[3] And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
[4] The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.
[5] Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
[6] For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.
1:3: like a tree: This figure of speech presents an image of a desert date palm that has been firmly planted in a well-watered oasis (Jeremiah 17:8). Everything about the tree is valuable and productive. Likewise, the righteous are valuable and productive to God (33:15; 147:11). Shall prosper is not a guarantee of the future financial worth of the righteous; rather, the righteous person is always useful and productive to the Lord.
1:4,5 Like chaff, the refuse that is blown away by the wind after the grain harvest, the ungodly have no stability (35:5; 83:13). When the judgment comes, the ungodly will no longer stand.
1:6 The Bible speaks of two ways (Proverbs 2:8; 4:19), only one of which leads to God. This is a consistent theme, culminating in the celebrated words of Jesus, "I am the way" (John 14:6). The verb knoweth in this context refers not just to God's awareness, but to an intimate, personal knowledge (101:4). God is intimately involved with the way of the righteous, but has no connection with the way of the ungodly, except in judgment (146:9).
[4] The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.
[5] Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
[6] For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.
1:3: like a tree: This figure of speech presents an image of a desert date palm that has been firmly planted in a well-watered oasis (Jeremiah 17:8). Everything about the tree is valuable and productive. Likewise, the righteous are valuable and productive to God (33:15; 147:11). Shall prosper is not a guarantee of the future financial worth of the righteous; rather, the righteous person is always useful and productive to the Lord.
1:4,5 Like chaff, the refuse that is blown away by the wind after the grain harvest, the ungodly have no stability (35:5; 83:13). When the judgment comes, the ungodly will no longer stand.
1:6 The Bible speaks of two ways (Proverbs 2:8; 4:19), only one of which leads to God. This is a consistent theme, culminating in the celebrated words of Jesus, "I am the way" (John 14:6). The verb knoweth in this context refers not just to God's awareness, but to an intimate, personal knowledge (101:4). God is intimately involved with the way of the righteous, but has no connection with the way of the ungodly, except in judgment (146:9).