Commentary on Psalm 1. Zigaben

-By Evphimi Zigaben

“Blessed is the man, which went not unto the counsel of the ungodly, and stood not on the path of sinners, and sat not in the seat of the pestilent.”

Blessedness belongs properly to God, as Paul declares, calling Him the “blessed and only potentate” (1 Tim. 6:15). Yet, by condescension, this title is also applied to us, as it is to God, for it is said: “I have said, Ye are gods” (Ps. 81:6). The name “blessed” is the fruit of perfection in virtue. It signifies “immortal,” that is, free from all death, with the addition of the letter μ [from the word makarios]. The term “blessed” encompasses the female gender as part of the whole, for as the divine Apostle says, “the head of the woman is the man” (Eph. 5:23), and with the head, the parts of the body are united. Just as human nature is common to both, so too are their deeds and rewards. David, in accordance with the nature of things, preserves this order in his words. “Counsel” refers to desire, for the root of actions performed by the body is the desire of the heart, as the Lord says, that which is within defiles a man (Matt. 15:18). First, we take counsel, then confirm it, and finally act upon it. An “ungodly” person is an atheist or polytheist; a “sinner” is one who, though believing, leads a lawless and corrupt life; a “pestilent” person not only sins but corrupts and infects others with their disease. David pronounces blessed the one who separates from such people, not joining the ungodly in counsel against the true God, even in passing, for such is the meaning, I believe, of “went not.” He further blesses the one who does not stand with sinners in evil, even if occasionally drawn into sin, nor indulges in the passions of the scornful, for this is the meaning of “sat [not] in the seat.” Alternatively, the “counsel of the ungodly” may refer to their gatherings, as Aquila and Theodotion translated; the “path of sinners” to the devil, for one who does not stand in the devil’s way comes to God, who said, “I am the way” (John 14:6), through which people pass to virtue; and the “seat” to the teaching of the wicked. Since avoiding evil is not enough for perfect virtue, he adds, as it is written: “Depart from evil, and do good” (Ps. 36:27), and Isaiah teaches, “Cease to do evil, learn to do well” (Isa. 1:16–17). Thus, the psalmist fittingly continues:

“But his will is in the law of the Lord, and on his law doth he meditate day and night.”

He declares that blessed is not only the one who avoids the aforementioned evils but also aligns their will with the Lord’s law, desiring only what it commands and constantly meditating on its teachings, ordering their life accordingly. For thus did God ordain it through Moses, saying: “And these words of this law shall be in thy mouth always, and thou shalt meditate upon them, sitting and rising, and lying down to sleep, and thou shalt bind them upon thy hand, and they shall be fixed before thine eyes” (Deut. 6:6). Then he shows the fruit that arises from this: “And he shall be like a tree planted by flowing waters, which shall give his fruit in his time. And his leaf shall not fall, and all whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.” For such a one, planted by the stream of divine words and nourished by their teaching, flourishes and grows, like a tree planted by the water’s source, bearing the fruit of virtue in its proper time and not shedding its leaves, that is, retaining humility, which covers and preserves virtues. Alternatively, the fruit may signify the spiritual wealth gathered from labors, and the leaves, the warming hope of salvation, which is never lost and eases the burden of sorrows. Divine words are rightly compared to waters, for they nourish and make fruitful the soul, as water does plants. So too, Christ called His teaching, saying: “If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink; and he that believeth on Me, rivers of living water shall flow from his belly” (John 7:37–38); and “Whoso drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst” (John 4:14). To such a person, God grants success in all things. For it is written, “The steps of a man are ordered by the Lord, and He shall delight in his way” (Ps. 36:23). The Apostle also says, “To them that love God, all things work together for good” (Rom. 8:28). The word “whatsoever” is added with reason, for one who succeeds in this does not desire to do evil, and thus receives success in all things from God. Having encouraged virtue with the promise of blessings, he strengthens the resolve of the faithful by pointing to the misfortunes of the wicked, saying:

“Not so are the ungodly, not so.”

That is, they neither flourish nor bear fruit like the righteous, nor enjoy other blessings. By doubling the negation, he firmly establishes the prohibition.

“But they are like dust which the wind scattereth from the face of the earth.”

As a sudden wind scatters and carries off dust, so do opposing demons sweep away the ungodly. The “face of the earth” should be understood as its surface. It is also called its “back” because it bears the weight of the bodies upon it. Similarly, the “bowels of the earth” refer to its depths. By “ungodly,” he encompasses all those previously mentioned, generalizing the earlier statements. The ungodly may also refer to the Jews, who, for dishonoring the Son, were scattered by the breath of the preaching of the holy apostles.

“Therefore the ungodly shall not rise at the judgment.”

See with what care the Divine Spirit speaks; He does not simply say, “they shall not rise,” but adds, “in the judgment.” For they too shall rise, but not to be judged, since how can those already condemned be judged? As He says, “He that believeth not on Me is condemned already” (John 3:18); rather, they rise to face punishment. It is noteworthy that Moses said nothing about the resurrection, and David was the first to teach of it.

“Nor sinners in the counsel of the righteous.”

Here, “sinners” does not refer generally to the ungodly but specifically to the corrupt and wicked, who alone will be judged and separated far from the righteous. For “counsel” was translated by Aquila and Theodotion as “assembly” of the righteous. In divine Scripture, the “righteous” are not only those who attain righteousness through their own virtue but all the saints, as those justified by God.

“For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous.”

He shows that no one is hidden from God. For He knows the ways of the righteous, as it is said, “The Lord knoweth the ways of the upright” (Ps. 36:18), and again, “The Lord knoweth them that are His” (2 Tim. 2:19). Since He Himself said, “I am the way,” it follows that He knows those who walk in it or follow His commandments. But toward the wicked, as unworthy of His knowledge, He feigns ignorance, as when He asked the sinning Adam, “Where art thou?” and likewise with Cain and many others (Gen. 3:9, Gen. 4:9).

“And the way of the ungodly shall perish.”

The virtues of the righteous endure as their wealth and crown. But the deeds and wickedness of the ungodly, which he now calls their “way,” vanish and become powerless. This aligns with the apostolic word: “But if any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss” (1 Cor. 3:15). source