Psalms 1: 1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. Daily Study Daily Reading Daily Devotion Daily Verse Daily Scripture Daily Bread Daily Guide Commentary Bible Commentary Bible Verse Commentary All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. 2 Timothy 3:16-17

1. Psalms 1:1
1 wanderean ©2024
Psalms 1:1
Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the
way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
BLESSED = How Happy. The first Psalm begins thus and Psalm 2 ends thus. Figure of
speech Antiptosis Compare Jer_17:7, Jer_17:8.
man. Hebrew ’ish. Put by Figure of speech Synecdoche (of Species) for all of both
sexes.
walketh, etc: i.e. who never did walk . . . stand . . . sit. Figure of speech Anabasis,
three triplets:
walketh counsel ungodly = continue in.
standeth way sinners = carry out.
sitteth seat scornful = settle down.
ungodly = lawless. Hebrew. rasha’.
sinners. Hebrew. chata’.
scornful = scoffers. Hebrew. luz.
The psalmist begins with the character and condition of a godly man, that those may
first take the comfort of that to whom it belongs. Here is,
I. A description of the godly man's spirit and way, by which we are to try ourselves.
The Lord knows those that are his by name, but we must know them by their
character; for that is agreeable to a state of probation, that we may study to answer
to the character, which is indeed both the command of the law which we are bound in
duty to obey and the condition of the promise which we are bound in interest to fulfil.
The character of a good man is here given by the rules he chooses to walk by and to
take his measures from. What we take at our setting out, and at every turn, for the
guide of our conversation, whether the course of this world or the word of God, is of
material consequence. An error in the choice of our standard and leader is original
and fatal; but, if we be right here, we are in a fair way to do well.
1. A godly man, that he may avoid the evil, utterly renounces the companionship of
evil-doers, and will not be led by them (Psa_1:1): He walks not in the council of the
ungodly, etc. This part of his character is put first, because those that will keep the
commandments of their God must say to evil-doers, Depart from us (Psa_119:115),
and departing from evil is that in which wisdom begins. (1.) He sees evil-doers round
about him; the world is full of them; they walk on every side. They are here described
by three characters, ungodly, sinners, and scornful. See by what steps men arrive at
the height of impiety. None reach the height of vice at once. They are ungodly first,
casting off the fear of God and living in the neglect of their duty to him: but they rest
not there. When the services of religion are laid aside, they come to be sinners, that
is, they break out into open rebellion against God and engage in the service of sin and
Satan. Omissions make way for commissions, and by these the heart is so hardened
that at length they come to be scorners, that is, they openly defy all that is sacred,
scoff at religion, and make a jest of sin. Thus is the way of iniquity down-hill; the bad
grow worse, sinners themselves become tempters to others and advocates for Baal.
The word which we translate ungodly signifies such as are unsettled, aim at no
certain end and walk by no certain rule, but are at the command of every lust and at
the beck of every temptation. The word for sinners signifies such as are determined
for the practice of sin and set it up as their trade. The scornful are those that set their

2. Psalms 1:1
2 wanderean ©2024
mouths against the heavens. These the good man sees with a sad heart; they are a
constant vexation to his righteous soul. But, (2.) He shuns them wherever he sees
them. He does not do as they do; and, that he may not, he does not converse
familiarly with them.
[1.] He does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly. He is not present at
their councils, nor does he advise with them; though they are ever so witty, and
subtle, and learned, if they are ungodly, they shall not be the men of his
counsel. He does not consent to them, nor say as they say, Luk_23:51. He does
not take his measures from their principles, nor act according to the advice
which they give and take. The ungodly are forward to give their advice against
religion, and it is managed so artfully that we have reason to think ourselves
happy if we escape being tainted and ensnared by it.
[2.] He stands not in the way of sinners; he avoids doing as they do; their
way shall not be his way; he will not come into it, much less will he continue in
it, as the sinner does, who sets himself in a way that is not good, Psa_36:4. He
avoids (as much as may be) being where they are. That he may not imitate
them, he will not associate with them, nor choose them for his companions. He
does not stand in their way, to be picked up by them (Pro_7:8), but keeps as
far from them as from a place or person infected with the plague, for fear of the
contagion, Pro_4:14, Pro_4:15. He that would be kept from harm must keep
out of harm's way.
[3.] He sits not in the seat of the scornful; he does not repose himself
with those that sit down secure in their wickedness and please themselves with
the searedness of their own consciences. He does not associate with those that
sit in close cabal to find out ways and means for the support and advancement
of the devil's kingdom, or that sit in open judgment, magisterially to condemn
the generation of the righteous. The seat of the drunkards is the seat of the
scornful, Psa_69:12. Happy is the man that never sits in it, Hos_7:5.
Blessed is the man - This Psalm has no title, and has been generally considered,
but without especial reason, as a preface or introduction to the whole book.
The word ‫אשרי‬ ashrey, which we translate blessed, is properly in the plural form,
blessednesses, or may be considered as an exclamation produced by contemplating
the state of the man who has taken God for his portion; O the blessedness of the
man! And the word ‫האיש‬ haish, is emphatic: That man; that one among a thousand
who lives for the accomplishment of the end for which God created him.
1. God made man for happiness.
2. Every man feels a desire to be happy.
3. All human beings abhor misery.
4. Happiness is the grand object of pursuit among all men.
5. But so perverted is the human heart, that it seeks happiness where it cannot
be found; and in things which are naturally and morally unfit to communicate it.
6. The true way of obtaining it is here laid down.
That walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly - There is a double Climax in this
verse, which it will be proper to note: -
There are here three characters, each exceeding the other in sinfulness.

3. Psalms 1:1
3 wanderean ©2024
1. The Ungodly, ‫רשעים‬ reshaim from ‫רשע‬ rasha, to be unjust; rendering to none his
due; withholding from God, society, and himself, what belongs to each. Ungodly -
he who has not God in him; who is without God in the world.
2. Sinners, ‫חטאים‬ chattaim, from ‫ח‬
‫טא‬ chata, ―to miss the mark,‖ ―to pass over the
prohibited limits,‖ ―to transgress.‖ This man not only does no good, but he does
evil. The former was without God, but not desperately wicked. The latter adds
outward transgression to the sinfulness of his heart.
3. Scornful, ‫לצים‬ letsim, from ‫לצה‬ latsah, ―to mock, deride.‖ He who has no religion;
lives in the open breach of God‘s laws, and turns revelation, the immortality of
the soul, and the existence of an invisible world into ridicule. He is at least a
deist, and endeavours to dissolve, as Much as he can, the bonds of moral
obligation in civil society. As the sinner exceeds the ungodly, so the scornful
exceeds both.
The second climax is found in the words,
1. Walk
2. Stand
3. Sit
Which mark three different degrees of evil in the conduct of those persons.
Observe,
1. The ungodly man - one uninfluenced by God.
2. The sinner - he who adds to ungodliness transgression
3. The scornful - the deist, atheist, etc., who make a mock of every thing sacred.
The Ungodly man walks, the Sinner stands, and the Scornful man sits down in the
way of iniquity.
Mark certain circumstances of their differing characters and conduct.
1. The ungodly man has his counsel;
2. The sinner has his way; and,
3. The scorner has his seat.
The ungodly man is unconcerned about religion; he is neither zealous for his own
salvation, nor for that of others: and he counsels and advises those with whom he
converses to adopt his plan, and not trouble themselves about praying, reading,
repenting, etc., etc. there is no need for such things; live an honest life, make no fuss
about religion, and you will fare well enough at last. Now, ―blessed is the man who
walks not in this man‘s counsel;‖ who does not come into his measures, nor act
according to his plan.
The sinner has his particular way of transgressing; one is a drunkard, another
dishonest, another unclean. Few are given to every species of vice. There are many
covetous men who abhor drunkenness; many drunkards who abhor covetousness;
and so of others. Each has his easily besetting sin; therefore, says the prophet, let
the wicked forsake His Way. Now, blessed is he who stands not in such a man‘s Way.
The scorner has brought, in reference to himself, all religion and moral feeling to an
end. He has sat down - is utterly confirmed in impiety, and makes a mock at sin. His
conscience is seared; and he is a believer in all unbelief. Now, blessed is the man who

4. Psalms 1:1
4 wanderean ©2024
sits not down in his Seat.
See the correspondent relations in this account.
1. He who walks according to the counsel of the ungodly will soon,
2. Stand to look on the wag of sinners; and thus, being off his guard, he will soon
be a partaker in their evil deeds.
3. He who has abandoned himself to transgression will, in all probability, soon
become hardened by the deceitfulness of sin; and sit down with the scorner, and
endeavor to turn religion into ridicule.
The last correspondency we find is: -
1. The seat answers to the sitting of the scornful.
2. The way answers to the standing of the sinner; and
3. The counsel answers to the walking of the ungodly.
The great lesson to be learned from the whole is, sin is progressive; one evil
propensity or act leads to another. He who acts by bad counsel may soon do evil
deeds; and he who abandons himself to evil doings may end his life in total apostasy
from God. ―When lust has conceived, it brings forth sin; and when sin is finished, it
brings forth death.‖ Solomon the son of David, adds a profitable advice to those
words of his father: ―Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of
evil men; avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away;‖ Pro_4:14, Pro_4:15.
As the blessedness of the man is great who avoids the ways and the workers of
iniquity, so his wretchedness is great who acts on the contrary: to him we must
reverse the words of David: ―Cursed is the man who walketh in the counsel of the
ungodly; who standeth in the way of sinners; and who sitteth in the seat of the
scornful.‖ Let him that readeth understand.
Blessed [is] the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in
the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
Counsel of the ungodly:
When a man has once given place to evil counsel, or to his own sin nature, he begins
to forget himself in his sin, and so falls into contempt of God, which is called the seat
of the scorners.
Blessed is the man,
The word blessed in the Hebrew has as a meaning, "oh how happy" is the man. First
of all, we see this happy man in a negative context. That is,
he is walking not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standing in the way of sinners,
nor sitting in the seat of the scornful (Psa_1:1).
And there does seem to be a progression here. First a person begins quite often just
walking in the counsel of the ungodly. The next thing he finds he is standing around
in the congregation of the sinners. And finally, he is settled down and is seated in the
seat of the scornful. That is the negative side. The blessed man doesn‘t do this, but
contrariwise,
Here the gracious man is described negatively (Psa_1:1); He is a man who does not
walk in the counsel of the ungodly. He takes wiser counsel, and walks in the
commandments of the Lord his God. To him the ways of piety are paths of peace and
pleasantness. His footsteps are ordered by the Word of God, and not by the cunning

5. Psalms 1:1
5 wanderean ©2024
and wicked devices of carnal men. It is a rich sign of inward grace when the outward
walk is changed, and when ungodliness is put far from our actions. Note next, he
standeth not in the way of sinners. His company is of a choicer sort than it was.
Although a sinner himself, he is now a blood-washed sinner, quickened by the Holy
Spirit, and renewed in heart. Standing by the rich grace of God in the congregation of
the righteous, he dares not herd with the multitude that do evil. Again it is said, ―nor
sitteth in the seat of the scornful.‖ He finds no rest in the atheist's scoffings. Let
others make a mock of sin, of eternity, of hell and heaven, and of the Eternal God;
this man has learned better philosophy than that of the infidel, and has too much
sense of God's presence to endure to hear his name blasphemed, The seat of the
scorner may be very lofty, but it is very near to the gate of hell; let us flee from it, for
it shall soon be empty, and destruction shall swallow up the man who sits therein.
When men are living in sin they go from bad to worse. At first they merely walk in the
counsel of the careless and ungodly, who forget God - the evil is rather practical than
habitual - but after that, they become habituated to evil, and they stand in the way of
open sinners who wilfully violate God's commandments; and if let alone, they go one
step further, and become themselves pestilent teachers and tempters of others, and
thus they sit in the seat of the scornful. They have taken their degree in vice, and as
true Doctors of Damnation they are installed, and are looked up to by others as
Masters in Belial. But the blessed man, the man to whom all the blessings of God
belong, can hold no communion with such characters as these. He keeps himself pure
from these lepers; he puts away evil things from him as garments spotted by the
flesh; he comes out from among the wicked, and goes without the camp, bearing the
reproach of Christ. O for grace to be thus separate from sinners.
Blessed - The Hebrew words are very emphatical: O the blessedness of that man!
Counsel - That doth not lead his life according to their counsel, or manner of living.
Standeth - Which notes a more settled abode in it.
Way - In their manner of conversation.
Seat - Which notes a constant and resolved perseverance in their wicked courses.
Scornful - Of those who make a mock of sin, and scoff at goodness and goodmen.
Divers observe a gradation in this verse; the following clause still exceeding the
former, for standing is more than walking, and sitting more than standing; and
sinners in scripture use, are worse than the ungodly, and the scornful are the worst of
sinners.
The righteous man is first described negatively, under three heads.
(1) He "does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly:" i.e. he does not throw in
his lot with the wicked does not participate in their projects or designs;
(2) he standeth not in the way of sinners; i.e. he does not take part in their
actions, does not follow the same moral paths; and
(3) he sitteth not in the seat of the scornful; i.e. has no fellowship with them in
the "scorn" which they cast upon religion. The word used for scornful (‫ץ‬ ֵ‫)ל‬ is
Solomonian (Pro_1:22; Pro_3:34; Pro_13:1), but in the Psalter occurs only in this
place.
The godly man is described NEGATIVELY, in sharp contrast with the ungodly.
1. He is not guided by this world‘s maxims, walks not "in the counsel"—by the rule, of
those who leave God out of their reckoning. N.B.—The chief thing in life is the

6. Psalms 1:1
6 wanderean ©2024
counsel—plan, ruling principles, and maxims—by which it is guided. E.g. one man‘s
aim in life is "to die rich;" another‘s motto," Short life and merry;" another‘s, "To me
to live is Christ."
2. His conduct, therefore, openly contrasts. "Nor standeth," etc. Closely associated, it
may be, in business, society, public affairs; for else he "must needs go out of the
world" (1Co_5:10); yet, as his aim is not theirs, so their means are not his means,
nor their path his path (Pro_4:14, Pro_4:15). Business life has temptations from
which recluse life is free, but also opportunities for witnessing for truth and Christ.
3. His chosen company corresponds with counsel and conduct. "Nor sitteth," etc. Not
frequenting their haunts, sharing their revels, making them his bosom friends
(Pro_1:15; Pro_13:20). N.B.—A steady progress in sin is indicated—walking,
standing, sitting. First, stepping aside from the right path into crooked ways in
compliance with evil counsel; secondly, continuing a line of conduct conscience
condemns; at last, sitting down at the banquet of sinful pleasure, conscience drugged
or scared, God openly despised. A picture of how many lives once bright with hope!
The happy man.
The word "blessed" means" happy." The phrase used might, indeed, be rendered,
"Hail to the man," etc.! The psalm itself may be called "a psalm of congratulations,"
for the psalmist regards the man whom he here describes as one who has great
reason for gladness, and who therefore may be fittingly congratulated. Ages ago the
heathen said, "Call no man happy till he is dead." But we have before us the picture
of one who is certainly happy even now; who has a joy, of which neither crosses nor
losses can deprive him; who will be happy as long as he lives; and who has still more
happiness in store for him when death is past. It may be asked whether it is the
highest kind of virtue to aim at being happy, or whether it is the noblest inducement
to it to assure us that to be virtuous is to be happy? Perhaps not. But such a question
could scarcely be asked unless the point of the psalm is altogether missed; for the
psalmist is not speaking of the good man as happy because he is aiming at
happiness, but as being so because he follows the Law of God, and finds joy therein,
without seeking for joy for its own sake. And, anyway, if it be so that God has
annexed joy to a life of loyalty to him, it cannot make such loyalty less desirable if it
is crowned with gladness of heart. But, as we hope to point out shortly, the personal
happiness is but a very small part of the "blessedness" which the good man
possesses. Let us consider—
THE LIFE HERE DESCRIBED. Several marks are furnished to us here of "the Messed
man."
Negative. He is wisely careful not to have evil companionship. He knows that "he that
walketh with wise men shall be wise, but a companion of fools shall be destroyed."
Hence he shuns
(1) the ungodly—those who have no fear of God before their eyes, and are
perpetually restless in their self-will;
(2) the sinners—those who indulge in open sin;
(3) the scornful—these who ridicule religion and. laugh at such as fear the Lord. His
separation from such is complete.
He will neither
(1) follow their counsel; nor
(2) sit in their seat; nor even

7. Psalms 1:1
7 wanderean ©2024
(3) stand in their way.
Note: If ever a man is to become wise, he must not mix promiscuously with others.
We know well, in penning these words, that we are liable to the remark from some
readers, "How commonplace!" We admit it. But it is just by non-attention to
commonplace truth that millions are undone. We cannot reiterate too frequently,
"Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men."
The blessed man is described in this verse by negatives. We are told what he does
not do. It so happens that we cannot understand some of the very highest things in
life except they are put to us in precisely this way. There are more ways of saying
"Thou shalt not" than there are of saying "Thou shalt."
There are cases in which without a figure "ignorance is bliss." Observe that all the
characters mentioned here may have their excellences and their attractions; for
example, the ungodly may be rich, the sinners may be convivial, the scornful may be
brilliant: yet blessed is the man who has nothing to do with them.
The secret of the blessed life.
―Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly,‖ &c. (Psa_1:1.)
THE PROGRAMME OF EVIL
―A climax is to be noted here in the choice of expressions. Thus we have, first, three
degrees of habit, in the verbs ‗walked,‘ ‗stood,‘ ‗sat;‘ next, three degrees of evil in the
character, the ‗wicked,‘ the ‗sinners,‘ and the ‗mockers;‘ lastly, three degrees of
openness in the evil-doing, ‗counsel,‘ ‗way,‘ ‗seat.‘ ‖ —Perowne.
We see here:
I. The evil life in its inception.
―Walketh in the counsel of the ungodly.‖
The word used in the original for ―ungodly‖ signifies the ―loose man, the man loose
from God.‖—Delitzsch. We see here that ungodliness is the source of all evil;
―becoming loose to God,‖ is the point of departure to positive and universal
unrighteousness. This great truth is often forgotten; and where actual sin would be
denounced, ungodliness is often regarded with in dulgence. Indeed, that temper of
mind which is loose from God is by many considered the most philosophic and
desirable condition of the mind; the morality loose from God, the truest morality; the
science loose from God, the wisest science; the character loose from God, the most
sound and noble character. The Psalmist in this place indicates the profound error of
such reasoning. Looseness from God, ungodliness, is the original and fertile source of
all transgression. Enmity with God is enmity with righteousness. The Psalmist teaches
this same doctrine of the connection of atheism with transgression in
And this ungodliness seeks to justify itself. ―The counsel of the ungodly.‖ Men are
anxious that their opinions and conduct should have the sanction of reason, and so
they seek to justify their ungodliness to their understanding. ―No one sins without
making some excuse to himself for sinning. He is obliged to do so: man is not like the
brute beasts; he has a Divine gift within him which we call reason, and which
constrains him to give an account to it for what he does. He cannot act at random;
however he acts, he must act by some kind of rule or some sort of principle, else he
is vexed and dissatisfied with himself. Not that he is very particular whether he finds
a good reason or a bad, when he is very much straitened for a reason, but a reason
of some sort he must have.‖—Newman. Reason is never used in a more unnatural,
ignoble, hopeless task, than when it is pressed into the service of atheism and

8. Psalms 1:1
8 wanderean ©2024
irreligion: but it is pressed into such service, tortured and perverted, until the godless
theory of life is ―sicklied o‘er with the pale cast of thought,‖ and looks a very clever
and plausible thing. The maxims which are used to justify a godless science and a
godless life are essentially stupid and false, yet how frequently they wear a most
philosophic air! Here, then, is the beginning of evil—an irreligious, ungodly way of
thinking.
II. The evil life in its development.
1. ―Standeth in the way of sinners.‖ By ―sinners‖ are intended those ―who
pass their lives in sin, especially coarse and manifest sin.‖—Delitzsch. ―Open
and avowed offenders, habitual transgressors.‖—Kay. Here sinful thought has
passed into conduct, action, life. We cannot hold unbelieving theories with
impunity. Ideas rule men, ideas rule the world, and ideas fundamentally false,
as are those of atheism, must soon work disaster, both in individual and
national life. He who in thought lingers on the forbidden ground of scepticism,
next takes his place with actual offenders against the law. Nothing is more
evident than that loose thinking and loose living go together.
2. ―Sitteth in the seat of the scornful.‖ ―The scornful are the men who
deride the thought of religious obligation.‖—Kay. They delight in the company of
those who scoff at religion. This state, and it is soon reached, argues the most
desperate wickedness. There is something so exalted in reverence, that some
commentators have expressed a sentiment of respect for Jacob, who buried his
false gods with tenderness; but how utterly dead to every noble quality is the
man who can blaspheme the true God and His Word! Here the poison-seed of
unbelief has opened into the full-blown flower of wickedness. ―The beginnings of
sin are modest, the issues of it are impudent.‖—Whichcote.
III. The evil life in its consummation.
The man is blessed who walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly; it follows that he
is cursed who does follow ungodly counsels and conduct. ―Cursed in his counsels,
cursed in his actions, cursed in his end.‖—Clarke. The further he goes, the further he
is from blessedness.
We are reminded in this verse:
1. Of the insinuating nature of sin. It glides stealthily into the heart—
stealthily into the life.
2. Of the prolific nature of sin. One sin leads to another sin; one sin leads
to a darker sin; one sin leads to many sins. It is a traveller‘s tale which tells
that the Indian spiders weave webs so strong that men are sometimes
imprisoned by them; but it is no fable that from the gossamer threads of
ungodly thoughts, and slender transgressions, come at length dark convictions
and habits which hold men in most cruel bondage.
3. Of the accursed nature of sin. It fills with misery; it ends in death.
What God curses withers away. Let us pray, then, that we enter not into the
path of the wicked.
Blessed — literally, ―oh, the happiness‖ - an exclamation of strong emotion, as if
resulting from reflecting on the subject. The use of the plural may denote fullness and
variety (2Ch_9:7).
counsel ... way ... seat — With their corresponding verbs, mark gradations of evil,
as acting on the principles, cultivating the society, and permanently conforming to the

9. Psalms 1:1
9 wanderean ©2024
conduct of the wicked, who are described by three terms, of which the last is
indicative of the boldest impiety (compare Psa_26:4, Psa_26:5; Jer_15:17).
Blessed is the man, literally, "blessednesses, or happinesses, of the man," that
walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, making the plans of the wicked his
concern, making it his business to follow out their godless undertakings, nor
standeth in the way of sinners, making it a point to linger in the company of those
whom he should shun, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful, those who scorn the
belief in God in the sense of mocking and sneering at true religion. Note the climax in
the verse: first comes the meditating of evil, then a wilful performance of that which
is sinful, then the suppressing of a good conscience and the mockery of everything
sacred; and, on the other hand, first the seeking of the society of the godless, then a
somewhat uncertain standing at the outside of their circle, then a deliberate
participation in their mockery.
The way of the righteous.
1. (1) What the righteous man does not do.
Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
a. Blessed is the man: The Hebrew word esher is here translated blessed,
which has the idea of happiness or contentment. Esher is a form of the Hebrew
word ashar, which in its root means ―to be straight‖ or ―to be right.‖ Blessed is
the man speaks of the happiness, the blessedness, the contentment in the life of
the man or woman who is right or ―straight‖ with God. The righteous man will be
a blessed man, a happy man.
i. ―Blessed means supremely happy or fulfilled. In fact, in Hebrew the word is
actually a plural, which denotes either a multiplicity of blessings or an
intensification of them.‖ (Boice)
ii. ―It is not ‗Blessed is the king, blessed is the scholar, blessed is the rich,‘
but, ‗Blessed is the man.‘ This blessedness is as attainable by the poor, the
forgotten and the obscure, as by those whose names figure in history, and
are trumpeted by fame.‖ (Spurgeon)
b. Walks not...nor stands...nor sits: The blessed man does not do certain
things. There is a way he will not walk, a path he will not stand in, and a seat he
will not sit in.
i. We can say these speak of thinking, behaving, and belonging. The righteous
man and the ungodly man are different in how they think, how they behave,
and to whom they belong.
ii. Others have also seen in this a progression of sin. ―The great lesson to be
learned from the whole is, sin is progressive; one evil propensity or act leads
to another. He who acts by bad counsel may soon do evil deeds; and he who
abandons himself to evil doings may end his life in total apostasy from God.‖
(Clarke)
c. Walks not in the counsel of the ungodly: The ungodly have counsel, and
the righteous man will not walk in it. With all the advice that comes to us, from so
many different sources, the righteous man knows how to stay away from the
counsel of the ungodly.

10. Psalms 1:1
10 wanderean ©2024
i. First, it means the righteous man knows how to discern the counsel of the
ungodly. Many fail at this point. They do not even consider if counsel is
godly or ungodly. They hear advice, or theories about their problems, and
they find themselves agreeing or disagreeing without considering, ―Is this
godly or ungodly counsel?‖
ii. The righteous man is also discerning enough to know the counsel of the
ungodly can come from one‘s own self. Our own conscience, our own mind,
our own heart, can give us ungodly counsel.
iii. The righteous man knows where to find completely godly counsel: Your
testimonies also are my delight and my counselors (Psa_119:24). God‘s word
is always the best counselor, and godly counselors will always bring the truth
of God‘s word to help someone who wants counseling.
d. Nor stands in the path of sinners: Sinners have a path where they stand,
and the righteous man knows he does not belong on that path. Path speaks of a
way, a road, a direction – and the righteous man is not traveling in the same
direction as sinners.
i. The righteous man is not afraid to take a less-traveled road, because he
knows it leads to blessing, happiness, and eternal life. Enter by the narrow
gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and
there are many who go in by it (Mat_7:13).
ii. The righteous can have the confidence of Psa_16:11 : You will show me the
path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are
pleasures forevermore. God has a path, and it is a good road to take.
e. Nor sits in the seat of the scornful: The scornful love to sit and criticize the
people of God and the things of God. The righteous man will not sit in that seat!
i. When others are putting down Christians, it is easy to sit with them and
criticize them. It is easy because there are many things to criticize about
Christians. But it is wrong, because we are then sitting in the seat of the
scornful.
ii. Instead, we should be proud to follow Jesus Christ. ―Be out-and-out for
him; unfurl your colours, never hide them, but nail them to the mast, and say
to all who ridicule the saints, ‗If you have any ill words for the followers of
Christ, pour them out upon me...but know this – ye shall hear it whether you
like it or not – ‗I love Christ.‘‖ (Spurgeon)
Blessed is the man,.... This psalm begins in like manner as Christ's sermon on the
mount, Mat_5:3; setting forth the praises and expressing the happiness of the man
who is described in this verse and Psa_1:2. The words may be rendered, "O, the
blessednesses of the man", or "of this man"; he is doubly blessed, a thrice happy and
blessed man; blessed in things temporal and spiritual; happy in this world, and in that
to come.
that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly: all men are by nature and
practice ungodly, without God, without the true knowledge, fear, and worship of God
and are at enmity against him. It is a character that belongs to God's elect as well as
others, while in a state of nature; and is sometimes used illustrate the love of Christ
in dying for them, and the grace of God in the justification of them, Rom_4:5. But
here it describes not such who are wicked in heart and life in common only, but the
reprobate part of mankind, profligate and abandoned sinners, such as Jude speaks of,

11. Psalms 1:1
11 wanderean ©2024
Jud_1:4; and for whom the law is made, and against whom it lies, 1Ti_1:9. The word
here used signifies such who are restless and continually in mischief; who are like the
troubled sea, which cannot rest, ever casting up mire and dirt: they are always
disquieted themselves, and are ever disquieting others; nor do they cease from being
so till they are laid in their graves. And to these "counsel" is ascribed, which supposes
capacity and wisdom; as, generally speaking, such are wise and prudent in natural
and civil things, and are wise to do evil, though to do good they have no knowledge:
and counsel implies consultation and deliberation; they act deliberately in sinning,
they cast about in their minds, form schemes, and contrive ways and means how to
accomplish their vicious purposes; and sometimes they enter into a confederacy, and
consult together with one consent, and their counsel is generally against the Lord,
though it does not prosper and prevail; and against his Christ, his people, truths and
ordinances: it takes in both their principles and practices; and the sum of their
counsel is to indulge themselves in sin, to throw off all religion, and to cast off the
fear and worship of God, Job_21:14. Now "not to walk" herein is not to hearken to
their counsel, to give into it, agree with it, pursue it, and act according to it; and
happy is the man, who, though he may fall in the way of it, and may have bad
counsel given him by ungodly men, yet does not consent to it, take it, and act upon
it. This may be applied to the times of the Messiah, and the men of the age in which
he lived; and the rather, since the next psalm, in which mention is made of the
counsel of the ungodly, manifestly belongs unto them. The men of that generation
were a set of ungodly men, who consulted against Christ to take away his life; and
blessed is the man, as Joseph of Arimathea, who, though he was in that assembly
which conspired against the life of Christ, did not walk in, nor consent unto, their
counsel and their deeds, Luk_23:51;
nor standeth in the way of sinners; all men are sinners through Adam's
disobedience, and their own actual transgressions, and such were the elect of God,
when Christ died for them; and indeed are so after conversion, for no man lives
without sin. But here it intends notorious sinners, who are open, bold, and daring in
iniquity; the word signifies such, who in shooting miss the mark, and go aside from it,
as such sinners do from the law of God; proceed from evil to evil, choose their own
ways, and delight in their abominations. Now their "way" is not only their "opinion",
as the Syriac version renders it, their corrupt sentiments, but their sinful course of
life; which is a way of darkness, a crooked path, and a road that leads to destruction
and death: and happy is the man that does "not stand" in this way, which denotes
openness, impudence, and continuance; who, though he may fall into this way, does
not abide in it; see Rom_6:1. The Pharisees in the time of Christ, though they were
not openly and outwardly sinners, yet they were secretly and inwardly such,
Mat_23:28; and the way they stood in was that of justification by the works of the
law, Rom_9:31, but happy is the man, as the Apostle Paul and others, who stands not
in that way, but in the way Christ Jesus, and in the way of life and righteousness by
him;
nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful; by whom may be meant proud and
haughty persons, in opposition to the humble and lowly, as in Pro_3:34; such who
are proud of their natural abilities, knowledge, and wisdom, of their honours and
riches, or of their own righteousness, and despise others; or such who are desperate
in wickedness, of whom there is no hope; see Pro_9:7; and Deists and atheists, who
scoff at divine revelation, and mock at a future state, at death, hell, and judgment, as
in Isa_28:14. Now happy is the man that does not sit or keep company with such
persons; who comes not into their secret and into their assembly; does not associate
himself with them, nor approve of their dispositions, words, principles, and actions;

12. Psalms 1:1
12 wanderean ©2024
see Psa_26:4. Such were the Scribes and Pharisees in Christ's time; they derided him
and his doctrines, scoffed at him when he hung upon the cross, and despised him and
his apostles, and his Gospel; but there were some that did not join with them, to
whom he, his ministers, and truths, were precious and in high esteem, and to whom
he was the power and wisdom of God.
Blessed is the man - That is, his condition is a happy or a desirable one. The word
used here, ‫אׁשר‬ 'esher means properly, ―happiness‖ or ―blessedness.‖ It is found,
however, only in the plural form and in the construct state, and takes the nature and
force of an interjection - ― O the happiness of the man!‖ or ―O happy man!‖
Deu_33:29 : ―happy art thou, O Israel!‖ 1Ki_10:8 : ―happy are thy men, happy are
these thy servants!‖ Job_5:17 : ―happy is the man whom God correcteth!‖ Psa_2:12 :
―blessed are all they that put their trust in him!‖
The word is of the most general character, and, in itself, would embrace all that is
supposed to constitute real happiness. The particular kind of blessedness referred to
here, as explained in the subsequent part of the psalm, consists in the fact that he
avoids the companionship of the wicked; that he has pleasure in the law of the Lord;
that he will be prospered in this world; and that he will not perish at lasts. The word
―man‖ here, also, is of the most general character, and is designed to include all
people, of all times and of all conditions, who possess the character referred to. The
term is applicable to the poor as well as to the rich; to the low as well as to the
exalted; to the servant as well as to the master; alike to the aged, the middle-aged,
and the young. All who have the character here described come under the general
description of the happy man - the man whose condition is a happy and a desirable
one.
That walketh not - Whose character is that he does not walk in the manner
specified. Prof. Alexander renders this, ―Who has not walked.‖ But it implies more
than this; it refers to more than the past. It is the characteristic of the man, always
and habitually, that he does not thus walk; it has not only been true in the past, but it
is true in the present, and will be true in the future. It is that which distinguishes the
man. The word ―walk‖ is often used in the Scriptures to denote a way of life or
conduct - since life is represented as a journey, and man as a traveler. Psa_15:2 :
―who walketh uprightly.‖
In the counsel - After the manner, the principles, the plans of this class of men. He
does not take counsel of them as to the way in which he should live, but from the law
of the Lord, Psa_1:2. This would include such things as these: he does not follow the
advice of sinners, 2Sa_16:20; 1Ki_1:12; he does not execute the purposes or plans
of sinners, Isa_19:3; he does not frame his life according to their views and
suggestions. In his plans and purposes of life he is independent of them, and looks to
some other source for the rules to guide him.
Of the ungodly - The wicked. The word used here is general, and would embrace all
kinds and degrees of the unrighteous. It is not so specific, and would, in itself, not
indicate as definite, or as aggravated depravity, as the terms which follow. The
general sentiment here is, that the man referred to is not the companion of wicked
men.
Nor standeth - This indicates more deliberation; a character more fixed and decided.
In the way - The path where they are found, or where they usually go. His standing
there would be as if he waited for them, or as if he desired to be associated with
them. Instead of passing along in his own regular and proper employment, he

13. Psalms 1:1
13 wanderean ©2024
stations himself in the path where sinners usually go, and lingers and loiters there.
Thus, he indicates a desire to be with them. This is often, in fact, illustrated by men
who place themselves, as if they had nothing to do, in the usual situation where the
wicked pass along, or where they may be met with at the corners of the streets in a
great city.
Of sinners - ‫חטאים‬ . This word means literally, those who miss the mark;
then, those who err from the path of duty or rectitude. It is often used to denote any
kind or degree of sin. It is more specific than the former word rendered ―ungodly,‖ as
denoting those who depart from the path of duty; who fail in regard to the great end
of life; who violate positive and known obligations.
Nor sitteth - This implies still greater deliberation and determination of character
than either of the other words employed. The man referred to here does not casually
and accidentally walk along with them, nor put himself in their way by standing where
they are ordinarily to be found; but he has become one of them by occupying a seat
with them; thus deliberately associating with them. He has an established residence
among the wicked; he is permanently one of their number.
In the seat - The seat which the scornful usually occupy; the place where such men
converse and sit together - as in a ball-room, or in a ―club,‖ where wicked men hold
their meetings, or where infidels and scoffers are accustomed to assemble.
Of the scornful - ‫לצים‬ tsiym. This word properly means those who mock, deride,
scoff; those who treat virtue and religion with contempt and scorn. Pro_1:22;
Pro_3:34; Pro_9:7-8; Pro_13:1; Pro_15:12, et saepe. It denotes a higher and more
determined grade of wickedness than either of the other words employed, and refers
to the consummation of a depraved character, the last stage of wickedness, when
God and sacred things are treated with contempt and derision. There is hope of a
man as long as he will treat virtue and religion with some degree of respect; there is
little or none when he has reached the point in his own character in which virtue and
piety are regarded only as fit subjects for ridicule and scorn. We have here, then, a
beautiful double gradation or climax, in the nouns and verbs of this verse, indicating
successive stages of character. There is, first, casual walking with the wicked, or
accidentally falling into their company; there is then a more deliberate inclination for
their society, indicated by a voluntary putting of oneself in places where they usually
congregate, and standing to wait for them; and then there is a deliberate and settled
purpose of associating with them, or of becoming permanently one of them, by
regularly sitting among them.
So also it is in regard to the persons with whom they associate. They are, first,
irreligious men in general; then, those who have so far advanced in depravity as to
disregard known duty, and to violate known obligations; and then, those who become
confirmed in infidelity, and who openly mock at virtue, and scoff at the claims of
religion. It is unnecessary to say that, in both these respects, this is an accurate
description of what actually occurs in the world. He who casually and accidentally
walks with the wicked, listening to their counsel, will soon learn to place himself in
their way, and to wait for them, desiring their society, and will ultimately be likely to
be feared identified with open scoffers; and he who indulges in one form of depravity,
or in the neglect of religion in any way, will, unless restrained and converted, be likely
to run through every grade of wickedness, until he becomes a confirmed scoffer at all
religion. The sentiment in this verse is, that the man who is truly blessed is a man
who does none of these things. His associations and preferences are found elsewhere,
as is stated in the next verse.

14. Psalms 1:1
14 wanderean ©2024
Blessed is the man — The Hebrew words are very emphatical: Blessedness belongs
to that man; or, O the blessedness of that man! Blessedness here means happiness.
And the character of the truly happy man is described in this Psalm both negatively,
in his abstaining from sin; and positively, in his practice of a most important duty,
introductory to all other duties. It is then illustrated by a beautiful similitude,
borrowed from vegetation; and, lastly, contrasted with the opposite character of the
ungodly. In this verse we have the negative part of his character in three particulars:
1st, He walks not in the counsel of the ungodly. The word ‫רׁשעים‬, reshagnim,
here rendered ungodly, according to Aben Ezra, signifies permanent, the
restless, who are never at one stay; according to Isa_57:20 : ―Those,‖ says
Henry, ―who are unsettled, aim at no certain end, and walk by no certain rule;‖
who may indeed be moral in their conduct toward their fellow-creatures, and
outwardly unblameable, but live without a due regard to God and religion,
which all unconverted persons do. Now the man that is truly pious, and
therefore happy, doth not walk in the counsel of such; doth not lead his life
according to their advice, or manner of living; doth not associate with them,
give ear to their suggestions, or follow their example. This part of the happy
man‘s character is put first, because those that would keep the commandments
of their God must say to evil-doers, Depart from us, Psa_119:115, and because
wisdom begins in departing from evil.
2d, Nor standeth in the way of sinners — Of open and notorious sinners, to be
picked up and gathered with them: but he avoids as much as may be the
company of such, lest he should be insnared by them, and drawn by degrees
into an imitation of their practices. He keeps at a distance from them, as he
would from persons or places infected with the plague, for fear of the
contagion. Or, standing in their way may imply a continuance in their manner of
conversation.
3d, Nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful — Of those who make a mock of sin,
and of God‘s threatenings and judgments against sinners: who deride all
wholesome reproofs and counsels, and scoff at goodness and good men. So
that there seems to be a double climax, or gradation, in this verse, each
following clause exceeding the former in two respects. For standing, or
delaying, in an evil course, implies a greater degree of guilt than being
occasionally entangled and induced to walk therein, and sitting denotes a more
settled and resolved perseverance than standing. Again, the term sinners, in
Scripture language, implies more wickedness than the word ungodly, and the
scornful are the worst of sinners. Observe, reader, by what steps men arrive at
the height of impiety. PNo one becomes very wicked all at once. They are
ungodly first, casting off the fear of God, and living in the neglect of their duty
to him. But they rest not there; when the services of religion are laid aside,
they come to be sinners, that is, they break out into open rebellion against God,
and engage in the service of sin and Satan: omissions of duty make way for the
commission of crimes, and by these the heart is so hardened that at length they
come to be scorners: they openly defy all that is sacred, scoff at religion, and
make a jest of sin. Thus is the way of iniquity down hill; the bad grow worse,
and sinners become tempters to others and advocates for Baal.
The felicity of the godly man, and infelicity of the wicked
Verse 1. Teacheth a godly man.
1. To beware of the ungodly man‘s persuasions;

15. Psalms 1:1
15 wanderean ©2024
2. Of their order of life; and,
3. Of their society and company keeping.
The blessed man’s likeness
Notes on verses.
Verse 1. Ignorance is often bliss. All the characters mentioned here may have their
excellence. The ungodly may be rich, the sinners convivial, the scornful brilliant, yet
blessed is the man that has nothing to do with them. Blessed is the man who knows
not the language or the masonry of the wicked.
The blessed man
1. He is partly described by negatives. We begin with children by teaching them
what they must not do. The man who ―walketh in the counsel of the ungodly‖ is
not a happy man. Nowhere in the devil‘s territories can you find the happy man.
Men who have run the whole round of so called enjoyment unite to say, ―If you
want to be happy, avoid our footprints.‖ And yet it seems as if every young man
must go and try for himself. He will not take the experience of others; or follow
the directions of the ―caution board.‖
The triads of transgression
I. Three classes of transgressors. Shun them!
1. Ungodly.
Generally those who are
(a) ignorant of God,
(b) deny, or
(c) defy God. Here means restless people.
2. Sinners.—The restless missing his way.
3. Scorners.—Mockers, pests, impostors (Psa_26:4-9).
II. Three inducements to transgress. Resist them.
1. Counsel.—Flattering and deceptive. Satan in Eden and the wilderness.
2. Way.—Broad and attractive (Mat_7:13-14).
3. Seat.—Boisterous and popular. ―My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou
not.‖
III. Three degrees of transgression. Avoid them!
1. Walking.—Initiatory.
2. Standing.—Secondary.
3. Sitting.—Grand Lodge degree in iniquity.
―The way of transgressors is hard‖ (Pro_4:14-18). ―Wherefore come out from among
them‖ (2Co_6:17). (Homiletic Review.)
Getting used to an ungodly atmosphere
To make my meaning clearer, suppose a person steps out of pure air into a rather
close room: the air is at first disagreeable and oppressive, he does not breathe freely,
but in a little while he gets more used to it, and after a while he hardly is aware that
the room is close, and that he is breathing impure air. Suppose also that then he goes

16. Psalms 1:1
16 wanderean ©2024
into another room, which is much closer, the air of it much more impure: it will not
seem to him, coming as he does from the first room, to be worse than the first room
seemed when he came from the pure air. This just describes the way in which the
man who is beginning to walk in the counsel of the ungodly, allowing himself to be
influenced by them, soon learns to breathe at ease in an ungodly atmosphere.
Probably his conscience is uneasy as he steps from his place of safety, but he soon
accustoms himself to his new position, and then he is ready for the next step, and
there is every prospect of his taking it.
Nor standeth in the way of sinners.—
Counsels to the young
I. The infectious nature of sin, and the danger of walking in the counsel of the
ungodly. These warnings have been so often repeated and are now commonplace, not
because they are unimportant, but because the good and wise of all ages have felt
the necessity of them.
1. We are all prone to sin.
2. And the young are ignorant and unsuspicious.
3. Vice is usually baited with pleasure.
4. The difficulty of bearing ridicule, which in corrupt society the young are
exposed to.
II. The hardening nature of sin.
1. Its progress is gradual and insensible.
2. The strength and power of inveterate habit.
III. The finishing stage of wickedness. To be of the scornful. On which note—
1. The sin and danger of it to the scornful themselves. It is an audacious attack
upon the majesty of the living God, and must strike every thinking person with
horror. And this is not a sudden sin, but deliberate. Such contempt of sacred
things shows an entire victory over conscience: all reluctance is gone. Also, over
shame, and they design to destroy it in the minds of others.
2. Its sad influence. For it is public and intended to be so. It is an open advocacy
of sin and an endeavour to break the restraints of conscience in others as well as
themselves. Its malignant influence is seen in the fear that most persons have in
opposing fashionable crimes. It lays hold on some human weakness that has been
accidentally associated with religion, and ridicules religion as if it also were weak.
Socrates was certainly the wisest and best of the men of Greece. His behaviour
was such as demanded the esteem of all who knew him; yet was this worthy man
successfully turned into ridicule by one whose writings are to the last degree
contemptible. But yet this ridicule paved the way for the enmity which was raised
against him, and which brought him to death. So ridicule often slays religion in
the soul. Therefore let the young beware of evil company. Let parents strive to
train their children in religion, and let all Christian men stand up boldly against
profanity and vice and deal with these sins as they deserve.
True and false friendship
False friendship is like the gaudy but scentless sunflower, that will bloom only in the
sunshine of prosperity. True friendship, planted in mutual love and nourished by
Christian principles, is like the sweet but modest violet that will flourish even in the

17. Psalms 1:1
17 wanderean ©2024
dark shade of adversity, and will yield only fresh odours when trampled on by
unkindly tread.
Association with sinners
The unhappy bids to associate with the profane arise from two causes.
1. That rigorousness and austerity which some gloomy-minded Christians attach
to their religion. God and nature have established no connection between sanctity
of character and severity of manners. To rejoice evermore is not only the
privilege, it is also the duty of a Christian. The votaries of vice put on the mask of
mirth, they counterfeit gladness amidst the horrors of guilt.
2. The opinion that wickedness, particularly some kinds of it, are manly and
becoming; that dissoluteness, infidelity, and blasphemy are indications of a
sprightly and a strong mind. Those who have shone in all ages as the lights of the
world, with a few exceptions, have been uniformly on the side of goodness, and
have been as distinguished in the temple of virtue as they were illustrious in the
temple of fame. (J. Logan.)
Nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.—
The fear of ridicule
As the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of a fool, and he is a poor
invertebrate creature who allows himself to be laughed down when he attempts to
stick to his principles and tries to do what he believes to be right. ―Learn from the
earliest days,‖ says Sydney Smith, ―to insure your principles against the perils of
ridicule; you can no more exercise your reason if you live in the constant dread of
laughter, than you can enjoy your life if you are in constant terror of death. No
coward is greater than he who dares not to be wise because fools will laugh at him.‖
(Quiver.)

18. Psalms 1:1
18 wanderean ©2024
References: