Thoughts on Psalm 1
Psalm 1 (Italicized words are not part of the text; they are notes.)
Righteous 1 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;
Righteous 2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night.
Righteous 3 He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.
Wicked 4 The ungodly are not so, But are like the chaff which the wind drives away.
Wicked 5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
Both 6 For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the ungodly shall perish.
Verse 6 is about both.
I think that Psalm 1 is like a Hebrew Chiasm, (ki-as-um). A chiasm is when you go through a list of things and then again in reverse order. The beatitudes are a great example...
Verses 1-2 are opposite of Verse 5.
Verse 3 is the opposite of Verse 4.
Verse 6 is the conclusion.