insane, they persecute the believers ( In. 16:23).
Ps. 1:5 For this sake, the wicked will not rise for judgment, below the sinner in the council of the righteous.
Translated from Hebrew: The wicked will not stand in judgment, they will not stand because they are like the dust of the earth, not confirmed by faith in Christ and already condemned, according to the word of the Savior Himself: "Whoever does not have faith, he will be condemned"(Mark 16:16).
Wicked, sinners will condemned but the righteous and pious, after the resurrection, will follow into the Kingdom of God, or, which is the same, into eternal life as the Savior Himself says: “Amen, amen, I say to you, as if listening to My word and believing in Him who sent Me, have eternal life, and it will not come to judgment, but will pass from death to the stomach”(John 5:24).
Ps.1:6 For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, and the way of the wicked will perish.
This means that the Omniscient and Righteous Judge known. He knows everything even before the judgment, and therefore has no need either for proofs or for denunciations.
Under through it does not mean the road we walk on, but our deeds, thoughts and intentions, and therefore these words of the psalm: the way of the wicked will perish mean that the deeds, plans, wiles of the wicked, and together with them they themselves perish.
Blessed are all those who looking for the Lord God with all their hearts, who delight in the law of God and meditate on it day and night(Ps. 11:1, 1:2), who listen to the Word of God and act on it. Blessed are all those on whom, on the day of judgment, the blessing of the Heavenly Father, spoken by the mouth of the Son of God, will extend: "Come, bless my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world"
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Interpretation of Psalm 1
Psalm 1 is a good introduction to the Psalter, as it speaks in general terms of the two paths that are open to man and mankind: the path of righteousness and righteousness, and the path of evil and wickedness. It may be referred to as "wisdom psalms" because it emphasizes the presence of only these two paths; the method of comparison, the promise of blessings, the thought of the special importance for the practical life of a God-given law - all this character traits"psalms of wisdom". The main idea of Psalm 1 appears again and again in the Psalter. It is about a blessed man leading a blameless life and prospering - in accordance with the word of the Lord, and about the wicked, who are waiting for destruction.
A. Blessed is the man... (1:1-3)
Ps. 1:1. The characterization of the "husband" sung in this psalm develops progressively, from verb to verb: "does not walk ... does not stand ... does not sit" there and where "corrupters" gather (in Hebrew, literally "scoffers", i.e. . those for whom the righteous way of life causes only ridicule). Thanks to this, he is protected both from accidental influence on their part, and from the temptation to collude with them against the righteous (for he keeps aloof from the assembly of corrupters). Such a man is blessed (that is, happy) because he is pleasing to God and enjoys spiritual peace and joy in fellowship with Him.
Ps. 1:2. Here the will is understood as "inclination". A pious person is attracted by the word of God ("the law of the Lord", or the Law of Moses, here it must be understood broadly, in the meaning of all Divine revelation). He stubbornly thinks about it, trying to penetrate into its depths and keep it in his memory, coordinates his daily life with him.
Ps. 1:3. In comparison with a tree "planted by streams of water" such a "detail" can be seen: it bears its fruit in its own time. "Fruit" in relation to the righteous - obviously, his success in business, prosperity. So: not always all this comes at once, but at the time provided by God. In general, the image of a fruit-bearing tree, the leaf of which does not wither, symbolizes life under the constant protection of God.
B. Of the wicked (1:4)
Ps. 1:4. A completely different fate awaits the wicked. This refers to all those who are not connected with God by the commandments of the covenant and do not live according to them, but guided only by their passions and delusions. The psalmist compares them to chaff (more correctly "chaff", not dust), which is carried away by the wind when bread is threshed. This image corresponds to the "way of the wicked" who will "perish" (interpretation on 1:6).
C. Judgment (1:5-6)
Ps. 1:5-6. The basis of the life of the righteous is God's commandments, and therefore the wicked cannot be "united" with them (and in this sense, "stand" in their assembly). Those who do not live according to God's commandments, respectively, cannot be justified at God's judgment. Here, therefore, we are talking about God's separation of some from others.
The Lord knows the path of the righteous, that is, He knows about their way of life and behavior (about, so to speak, "the direction of their activity"); He is pleased with their way. And in the "path" of the wicked is the guarantee of their death. There is no indication in the verses whether it means death in eternity or punishment in earthly life, but the meaning of the psalm does not change from this: only the righteous are pleasing to God.
1:1
Blessed is the man who does not go to the council of the wicked, and does not stand in the way of sinners, and does not sit in the assembly of corrupters,
Happy is a person who has NOTHING to do with bad communities. And in order to become happy in this century, it is necessary to comply with the listed conditions.
The minimum to start becoming happy is to stay away from everyone who does not serve God. And also from those who say that they serve God, but deny Him by their deeds. All of them are a bad community and corrupters for those who want to become a happy person.
However, just avoiding bad communities is not enough for happiness. After all, you can and alone with yourself it is not clear what to do. Therefore, having first cut off all ties with bad communities, two more conditions must be met:
1:2
but his will is in the law of the Lord, and he meditates on his law day and night!
1) to fulfill the will of God (it is clear that without knowledge of it, you cannot fulfill it)
2) meditate on the word of God DAY and NIGHT - here it is, the source of knowledge about the will of God for man.
The one who seeks happiness in life correctly and loves the commandments of God does not need a schedule for studying the word of God, and there is no need for anyone to follow when he reflects on the works of the Creator's hands: happy in God does this ALWAYS.
If you don’t have anything to do with anyone from the world and don’t communicate, but spend the whole day, for example, watching TV shows, sunbathing on the sea, playing dominoes or reading fiction, then we won’t see happiness: such a pastime does not contribute to the fulfillment of the will of God.
If, in seclusion, you do nothing at all, except eat, drink, sleep, walk - live for yourself - you also will not fulfill the will of God, and it turns out that you will not become happy.
1:3
And he will be like a tree planted by streams of water, which bears its fruit in its season, and whose leaf does not wither; and in everything he does, he will succeed.
A tree by a river is very different from a tree growing in the desert - and appearance, and fruiting, and resistance to all kinds of diseases.
H a man who meditates day and night on the word of God, who does not walk in the ways of this world, is not accidentally compared with a tree planted by many streams of water (not by a meager stream, for example). This means that with the help of full spiritual nourishment from the word of God, he has a chance to be successful in all his affairs even in this century, for his deeds are far from worldly fuss, they are done with God's wisdom and insight. And in the next century, such a lucky man will live forever, without fading.
1:4
Not so - the wicked; but they are like dust tossed by the wind.
The fate of the wicked is different: everyone saw the dust under their feet.
So, a happy person, prospering in the future with God, will scatter the dust under his feet and think: “maybe there are the remains of the former wicked in it?”. Like Omar Khayyam:
Dawns shone for people - and before us!
The stars flowed in an arc - and to us!
In a lump of gray dust, under the foot,
You crushed the eye that used to shine.
1:5
Therefore, the wicked will not stand in judgment, and sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
Why do the wicked in the FINAL RESULT - such an outcome in the form of a lump of gray dust under the foot of the righteous? (and not at all in the form of a spiritual substance tormented in the fire of hellfire)
Because even during the judgment of God - in the Millennium - if the ungodly gets a second chance to find God (well, it didn’t work out, for example, in this century - he didn’t fit in time, space and habitat, he was unlucky, he didn’t hear the word of God ) - then the wicked he is the wicked, and his wickedness will certainly come out even in favorable conditions, if he does not wish to become a righteous man happy in God.
Even if for some time the wicked in the assembly of God's people can disguise himself, sooner or later, he will still show his wicked nature: he is not interested in God's people, he is bored, he is not their field - a berry, and therefore will not withstand a long disguise. Or it will be painful for him to live according to all the commandments and not violate anything.
As John wrote: they left us, so they are they just weren't OURS. They could not resist in the environment of alien for them happy people.
1:6
For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.
The Lord knows what the striving to achieve righteousness leads to, and what awaits those who follow the path of wickedness.
Therefore, all the words of this Psalm, written under the inspiration of God, are the true truth.
Let's hasten better to righteousness and happiness in God, and wickedness was born with us, we need to get rid of it, and not rush to it.
I really liked the modern translation of this psalm:
1 That man is blessed who does not ask sinners for advice,
who does not walk the path of sin does not feel at home among those who do not believe in God.
[Or: "Happy is he who does not heed the advice of the lawless, does not turn to the path of sin, and does not seek refuge in the house of an atheist."]
2 a kind person and honors and loves all the laws of God, day and night thinking about them.
3 Only this person is full of strength, like a tree on the banks of the river, the fruits of which do not know delay, the leaves of which do not fall. Only such a person is successful in everything.
4 Not so among the wicked; they are like husks carried by the winds.
5 When all the good come together for judgment, they will judge sinners, and they will receive punishment according to their deserts.
6 Since God always preserves the good and destroys the sinners.
In the Hebrew, Greek, and Latin Bibles, this psalm is not inscribed with the name of David. The psalm does not contain indications by which it would be possible to recognize both the writer of the psalm and the time and circumstances of its origin.
In many ancient Greek manuscripts, when the book. Acts quotes from the present second psalm: “You are my son, I am born to you today”(; ), then says that it is in the first psalm ( ἔν τῷ πρότῳ ψαλμῷ ). The latter indicates that once the real first and second psalms were one, the first psalm, why the writer of the last one was the same person as the writer of the real second psalm, and it was written on the same occasion as the last, i.e., in the time of David, David, about his wars with the Syro-Ammonites (see Ps. 2
He who does not act wickedly, but always follows the Law of God, he is blessed as a tree planted by the water (1-3). The wicked will be rejected by God (4-6).
. Blessed is the man who does not go to the council of the wicked, and does not stand in the way of sinners, and does not sit in the assembly of corrupters,
"Blessed" is synonymous with "happy". By the latter, one must understand both external earthly well-being (following verse 3), and a reward at the judgment of God, i.e., spiritual, heavenly bliss. "Husband", part instead of the whole (metonymy) - generally a person. "Wicked" - internally separated from God, having and spiritually living in moods that are inconsistent with the lofty commandments of the law: "sinful" - strengthening his bad inner mood in the corresponding external actions, "corruptor" (Heb. letsim, Greek λοιμνῶ - mocker) - not only personally acting badly, but also mocking the righteous kind of life. “Does not walk, ... does not stand, ... does not sit”- three degrees of deviation to evil, whether in the form of an internal, although dominant, but not constant attraction to it ("does not walk"), or in strengthening evil in oneself through external actions ("do not stand"), or in complete avoidance of him, reaching the external struggle with divine teaching and to promote their views.
. but his will is in the law of the Lord, and he meditates on his law day and night!
Characteristics of the righteous from the positive side. - "His will is in the law of the Lord". - "Will" - the mood, the attraction of the righteous to "the law with the Lord", not only to that which is expressed in the Decalogue of Moses, but to all Divine revelation. "Meditate ... day and night" - always coordinate your behavior with this revelation, for which you need to always remember it (see).
. And he will be like a tree planted by streams of water, which bears its fruit in its season, and whose leaf does not wither; and in everything he does, he will succeed.
The result of the inner assimilation of the righteous law and life according to it will be his external well-being and success in business. Just as a tree that grows by water has constant moisture for its development, and therefore is fruitful, so is the righteous "in everything he does, he will be in time" because he is protected by God.
. Not so - the wicked, [not so]: but they are like dust blown up by the wind [from the face of the earth].
. Therefore, the wicked will not stand in judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
. For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.
This is not the position of the wicked. They are like dust. Dust, chaff, easily blown away by the wind; their external position is unstable and precarious. Since the wicked are penetrated and do not live according to the commandments of God, they cannot "stand in judgment" before Him and cannot be where the righteous will be gathered ("in the assembly"), since the Lord "knows" (in the sense of taking care of , loves), and therefore rewards the behavior ("path" - activity, its direction) of the righteous, and destroys the wicked. In these verses there is no precise indication of what kind of judgment of God is meant - whether on earth, during a person's life, or after his death. But in both cases, the same meaning remains - the Lord will reward only the righteous.
The history of the Jewish people presents many facts showing that even during earthly life, when the Lord is the judge of a person, He punishes the wicked. But since the existence of man is not limited to the earth, then the final judgment on him will be carried out on the last day, that is, at the Last Judgment (cf.;).
