Psalm 1:1 NKJV

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;

 The Path of the Blessed Man

My Notes

“Blessed is the man…” — Psalm 1:1

The Book of Psalms opens with a benediction, just as our Lord’s Sermon on the Mount begins with blessings. This is no coincidence—it’s a divine invitation to consider the fullness of joy and favor that rests upon the one whom God has justified. The Hebrew word for “blessed” is plural, suggesting not just one blessing, but a multitude—an intensification of divine favor and fulfillment.

This blessed man walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, but in the wisdom of God. His steps are ordered by the Word, not by the schemes of the flesh. To him, the path of righteousness is not a burden—it is peace, it is joy, it is life.

His delight is in the law of the Lord—not because of what it promises or warns, but because it is holy, just, and good. This is more than obedience—it is affection. A love so deep that no trial, no temptation, no worldly pressure can extinguish it. It shines brightest in adversity, bursting through poverty, slander, suffering, and even death.

The righteous man discerns counsel carefully. He doesn’t simply agree or disagree with advice—he asks, “Is this godly?” He chooses the narrow road, the less-traveled path, because he knows it leads to eternal life. As Jesus said, “Enter by the narrow gate… for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction” (Matthew 7:13).

Let others scoff at sin, eternity, heaven, and the name of God. The righteous man has learned a better wisdom—one shaped by reverence and truth. He cannot bear to hear the name of the Lord blasphemed, for he walks in the awareness of God’s presence.

And so, let us be bold in our allegiance to Christ. Let us unfurl our colors, never hiding them, but nailing them to the mast. Let the world know: “If you have harsh words for the followers of Christ, speak them to me. But know this—you will hear it whether you like it or not: I love Christ.”

SUMMARY

Psalm 1 emphasizes the distinction between the righteous and the ungodly. The “blessed” man avoids the counsel of the wicked, does not stand with sinners, nor sits among scoffers. This steadfastness embodies a deeper commitment to God’s law and a rejection of sinful company. The contrast highlights that while the righteous person finds happiness and prosperity through God’s guidance, the ungodly ultimately face destruction, akin to chaff driven away by the wind. The psalm advocates for a life rooted in divine principles, promising fulfillment and stability in contrast to the instability of the wicked.

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Commentaries

Charles Spurgeon

“BLESSED“—see how this Book of Psalms opens with a benediction, even as did the famous Sermon of our Lord upon the Mount! The word translated as “blessed” is a very expressive one. The original word is plural, and it is a controverted matter whether it is an adjective or a substantive. Hence, we may learn the multiplicity of the blessings which shall rest upon the man whom God hath justified, and the perfection and greatness of the blessedness he shall enjoy. We might read it, “Oh, the blessedness!” and we may well regard it (as Ainsworth does) as a joyful acclamation of the gracious man’s felicity. May the like benediction rest on us!

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 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 scoffing. 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. Mark the gradation in the first verse:

He walketh not	in the counsel	of	the ungodly,
Nor standeth	in the way	of	sinners,
Nor SITTETH	in the SEAT	of	SCORNFUL.

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 willfully 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.

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Enduring Word

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. (Guzik)

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)

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. (Guzik)

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. (Guzik)

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)

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.

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 (Psalm 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. (David Guzik)

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 (Matthew 7:13).

ii. The righteous can have the confidence of Psalm 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. (David Guzik)

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!  (Guzik)

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.  (Guzik)

ii. Instead, we should be proud to follow Jesus Christ. “Be out-and-out for him; unfurl your colors, 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)

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Albert Barnes

Blessed is the man – That is, his condition is a happy or a desirable one. The word used here, אשׁר ‘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!” Deuteronomy 33:29 : “happy art thou, O Israel!” 1 Kings 10:8: “happy are thy men, happy are these thy servants!” Job 5:17: “happy is the man whom God correcteth!” Psalms 2:12: “blessed are all they that put their trust in him!”

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. Psalms 15:2: “who walketh uprightly.” Compare 1 Kings 9:4; Deuteronomy 19:9; Deuteronomy 28:9; Psalms 81:12-13; Isaiah 33:15.

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, Psalms 1:2. This would include such things as these: he does not follow the advice of sinners, 2 Samuel 16:20; 1 Kings 1:12; he does not execute the purposes or plans of sinners, Isaiah 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 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 chaṭṭâ’iym. 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 lētsiym. This word properly means those who mock, deride, scoff; those who treat virtue and religion with contempt and scorn. Proverbs 1:22; Proverbs 3:34; Proverbs 9:7-8; Proverbs 13:1; Proverbs 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.

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Matthew Henry

A godly man, that he may avoid the evil, utterly renounces the companionship of evil-doers, and will not be led by them (v. 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 (Ps. 119:115), and departing from evil is that in which wisdom begins.

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. Nemo repente fit turpissimus-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 downhill; 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 mouths against the heavens. These the good man sees with a sad heart; they are a constant vexation to his righteous soul.

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Miscellaneous Comments

The psalmist saith more to the point about true happiness in this short Psalm than any one of the philosophers, or all of them put together; they did but beat the bush, God hath here put the bird into our hand.

—John Trapp, 1660

Where the word blessed is hung out as a sign, we may be sure that we shall find a godly man within.

—Sir Richard Baker.

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Cross-References

Proverbs 4:14 (KJV)

¹⁴  Enter not into the path of the wicked,

And go not in the way of evil men.

 

Psalm 112:1 (KJV)

¹  Praise ye the Lord.

Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord,

That delighteth greatly in his commandments.

 

Psalm 40:4 (KJV)

⁴  Blessed is that man that maketh the Lord his trust,

And respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.

 

Psalm 84:12 (KJV)

¹²  O Lord of hosts,

Blessed is the man that trusteth in thee.

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Closing Thoughts

“But his will is in the law of the Lord.” The “will,” which is here signified, is that delight of heart, and that certain pleasure, in the law, which does not look at what the law promises, nor at what it threatens, but at this only; that “the law is holy, and just, and good.” Hence it is not only a love of the law, but that loving delight in the law which no prosperity, nor adversity, nor the world, nor the prince of it, can either take away or destroy; for it victoriously bursts its way through poverty, evil report, the cross, death, and hell, and in the midst of adversities, shines the brightest.

—Martin Luther.

Psalm 1 NKJV

The Way of the Righteous and the End of the Ungodly

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;

2 

But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And in His law he meditates day and night.

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.

4 

The ungodly are not so,
But are like the chaff which the wind drives away.

5 

Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment,
Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

6 

For the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
But the way of the ungodly shall perish.

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Posted on 8/20/2025 by Bill Stephens

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