Psalm 1

Psalm 1 is part of the (Jewish) or the Tanakh (Christian) Old Testament, and the first of a total of 150 psalms of the Psalter.

• 6.1 psalm text and translations
• 6.2 psalm settings
• 6.3 sermons and commentary on Psalm 1

Heading

Psalm 1 forms (together with Psalm 2 ) the proem of the whole psalm book. Formed into an editorial unit to Psalm 1 and Psalm 2 lift of the following psalms from the fact that they do not carry headings. Which is why Thomas Aquinas on this psalm says: " Hic Psalmus distinguitur contra totum opus. Enim non all were titulum, sed est quasi titulus Totius operis [ This Psalm is different from all the rest of the work, for it has no title, but is so to speak the title of the whole work. ] "

The text of Psalm 1

Content, form and interpretation

This psalm is called by Hermann Gunkel as a " wisdom song". He can not be determined in more detail in relation to its time of origin. A final version of the post-exilic psalm ( ie everything between the 6th century BC. , And 3rd century BC. ) Is very likely. In its structure, the psalm is well manageable. Verses 1-3 deal with the life of the righteous; 4-5 from the life of the wicked; in verse 6, followed by a final notice. Retrieved from " A to Z" - the first word begins with אַ ( Aleph ) and the last word with תֹּ ( Taw ) - offers this psalm a holistic philosophy of life of the believer who continues to run and explored throughout the book of Psalms.

Describes the content of this sapiential psalm two opposing ways of life (see Jeremiah 17:5-8 ), to which man may be on the way: a good way and a bad. The Way of the Word of God is the good way, on the successful life; the way of the mockers, wicked and sinners leads to the abyss and fails. However, just leaves the final statement ( 1.6a ) emphasizes open as knowing YHWH take place concretely and how the way of the righteous is to pass. The at first glance very simple appearing optimism therefore unfolds transparent than less. The optimism that is expressed in this psalm stems less from its clear guidelines for blissful life. Rather, he is supported by the consciousness of the in- God - grounded -ness. "That sounds already in Ps 1 to, " write Hossfeld and Zenger, "that the Psalms are signposts in a from evil, and threatened by evil life, which has its basis in the fact teifsten hope that YHWH ' here ' is. "

The decisive sign of the righteous is without a doubt the תּוֹרָה ( Torah ). This " transfer" it must first be understood as completed, letter of intent manifestation of God, which read (Deuteronomy 31.9 to 11 ) and read (Joshua 1:7) can be. But it can also also - more than just a written word collection - abstract as " gracious revelation of the will of God " is understood. The one who has joy coming at this from God " transfer" and they recite, reciting, which will be like a tree which is firmly rooted in the world. " ' Planted ' does not mean it here, " says the Midrash Tehillim ( Psalms Jewish interpretations of ), " but: שָׁתוּל ( ' used ') to teach you, that even all the storms when they come and blow it, it does not to move from his place assets. ". Not like chaff so that Gone With the Wind in a thousand directions, will be the God-fearing. But he shall be as a Staunch and the Whimsy of the times and the weather sublime tree. Such is constantly with his crown gravitate full of sky-high thoughts of God and not forget at the same time that he is in the world Rooted and Fleeting. Therefore, whoever recites the Psalms, and reading daily with God's dealing instructions, is, according to Psalm 1, grow and balanced in the world and live sound.

In this religious scripture is thus neither a childishly optimistic, divine determinism nor arbitrariness of a driven, hidden God at work. Here man does not float hopelessly in a " drunken flood that surrounds the soul" ( Gottfried Benn ); here man is not trapped under the Decision " Council of the Immortals ," the man " to certain doom that he 'd singing the grandson gender " ( Homer ); yet he lives in a polytheistic world, any time of a disruptive power as Fortuna with " sharp blades whirring " ( Horace ) can be thrown into turmoil. But here is an idea of ​​God, which is guided by the belief that YHWH is a power that participates in a positive and active life in the world, by man shall be guided by him. Think and man lives on this power down, so he escapes an internal distraction and lives with himself and the world in harmony. In short, this psalm does, in the words of Jürgen Habermas, an " articulation of an awareness of what [today in the modern era ] missing. "