Russell, Psalm I Irish Biblical Studies 26/4 (2005)

Psalm 1 as an Interpreter of Scripture

Brian Russe/1

Scholars have observed that Ps 1 invites the community of faith to

view the Psalter as Torah. 1 The Torah psalms (I, 19, and 119) reflect
this stance as does the division of the Psalter into five books, which
perhaps mirrors the Mosaic Torah.

Psalm 1 is troubling for many interpreters because of its unflinching

optimism and bold confidence in the efficacy of Torah piety for
securing the future. In Waiter Brueggemann's system of
classification, Ps 1 serves as a model psalm of orientation. 2 Its
unambiguous commitment to obedience allows for no wavering. He
argues that such a confident outlook will soon be challenged by the
poignant parade of laments that dominate the first three books of the
Psalter until the reader experiences a new orientation as one moves

1
James L. Mays, The Lord ReiRns: A Theological Handbook to the
Psalms (Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 1994), 121-23 and 128-35;
J. Clinton McCann, A Theological Introduction to the Book of Psalms:
The Psalms as Torah (Nashville: Abingdon, 1993), 25-40; Patrick D.
Miller, Interpreting the Psalms (Philadelphia: Fortress, 1986), 81-88,
and "The Beginning of the Psalter," in The Shape and Shaping of the
Psalter (ed. J. Clinton McCann; JSOTSup 159; Sheffield: JSOT, 1993),
83-92; Gerald H. Wilson, The Editing of the Hebrew Psalter (SBLDS
76; Chico: Scholars, 1985), 204-7, and "Shaping the Psalter: A
Consideration of Editorial Linkage in the Book of Psalms," in The
Shape and Shaping of the Psalter (ed. J. Clinton McCann; JSOTSup
159; Sheffield: JSOT, 1993), 72-82; and C. Hassell Bullock,
Encountering the Book of Psalms: A Literary and Theological
Introduction (Encountering Biblical Studies; Grand Rapids: Baker
Academic, 2001 ), 57-82.

2
Waiter Brueggemann, The Message of the Psalms: A Theological
Commentwy (Minneapolis: Augsburg, 1984), 19-23 and 38-39. In
Brueggemann's helpful schema, he argues for two movements in the
Psalter: I) a move from settled orientation to an unsellled disorientation
and 2) a movement from this disoriented state into a new orientation.
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Russell, Psalm I Irish Biblical Studies 26/4 (2005)

through the concluding books of the Psalter. Brueggemann' s schema

has proven to be a helpful one for interpreters. Yet a close reading of
Ps 1 suggests that it is less a starting point from which one departs
into a movement from orientation to disorientation to new
orientation than it is a hermeneutical introduction to the Psalter that
betrays a sober yet secure view of the life of the faithful through
commitment to Torah.

Psalm I not only identifies devotion to Torah as the "way of the

righteous," but its authorial voice also embodies attentiveness to
Scripture through its dependence on and interpretation of other texts.
In fact, Ps 1 is a tapestry of the writings of ancient Israel. In its first
three verses, Ps 1 alludes to Deut 6:6-9; Josh 1:8; Gen 39:3, 23; Jer
17:5-8; and Ezek 47:12. These five allusions serve a critical
exegetical function by actually modeling the very devotion to Torah
that the psalm extols and by interpreting reality in light of this
reading.

The body of this paper will demonstrate that Ps 1 does indeed allude
to these texts (and not vice versa) and explore the effects of these
allusions on the reader. 3 The study concludes with a series of critical
reflections.

I. Texts Interpreted by Psalm 1

The author or authors of Ps I drew upon other texts from ancient

Israel for inspiration. Parallels between Ps 1 and other biblical
passages have been noted by some commentators. 4 In the majority

3
Following Richard Hays, Echoes of Scripture in the Letters of Paul
(New Haven: Yale University, 1989), 14, allusion is defined as "the
imbedding of fragments of an earlier text with a later one ... the voice of
Scripture, regarded as authoritative in one way or another, continues to
speak in and through later texts that both depend on and transform the
earlier."

4
For example, C:arroll Stuhlmueller in Psalms I (Psalms 1-72) (OTM;
Wilmington: M. Glazier, 1983), 58, writes, "In many subtle ways then,
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Russell, Psalm llrish Biblical Studies 26/4 (2005)

of such studies, however, the direction of dependence is either

assumed, or similar passages are mentioned as parallels without any
explanation of the nature or significance of the relationship. 5 None
of the alleged allusions studied below is signaled explicitly in the
text of Ps 1. The primary criteria used to discern allusions are
similarities in vocabulary (including synonyms), phraseology, and
context. These data are then analyzed for clues regarding the
direction of the borrowing. 6

A. Deuteronomy 6:6-9

Deuteronomy 6:6-9 falls immediately after Moses' initial recitation

of the Shema' and conceives of a lifestyle for the practical
appropriation of this fundamental commandment. Deuteronomy 6:7

Ps 1 represents a medley of many biblical traditions .... " Cf. S.

Bullough, "The Question of Metre in Psalm 1", VT 17 (1967): 45. On
the relationship between Josh 1:8 and Ps 1:3, he writes, "Everyone
notices the echoes in Ps. i from Joshua i 8 .... "

5
E.g., Nahum Sama in Song of the Heart: An Introduction to the Book
of Psalms (New York: Schocken, 1993), 40 describes Jer 17:7-8 as "a
close parallel" to Ps I :3 without elaboration. Much earlier, Charles
Briggs, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Book of Psalms
(ICC; 2 vols.; New York: C. Scribner's Sons, 1907), 1:3, argued that
the psalmist was dependent on Jer 17:5-8; Ezek 47: 12; and Josh 1:8.
His argument was based chiefly on the assumption of a late date for Ps
1.

5
For a more detailed discussion of the method employed here. see Brian
D. Russell, "The Song of the Sea: The Date and Theological
Significance of Exodus 15:1-21" (Ph.D. Diss., Union Theological
Seminary and Presbyterian School of Christian Education, 2002), 183-
96. See also Michael Fishbane, Biblical Interpretation in Ancient Israel
(Oxford: Clarendon, 1985), 281-440 (esp. 283-87); Hays, Echoes (~f
Scripture in the Letters (if Paul, 25-32; Benjamin D. Sommer, A Prophet
Reads Scripture: Allusion in Isaiah 40-66 (Contraversions: Jews and
Other Differences; Stanford: Stanford University, 1998), 6-31; and Beth
L. Tanner, The Book of Psalms Through the Lens of lntertextuality
(Studies in Biblical Literature 26; New York: Peter Lang, 200 I), 39-83.
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Russell, Psalm I Irish Biblical Studies 26!4 (2005)

exhorts a practice in which God's commands continually occupy the

focus of the family. The writer employs four verbs whose sphere of
activity encompasses virtually all of the movements of life:
dwelling/sitting, walking, lying down, and rising up. Psalm I: I
echoes this passage in terms of the happy person's avoidance of
evildoers 7 (underlining words held in common):

Deut 6:7

111:. lrl:::J~:., ln~:.:. lrl:::Jt:j:::J CJ:. n1:.11 TJ:J ~ cmJd1

ll'j1p:J1 l:::l:::ld:J1

Recite them to your children and talk about them when you are
sitting at your home and when you are walking on the path, when
you are lying down and when you are getting up.

Ps I: 1b

CJ~Y~ :Jdm:.1 1/'jlJ ~~ c~~~n 111:J1 Cl~lJt:j1 nYl':J l~i1 ~~

:Jt:j~ ~ ~

Who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the path
of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. 8

7
The medieval commentator Abraham lbn Ezra made explicit this link
centuries ago. On verse one, he wrote, "The import of this verse
resembles what Moses said about the Torah, and the first fundamental of
the Torah is the declaration of the unity of God 'when you sit in your
house and walk on the road and lie down and rise up' (Deut. 6:7)." For
this translation, see Uriel Simon, Four Approaches to the Book of
Psalms: From Saadiah Gaon to Abraham lbn E:ra (Trans. by L. J.
Schramm; Albany: SUNY, 1991), 322. Cf. S. C. Reif, "IBN EZRA ON
PSALM I l-2", VT 34/2 (1984): 232-36.

8
Against the charge that the words shared between these two verses are
too common to ~erve as cogent evidence for an intertextual relationship,
consider that these three words occur together in only twelve verses in
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Russell, Psalm I Irish Biblical Studies 26/4 (2005)

The direction of dependence is clearly from Deuteronomy to the

psalmist. First, the context of Deut 6 focuses on devotion to Yhwh
including instructions for passing on this piety inter-generationally.
Psalm I assumes this sort of backdrop. 9 Second, within the structure
of Deuteronomy, De ut 11: 19 repeats 6:7 almost verbatim and forms
a loose inclusio around the Mosaic exhortations to obedience. This
indicates the centrality of the phraseology to the overall arrangement
of Deuteronomy. Third, if Ps 1 is the putative source for
Deuteronomy, why the expansion of the psalm's tight three-fold
description of movement to four verbs and, more importantly, why
use a negative description of the wicked as a model for constructing
a description of obedient behavior?

An objection to this proposed allusion is that the verb 1~1' does not
occur in Deut 6:7. Instead, Deut 6 uses the phrase 101P:J1
1::Jib:n. This may be explained in two ways. First, if Deut 6:7 is
the source for Ps 1, the psalmist may have dropped one of the verbs
for the sake of poetic artistry. This allows the poet to construct three
parallel cola. Second, no essential meaning is lost because 1~1' is
used frequently in parallel with r::np (Job 8: 13; Nah I :6; cf. Josh
3:16, Ezek 3:28, Job 29:8, and Est 8:4) and ::J.i& with ::J.:JiD (Ps 4:9,
cf. Lev 15:4, 20, and 26).

Additional support for the link between the two texts is the
probability that C::J. r11::J.11 in Deut 6:7 carries the same connotation

the Hebrew Bible (Deut 6:7; 11: 19; Josh 2:22; 9:11; Judg 5: I 0; l Kgs
8:25; 19:4; 2 Chr 6: 16; 21: 13; Ps I: I; I 0 I :6; Jer 35: 15). Furthermore,
when the synonyms Cip and ii'J.tJ are considered, the range of verses in
which these words occur together is reduced to Deut 6:7; 11: 19; and Ps
I: I.

9
Patrick D. Miller, Jr., "Deuteronomy and Psalms", in Israelite Religion
and Biblical Theology: Collected Essays (JSOTSup 267; Sheffield:
JSOT, 2000), 329. Commenting specifically on Deut 6:6-9; he writes,
"The activity enjoined in Deut. 6:6-9 expresses a constant and total
commitment to the law of the Lord comparable to what is pronounced
the blessed way of the righteous in Psalm I."
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Russell, Psalm I Irish Biblical Studies 26/4 (2005)

as i1ji1" 1n11n:n in Ps I :2. 10 Both constructions imply an oral

component comprised of a repetition or murmuring of the law. 11

This allusion to Deut 6 links the steadfast commitment of the

psalmist to Yhwh's Torah with Deuteronomy's emphasis on whole-
being devotion to Yhwh. 12 Psalm 1 is no call for a stale legalism, but
a paradigm for a life lived for and with God. It also implicitly
supports the psalm's overarching contrast between the way of the
righteous and of the wicked. These two spheres of existence are
polar opposites. For the Torah-centered Israelite, the description of
the wicked in v. I b would have evoked the positive imagery of De ut
6:7. Thus, by a subtle allusion to Deuteronomy, the psalmist offers
the attentive reader the antithesis of Ps I: I b.

B. Joshua I :8

Psalm I :2 and Josh I :8 are virtually identical. This implies an

allusive relationship:

And on his law he meditates day and night.

10
Ibid. Miller is influenced by Georg Fischer and Norbert Lohfink,
'"Diese Worte sollst du summen': Dtn 6, 7 w0 dibbarta barn - ein
verlorener Schltissel zur meditativen Kultur in Israel", TP 62 ( 1987): 59-
72. Below this paper will argue that the phrase in Ps 1:2 is borrowed
from Josh 1:8, which also stands under the int1uence of Deuteronomy.

11
m;, is used for a variety of oral expressions: a lion's roar (lsa 31:4),
muttering (lsa 8:9), and speaking (Ps 37:20).

12
G. Andre, '"Walk', 'Stand', and 'Sit' in Psalm I 1-2", VT 32 (1982):
327, comes close to this conclusion by highlighting the allusion in I: I to
Deut 6. She, however, misses the dynamic function of Torah and
instead argues that the Psalm posits the happy individual as "the one
who constantly, jn word and deed, confesses YHWH as the one and only
God."
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Russell, Psalm llrish Biblical Studies 26/4 (2005)

Josh 1:8 i1~~'?1 Cl~1~ 1::::1 n~Ji11 (the antecedent of 1::::1 is i1Ti1
i111ni1 1~0)

And you will meditate on it day and night.

These two texts are the only ones in the Bible with this clause in
common. Scholars are mixed on the direction of borrowing. 13 The
evidence for the dependence of Ps 1 on Josh I turns on the likelihood
that Josh 1:1-9 is based in part on Deut 17:14-20 and employs other
features common to the Deuteronomistic history.

A study of the key features of Josh 1 demonstrates convincingly its

close relationship with Deuteronomy and the Deuteronomistic
history. Joshua 1:7 records the injunction characteristic of
Deuteronomy and the Deuteronomistic history:

You will not turn ... to the right or the left. 14

In De ut 17: 18, the instruction is specifically for the king.

Attentiveness to the Book of the Torah is the defining characteristic
of an Israelite king. The degree to which he will succeed is tied
inextricably to his commitment to a lifestyle marked by Torah
devotion. In Josh 1, Joshua is not a king, but he is the first to lead

13
E.g., Patrick D. Miller, Jr., Interpreting the Psalms (Philadelphia:
Fortress, 1986), 86, writes, "The Lord's words sound almost like a
quotation or pastiche from Psalm I (or vice versa)."

14
Deut 2:27. 5:32. 17:11, 17:20, 28:14; Josh 1:7; 23:6; I Sam 6:12; and
2 Kgs 22:2. This point is strengthened by the observation that such a
phrase occurs elsewhere in the Hebrew Bible only in Prov 4:27 and the
derivative 2 Chr 34:2.
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Russell, Psalm 1 Irish Biblical Studies 26/4 (2005)

Israel after Moses' passing and is portrayed in quasi-royal terms. 15

Joshua's time of leadership as well as that of future kings is to be
marked by obedience to the Torah given through Moses (Deut 17:14-
20). In Ps 1, there is no explicit warrant for limiting the injunction to
royalty alone. 16 Rather, Ps 1 applies the charge given to Joshua in a
universalizing move to any would-be "happy man" (t:i~~).

Deuteronomy 17:18 and Josh 1:8 describe the Torah as a book

(1~0). The exact phrase in Josh 1:8 i111rli1 1~0 is found
throughout Deuteronomy and the Former Prophets. 17 Psalm 1
assumes either the idea of a book or more likely, as will be suggested
below, has already expanded the scope of the term Torah to include
more than the Mosaic Book of the Torah.

Given the close connections between Deut 17:14-20 and Josh 1, the
precise phrase i1'?~'?1 IJrJi~ 1:::1 rl"~i11 that connects Josh 1:8 toPs
1:2 likely finds its provenance in Deut 17:19 1~~n ~rJ~-'?::J 1:::1

15
For this last point, see Richard D. Nelson, "Josiah in the Book of
Joshua", JBL lOO (1981 ): 531-40. Nelson demonstrates that strong
parallels exist between the portrayal of Joshua and Josiah. For our
purposes, he notes links between Josh I and De ut 17.

16
This statement needs to be evaluated against a canonical reading of
the Psalter as a whole. See Mays, The Lord Reigns, 132-33 and Miller,
'The Beginning of the Psalter," 91-92. Arguably, at one level, the king
functions as the "ideal Israelite." Yet, in the end, the Psalter as Scripture
serves as an authoritative guide to prayer and character formation for all
the people of God. In short, both Ps 1 and the canonical Psalter aim to
instruct God's people on how to live in this world. See J. Clinton
McCann, Jr., "'The Way of the Righteous' in the Psalms" in Character
and Scripture: Moral Formation, Community, and Biblical
lnte1pretation (ed. William P. Brown; Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2002),
136-37.

17
Deut 28:61, 29:20, 30:10, 31:26; Josh 8:31, 34; 23:6; 24:26; 2 Kgs
14:6; 22:8; 22:11; and 23:24
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Russell, Psalm 1/rish Biblical Studies 26/4 (2005)

~1pt The synonyms ~,p and mi1 both suggest individual study
with an oral component. 18 The object of both verbs is Yhwh's
Torah. The two adverbial phrases (i1',~',, !:~1~ and ,~~n ~~~-',::~)
are close parallels. Most importantly, both phrases occur in Joshua
(1 :5; 4: 14) and Deuteronomy (28:66) suggesting that the change of
wording is compatible with the style of each author.

Both Deut 17 and Josh 1 use the particle 1s.m ',

to introduce
purpose clauses that describe the successful end of the life devoted to
Torah (Deut 17:20; Josh 1:8). The more discursive writing style of
Deut 17 and Josh 1 contrasts with the prosody of Ps 1 in which the
clause describing success (1 ,3c) follows an elegant simile.

All of the above evidence suggests that the phrase in common

between Josh 1:8 and Ps 1:2 finds its provenance in Deuteronomy.
The deuteronomistic writer behind Josh 1: 1-9 has crafted the
introduction to Joshua with an eye to Deuteronomy. The likelihood
then is that the writer of Ps 1 borrowed an entire clause from Josh 1.
19
The reverse of this proposed line of dependence seems unlikely.

This allusion invites the audience of Ps 1 to embody the way of life

envisioned originally for Israel's leaders. In the worshipping
community served by the Psalter, there is a democratization of the
mandate for devotion to Torah.

C. Jeremiah 17:5-8

18
Both roots occur in lsa 31:4.

19
This conclusion calls into question the suggestions of Sheppard that
Josh I is dependent upon Ps I and that both passages are examples of
the sapientializing of the Old Testament. The close ties between Deut
17 and Josh I mitigate any need to posit additional layers of redaction in
either Josh I or Ps I. See Gerald T. Sheppard, "Theology and the Book
of Psalms", lnt 46 (1992): 153.
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Russell, Psalm !Irish Biblical Studies 26/4 (2005)

When the psalmist compares the result of the life devoted to Torah to
the fecundity of a tree planted by the water, the writer draws upon a
time tested motif. 20 Yet, when the language is closely examined, the
evidence points to a conscious borrowing from Jer 17:5-R. The
similarity of the two contexts is clear. 21 Both are structured around a
pronounced contrast of the righteous and the wicked (or the blessed
and the cursed), and arboreal imagery is used to illustrate the result
of each way of life. Below are two sets of similar lines. The first

20
E.g., "Instruction of Amenemope" (ea. 1100 BCE) in The Context of
Scripture (eds. W. Hallo and K. L. Younger; 3 vols; Leiden- New York:
• 1996), 1:117:
Chapter4
As for the heated man in the temple,
He is like a tree growing indoors;
A moment lasts its growth of shoots.
Its end comes about in the woodshed;
It is tloated far from its place,
The tlame is its burial shroud.
The truly silent, who keeps apart,
He is like a tree grown in a meadow.
It greens, it doubles its yield,
It stands in front of its lord.
Its fruit is sweet, its shade delightful,
Its end comes in the garden.
For a helpful summary of ancient Near Eastern usage, see William P.
Brown, Seeing the Psalms: A Theology of Metaphor (Louisville:
Westminster John Knox, 2002), 58-78.

21
Contra James A. Durlesser, "Poetic Style in Psalm I and Jeremiah
17:5-8: A Rhetorical Critical Study", Semitics 9 (1984): 30-48. He
argues that Jcr 17 and Ps I drew upon a common stock of expressions
and illustrations. His principal argument relies on rhetorical criticism to
aver that the literary style and structure employed by each is too
different for the texts to be related. He fails to appreciate that allusive
links between texts arc more dynamic and do not have to be wedded to
formal structural features between texts. Furthermore, the precise
repetition of .key phraseology between the texts suggests a closer
relationship than a mere sharing of a common motif.
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Russell, Psalm I Irish Biblical Studies 26/4 (2005)

uses a similar clause structure with roughly synonymous vocabulary.

The second are virtually identical lines:

Happy is the man who

Jer 17:5a 1~ 1::l~i1 111~ Cursed is the man who

Jer 17:7b 1~ 1:J;i1111::l Blessed is the man who

And he will be like a tree planted ID: channels of water

And he will be like a tree planted by the water

The direction of dependence may be demonstrated by the following

evidence. First, the language of Ps 1 assumes the state pronounced
in Jer 17:5-8. There is a measure of semantic overlap between~,~
and 111::l, but there is a key difference. 22 ~,~ focuses on an
individual's observed state of happiness and typically includes
comments regarding the conduct and character of persons who enjoy
it. On the other hand, 111::l stresses God's agency in bringing about
such a state. The idea of invocation is often implicit. The pericope
in Jer 17:5 begins, "Thus says the Lord" and goes on to invoke the

22
James L. Mayes, Psalms (IBC; Louisville: Westminster John Knox,
1994), 41; Michael L. Brown, "11::l" in New International Dictionary
of Old Testament Theology and Exegesis (ed. W. A. Vangemeren; Grand
Rapids: Eerdmans, 1997), 1:757-67; Leo G. Perdue, Wisdom and Cult:
A Critical Analysis of the Views of the Cult in the Wisdom Literature of
Israel and the Ancient Near East (SBLDS 30; Missoula: Scholars,
1977), 272; and W. Janzen, "Asre in the Old Testament", HTR 58
(1965): 215-26.
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Russell, Psalm 1/rish Biblical Studies 26/4 (2005)

curses and blessings of God depending upon the object of one's trust.
Psalm 1 assumes this and simply describes the resulting states. 23

Second, the linguistic shifts between l11::l//'i~ and i:J;;;W·~ are

explained best by a line of dependence moving from Jeremiah to the
Psalter. Above the differences between 11i::l and "i~ were
discussed and a rationale given for the shift from Jeremiah to the
Psalm. Regarding the synonyms i:J; and ib"~. the decisive evidence
for the direction of dependence is their usage in blessing and curse
formulas elsewhere in Jeremiah. Jeremiah 17 is the only context in
which 1:; occurs with either ii~ or li:l. 24 Furthermore, given
that ib"~i1 ii~ occurs in Jer 11 :3 and 20: 15, it seems unlikely that a
shift to i:J; would occur in Jer 17 if it were dependent upon Ps 1. 25

Third, Ps 1 construes Jeremiah's insistence on trust (n~:l) in terms

of devotion to Yhwh's Torah. Both trust and Torah are themes
throughout Jeremiah. 26 Psalm 1 focuses exclusively on devotion to

23
It is interesting that the psalmist does not use "curse" language.
Instead, he opts for a more subtle style to the same end. As W. Vogels,
"A Structural Analysis of Ps I", Bib 60 (1979): 413, points out, the
psalmist employs a partial acrostic technique. The first word of the
poem ("1t::.~) describes the state of the "righteous" and final word
(i:::::l~r1) describes the destiny of the "wicked."

In fact, Jer 17:5 is the sole occurrence in the Hebrew Bible of 1:::::!~
24

11~. 1:::::lj 11:::::! is found elsewhere only in Ps 128:4.

25
~-~i1 11~ also occurs in Deuteronomy and the Deuteronomistic
corpus (Deut 27: 15; Josh 6:26; and 1 Sam 14:24, 28).

26
rit::l:::::l occurs in Jer 5:17; 7:4, 8, 14; 9:3; 12:5; 13:25; 17:5, 7; 23:6;
28:15; 29:31; 32:37; 33:16; 39:18; 46:25; 48:7; and 49:4, 11, 31. i111n
occurs in Jer 2:8; 6:19; 8:8; 9:12; 16:11; 18:18; 26:4; 31:33; 32:23; and
44:10,23.
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Russell, Psalm 1 Irish Biblical Studies 26/4 (2005)

Torah. Again it seems unlikely that Jeremiah would modify Ps 1's

distinctive message if the prophet were drawing upon it for
inspiration. On the other hand, the change from trust to Torah
devotion allows the psalmist to emphasize two related points: ( 1)
Torah devotion is a natural outflow of trust in Yhwh and (2) Torah
devotion is not a panacea that operates apart from a vital relationship
with Yhwh.

Last, there are two key differences in vocabulary that betray the line
of dependence. Both Ps 1:3 and Jer 17:8 describe the tree's ability to
bear fruit despite circumstances:

That brings forth its fruit in its season and whose foliage does not
whither

And it does not cease to bear fruit

Psalm 1's deviation from Jer 17 is caused by an allusion to Ezek

47:12. 27 Furthermore, the use of ~~::l in Ps 1:3a is exegetical as it
adumbrates the allusion to Ezek 4 7: 12 by associating the sustaining
waters with those which flow out of Zion. 2x If Jeremiah is quoting
the psalmist, why drop ~) ~::l?

?7
- See below.

especially the use of~ '?:J in Ps 46:5 and Ps 65,1 0. In Isa 30:25
2
R Note
and 32:2, it also describes waters flowing from God. For discussion of
these texts, see Creach, "Like a Tree Planted by the Temple Stream",
41-42.
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William Holladay has objected to this proposed line of dependence. 29

His main arguments may be summarized briefly. First, he argues
that Jer 12:1-2 and Jer 17:5-8 share links with elements of Ps 1.
Thus, since two different contexts in Jeremiah exhibit links to
different parts of Ps 1, they are most likely dependent on the psalm.
Second, he avers that Jer 17:5-8 is more "dynamic" than the "static"
Ps 1, because Jeremiah employs drought language for both the
righteous and the wicked.

Holladay's first argument is the stronger of the two. The points in

common between Jer 17:5-8 and Ps I have already been discussed.
Jeremiah 12:1-2 shares the following with the psalm (according to
Holladay): I) both use the phrase c~.vil.h 111 (Jer 12:1, Ps 1:6); 2)
Jeremiah's charge (12:1) that the wicked "succeed" (n'?Y) is a
possible reversal of Ps 1:3-4; 3) in another reversal of Ps 1:3, Yhwh
is accused in 12:2 of planting (;"!~:l) the wicked; and 4) in a final
reversal of Ps 1:3-4, the wicked bear fruit (11!j 1V.!').

Under close scrutiny, this evidence does not support a direct line of
borrowing from Ps 1 to Jer 12. First, the evidence proffered in this
study strongly suggests a direction of dependence from Jer 17 to the
psalmist. Second, Jer 12: 1-4 takes the form of a complaint (lament)
against God. Its basis lies in the assumption that, in a just world, the
righteous will prosper over the wicked. This is the basic theological
perspective of Deuteronomy and undergirds many similar complaints
in the Hebrew Bible (e.g., Hab 1:13). In the reading proposed here,
Ps I is offering a reinterpretation this theology - one which
specifically denies that material blessing is the necessary mark of
divine blessing. Third, the arboreal imagery in 12:1-2 fits well in its
immediate context (cf. 11: 16-19, and 12: 10-13) and thus there is no
need to posit Ps I as its source. Furthermore, 12:1-2 has linguistic
ties with 17:5-8. In particular, they share in common the word tD1ib

29
William L. Holladay, Jeremiah 1: A Commentary on the Book of the
Prophet Jeremiah Chapters /-25 (Hermeneia; Philadelphia: Fortress,
1986), 376-77 and 489-90. See also William L. Holladay, "Indications
of Jeremiah's Psalter", .IBL 121 (2002): 248-49.
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and the phrase ~i!:l i1tDl'. Jeremiah 17:5-8 seems to answer

Jeremiah's charge in 12:1-2. Fourth, the linguistic links between Ps
I and Jer 12 are not strong enough to support a claim of dependence.
Cl~ Dibi 111 is a rare phrase in the Hebrew Bible. But, given that its
highest frequency of use occurs in Proverbs, it appears to have ties to
wisdom circles. 30 D~:J (Jer 12:2) is synonymous with ~nib (Ps 1:3,
Jer 17:8), but l'~:J occurs frequently in Jeremiah and has ties to the
immediate context (11: 17). 31 If the writer was indeed drawing from
Ps 1, the use of D~J rather than the rarer ~nib disguises rather than
highlights the alleged allusion. 32 Similarly, n ~::; is used regularly in
Jeremiah. 33 In Jer 12:1, it occurs in parallel with i1 ~ib. In three of
the four passages in which i1~tb means "prosper," it is used of the
wicked (Job 12:6, Jer 12:1, and Lam 1:5). Also, a noun form occurs
in Ps 73:12. In other words, the "success" language fits well into the
lament genre, particularly those involving complaints about the
prosperity of the wicked. Thus, it seems unlikely that Jer 12:1-2 is
related directly toPs 1.

Answering Holladay's second point, Creach has shown that,

when compared with the use of the tree motif elsewhere in the

30
Besides Ps 1:3 and Jer 12: I; it occurs only in Ps 146:9; Prov 4: 19;
12:26; and 15:,9. The occurrences in Pss I and 146 appear related.
Given that Jeremiah 17:5-8 draws from the wisdom tradition (cf.
Instruction of Amenemope), it is more likely that Cl'.t7tJi 1ii is drawn
also from Israel's wisdom tradition rather than directly from Ps I :6.

31
16 of 59 verbal occurrences of the root are found in Jeremiah (I: I0;
2:21: 11: 17; 12:2; 18:9; 24:6; 29:5; 29:28; 31:5 [3x]; 31 :28; 32:41; 35:7;
42: 10; and 45:4).

32
Outside of Ezekiel, which has five occurrences, ~nti is found only in
Ps 1:3; 92:14; Jer 17:8; and Hos 9:13.

33
7 of 53 occurrences are found in Jeremiah (2:37; 5:28; 12:1; 13:7, 10;
22:30; and 32:5).
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ancient Near East, Jer 17:5-8 shows little innovation and in fact is
closely patterned after the style of the Egyptian piece, "Instruction of
Amenemope," whereas Ps 1 breaks the pattem. 34 The most obvious
difference is that Ps 1 applies the imagery of the tree only to the
righteous one whereas Jer 17 and Amenemope apply it to the wicked
as well. The psalmist alludes to Jer 17 in order to use it toward an
exegetical end in its definition of success (Ps 1:3c) and not merely in
a "static" imitation of a common motif,

The use of Jer 17:8 is the first of three allusions found in Ps 1:3.
Psalm 1:3 describes the nature of the prosperity enjoyed by the one
devoted wholly to Torah. The psalmist employs Jer 17:5-8 in order
to emphasize that the arboreal imagery of the fecund tree does not
imply exemption from the suffering and hardships of life. Jeremiah
17:8 reads:

They shall be like a tree planted by water, sending out its roots by the
stream. It shall not fear when heat comes, and its leaves shall stay
green; in the year of drought it is not anxious, and it does not cease to
bear fruit. (NRSV)

The brevity of Ps 1:3a is expanded by the wider context of Jer 17:5-8

to remind the psalm's hearers that the righteous are not immune to
seasons of heat and drought. This provides a key hermeneutical lens
for reading the remainder of the Psalter. The life of faithfulness may
be described as "happy" and "successful" but these realities exist and
are experienced within the hardships of life rather than inoculating
the righteous from the risks and suffering of human existence.

34
For a translation of "Amenemope," see note 20. Creach, "Like a Tree
Planted by the Temple Stream", 37-39. See also A. Cruells, "El just, un
arbre sempre verd. El Salm I", RCT 14 (1989): 15-28.
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D. Ezekiel 47:12

The phraseology in common between Ps 1:3b and Ezek 47:12b is

indicative of an allusive relationship: 35

That brings forth its fruit in its season and whose foliage does not
whither

Its foliage will not wither nor will its fruit fail

Given the density of the allusions in Ps 1:3, it appears likely that

once again the psalmist is drawing upon the prophet and not vice-
versa. More substantively, this proposed allusion to Ezek 47:12 best
explains the differences between Jer 17:8d and Ps 1:3 regarding fruit
production (see above).

In verse 3, the psalmist employs a dense mixture of texts toward a

theological end. If the use of Jer 17 highlighted the cruel realities of
life, then the use of Ezek 47:12 points to that which sustains the
righteous person. Ezekiel 47 describes a river flowing from Zion
that provides sustenance for the flora and fauna that drink its waters.
The imagery is idyllic and evokes the imagery of Eden and the tree
of life. 36 The Torah devotion advocated by the psalmist provides an
avenue for the righteous person to partake of the life giving waters,

35
Creach, "Like a Tree Planted by the Temple Stream", 39-41; Sama,
Sonf?s of the Heart, 43; Briggs, A Critical and Exegetical Commentm}'
on the Book of Psalms, 3; and Brown, Seeing the Psalms, 59-60.

36
Briggs, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Book of
Psalms, 6; H. N. Wallace, "Tree of Knowledge and Tree of Life," ABD,
6:659; James Crenshaw, The Psalms: An Introduction (Grand Rapids:
Eerdmans, 2001 ), 77; and Brown, Seeing the Psalms, 59-60.
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which will flow from the restored temple. 37 As mentioned above,

this connection is strengthened by the psalmist's use of~J'?!:l.

E. Genesis 39:3, 23

Psalm I :3c offers a summation of the end result of the righteous

life. 38 Such a person will prosper. Its unequivocal assertion of
success often troubles interpreters because it is viewed narrowly in
terms of a deuteronomistic paradigm of material blessing for
obedience and loss for disobedience. 3Y The psalmist, however, is not
so naive about such matters. On the heels of the tree imagery of
1:3ab, the psalmist alludes to another great leader in Israel's history-
Joseph. Note the similarity between Ps 1:3c and Gen 39:3b and 23b:

Gen 39:3, 23 n~ '?~:m i11i1~ i1tv!J ~1i1 1~ '?::J1

And [in] all that he was doing, Yhwh gave success

And all that he does prospers

37
Creach, "Like a Tree Planted by the Temple Stream", 41-45.

38
Some consider Ps 1,3c to be a later interpolation on metrical grounds.
E.g., H. Bardtke in BHS and Hans-Joachim Kraus, Psalms 1-59: A
Continental Commentary (Trans. by H.C. Oswald: Minneapolis:
Fortress, 1993 ), 113.

39
James Crenshaw's recent remark (The Psalms, 58) is illustrative. He
writes, "In this Psalmist's worldview no gray areas exist; people belong
to one category or the other: good or evil. Those in the former group
bear fruit; those in the latter group come to ruin. Given the
preponderance of laments in the psalms that follow, such an
interpretation seems remarkably simplistic, almost Pollyannish.'' Yet as
seen in the discussion on Ps I' s use of Jer 17, not to mention a canonical
reading of Ps I :3 in light of the Psalter, this concern is not even an issue
in the text itself.
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Russell, Psalm 1/rish Biblical Studies 26/4 (2005)

The above comparison of the language demonstrates a virtual word

for word correspondence with the principal differences being the
explicit indication in Gen 39 of divine agency and the type of verb
form employed in each context40 Psalm 1 refrains from emphasizing
God's activity until its concluding verse.

Evidence for the direction of dependence is clear. First, Gen 39

narrates Joseph 's rise in Potiphar's house and his subsequent
imprisonment on account of Potiphar's wife's false accusation of
sexual assault. Yet, the key recurring element that forms an inclusio
around this episode is the assertion that Yhwh caused Joseph to
prosper in everything that he did (Gen 39:2-3, 23). Joseph 's
prosperity is linked to the narrator's repeated observation that "Yhwh
was with him" (39:2-3, 23). The link between divine presence and
n '?~ occurs also in Gen 24:40. Second, Hamilton argues that the use
of participles in Gen 39:2-3, 23 (i1t/l' [2x] and n" '?~~ [3xl)
"suggests that such prosperity became a pattem."41 In Ps 1, this
pattern is assumed and becomes a general statement describing the
outcome of a life devoted to Torah, i.e., God works to bring success
to the righteous.

The genius of this allusion is its subtle interplay with the previous
one to Josh 1:8. Joshua 1:8 ends with a declaration of the result of
diligent obedience to Yhwh's Torah:

40
The similarity of the phrases has been observed by a few
commentators, most notably Nahum Sama, Genesis: The Traditional
Hebrew Text with the New JPS Translation (The JPS Torah
Commentary; Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 1989), 369 n.
39:3. See also his discussion in Sama, Songs of the Heart, 43-44.

41
Victor P. Hamilton, The Book o.l Genesis: Chapters 18-50 (NICOT;
Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1995), 459-460.
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Russell, Psalm llrish Biblical Studies 26/4 (2005)

Then you shall make your way prosperous and you shall be
successful ...

The psalmist could simply have written 1:3c by drawing once again
on the phraseology of Joshua or by using the more common
deuteronomistic term ~::::lb. 42 Instead, the psalmist moves the
attentive reader away from the victorious Joshua to an earlier hero in
the faith of Israel, Joseph. 4 ] Coming on the heels of the application
of the arboreal imagery from Jer 17 with its realistic portrayal of the
peaks and valleys of human finitude, the use of the Joseph account
serves to define success in terms of faithful service and perseverance
in living out God's will rather than in terms of status or material
prosperity. Whether in servitude to Potiphar or under the authority
of the chief jailer, Joseph is portrayed, not as a cursed person, but
rather as one to whom Yhwh brings success. 44 Thus, Ps 1 looks back

42
Deuteronomy 29:8; 32:29; Josh 1:7-8; I Sam 18:5, 14, 30; 25:3; I
Kgs 2:3; and 2 Kgs 18:7. For example, Deut 29:8 reads: j1b.t:'r1 i~­
'?::J rl~ 1'?•::Jbrl. Given the psalmist's demonstrated penchant for
closely worded allusion, it is striking that, in his "success" clause, the
less common term is chosen (n '?!t - Deut 28:29; Josh I :8; Judg 18:5;
lKgs 22:12; and 22:15). Of these, Deut 28:29 occurs in the negative
and Judg 18:5 in a hithpael form. Joshua I :8 does use r1 '?!t (note,
however, two-fold use of '?::Jb in Jos I :7-8), but Psalm I :3 moves away
from the language of Joshua through the clause: i1b.t:'" it:..~ '?::Jl

43
Cf. Bullough, "The Question of Metre in Psalm I". 48. He notes the
close similarities between Ps I :3c and Gen 39:3 and 39:23, but without
explanation links Ps I :3c with Josh I :8.

44
Gerhard Von Rad's comments in Genesis (Rev. ed.; trans. J. H.
Marks; OTL; Philadelphia: Fortress, 1972), 367 on Gen 39:23 are
illuminating for our discussion:

Obviously the statement "Yahweh was with him" implies quite real
protection and promotion in the matters of his external life, not, to be
sure, protection t"rom distress, but rather in the midst of distress. The
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Russell, Psalm I Irish Biblical Studies 26/4 (2005)

on two pivotal leaders in Israel's history - Joseph and Joshua.

Joseph is the first Israelite in Egypt; Joshua is the leader of Israel as
the people return to the land promised by Yhwh. Yhwh used Joseph
to preserve Jacob and his family in a time of famine; Yhwh
empowered Joshua as the agent to lead Israel into the promised land.
Their circumstances were different, but in both cases, Yhwh brought
them prosperity in the sense that each carried out the divine will.

11. Critical Implications

First, the psalmist's use of a variety of texts from ancient Israel

demonstrates that Ps 1 is in fact a product of post-exilic times. This
is hardly a novel conclusion, but by demonstrating that Ps 1 draws on
both Mosaic Torah and the Prophetic Corpus (Former and Latter), it
follows that sufficient time must have passed for the witness of these
disparate literary works to have been inculcated into the
consciousness of both the psalmist and his intended audience.
Furthermore, given its late date and placement at the head of the
Psalter, it seems at least plausible to suggest that Ps I may have been
written specifically to serve as the first half of the dual introduction
formed with Ps 2.45

Second, the psalmist shows an awareness of an expanded notion of

Torah. The allusions to Joshua, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel point beyond
the Mosaic Torah to other sacred books that the psalmist implicitly

narrator's theology is not so nai"ve. On the contrary, the way he

combines emphatic belief in God's protection and presence with the
"permission" of severe afflictions is amazing.

45
Cf. Bullough, 'The Question of Metre in Psalm 1", 46. Bullough
argues that Psalm 1 was composed in prose specifically to serve as an
introduction or preface to the Psalter. Although most of his article seeks
to demonstrate that Ps 1 is prose rather than poetry, he does aver that the
allusions to Joshua and Jeremiah serve to support Ps 1's function as an
introduction.
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Russell, Psalm llrish Biblical Studies 26/4 (2005)

commends as authoritative guides for the righteous. 46 Perhaps Ps I

provides a witness to the process of canonization in the Second
Temple period of ancient Israel. 47 This implicitly supports the
overall hermeneutical function of Ps I in its elevation of the Psalter
as a whole as Torah. Ostensibly, this expanded canon includes the
Psalter as well. Childs writes,

Certainly in its final stage of development, Ps. I has assumed a

highly significant function as a preface to the psalms which are to be
read, studied, and meditated through its written form as sacred
scripture. With the written word Israel is challenged to meditate day
and night in seeking the will of God. Indeed, as a heading to the
whole Psalter the blessing now includes the faithful meditation on
the sacred writings which follow. 48

46
A slightly different approach to this is found in Jon D. Levenson,
"The Sources of Torah: Psalm 119 and the Modes of Revelation in
Second Temple Judaism", in Ancient Israelite Religion: Essays in
Honor of Frank Moore Cross (eds. Patrick D. Miller, Jr., Paul. D.
Hanson, and S. Dean McBride; Philadelphia: Fortress, 1987), 559-74.
Levenson offers a corrective to the common assumption that Torah
refers exclusively to the Pentateuch. This paper supports a textual view
of Torah, but one that extends beyond the Pentateuch to include other
texts accepted by the community as authoritative. For a narrower view,
see Rainer Albertz, A History of Israelite Religion in the Old Testament
Period (OTL; 2 vols; trans. by John Bowden; Louisville: Westminster
John Knox, 1994), 2:556-63. Albertz argues that Torah specifically
refers to the written Pentateuch.

47
The force of this statement is significant to the degree that the
composition of Ps I can be demonstrated to have occurred early on in
the Post-Exilic period. Certainly a terminus a quo exists at the date of
the latest text to which Ps 1 alludes. The Greek translation of the Psalter
in the 2"ct century B.C.E. serves aptly as a terminus ad quem.

48
Brevard S. Childs, Introduction to the Old Testament as Scripture
(Philadelphia: Fortress, 1979), 513.
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Russell, Psalm I Irish Biblical Studies 26/4 (2005)

Third, Ps 1 proclaims the need for constant meditation on Scripture

by the faithful. The psalmist's words are more than merely
prescriptive. Rather, the very language embodies the virtue extolled
in the psalm. The author(s) of this text has in fact been shaped by
Scripture in precisely the way advocated in the prosody. The
psalmist's own words are a reappropriation of earlier Scripture. The
allusive speech illustrates and fulfills tangibly the vocation of
"meditating on Torah night and day."

Fourth, Ps 1 redefines success in terms of being near to God and

implementing the divine will. 4l) This moves the psalmist away from
the vision of material prosperity present in Deut 27-28. Success does
not mean an absence of suffering for the righteous. When read in
light of the texts from which it was constructed, the arboreal simile
of Ps 1:3 becomes a potent call to choose the way of life. McCann
aptly writes, "The point of the simile is not that the righteous will not
suffer, but rather that the righteous will always have in God a reliable
resource to face and endure life's worst." 50 Even a casual reader of
the Psalter is impressed by the high number of laments within the
book. Yet, ultimately the Psalter moves from lament to praise and
reaches its climax in the symphony of praise found in the Halleluyah
hymns of 146-150. Psalm 146:5-9 is instructive in relation to Ps 1's
redefinition of prosperity:

5 Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in
the LORD their God, 6 who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all
that is in them; who keeps faith forever; 7 who executes justice for
the oppressed; who gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets the
prisoners free; 8 the LORD opens the eyes of the blind. The LORD
lifts up those who are bowed down; the LORD loves the righteous. 9
The LORD watches over the strangers; he upholds the orphan and
the widow, but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin. (NRSV)

49
J. Clinton. McCann, Jr., "Righteousness, Justice, and Peace: A
Contemporary Theology of the Psalms", HBT 23 (2001 ): 113-14.

50
McCann, '"The Way of the Righteous' in the Psalms", 137.
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Russell, Psalm I Irish Biblical Studies 26/4 (2005)

Striking is the implication that the righteous (C~pi::::t) include those

groups, which epitomize suffering, oppression, and marginalization.
Yet, it is precisely such persons who are pronounced ~1~. Under
the tutelage of Torah, such persons endure, even prevail, over the
hardships of life.

Last, Ps I serves to remind its readers that Yhwh is the ultimate

agent over creation. Life is not simply a matter of plugging the
correct numbers into the proper formula. The living and active God,
who knows (l'i~) the way of the righteous (I :6), is behind the scenes
working on their behalf. The use of the participle serves to stress the
continuous nature of Yhwh's work. Psalm 1:6 delivers a clear
message that the relationship between the blessed life and God is not
some mechanical transaction, but born of a bond between the God of
the Exodus and his people. The faithful connect to this God through
a vibrant and on-going commitment to the Torah.

Ill. Conclusion

Psalm I serves as a hermeneutical guide to the rest of the

Psalter. It is not merely a starting point for a journey from
orientation to disorientation to a new orientation. Rather it offers its
audience a key to navigating the vicissitudes of the life of faith as
chronicled by the Psalter. The psalmist insists that the way forward
for the faithful is an unswerving devotion to Torah. This does not
secure the individual or community of faith from tribulation, but it
empowers the ability to follow the divine will. This alone marks
success in the mind of the psalmist. The psalmist communicates this
remarkable understanding of life through the use of allusive speech,
and by so doing, models tangibly the very devotion envisioned for
the community of faith.

Brian D. Russell
Asbury Theological Seminary - Florida
8401 Valencia College Lane
Orlando, Florida 32825
brian_russell@ asburyseminary .edu

193