Singulars and Plurals

Singulars and Plurals September 2, 2015

Psalm 1 pronounces a blessing on the “man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked” (v. 1). For some modern translators, it’s a sexist text: Aren’t women blessed when they refuse the counsel of the wicked? 

“Man” is not an absolutely necessary translation. The Hebrew ‘ish means “man” in contexts where it is opposed to ‘ishsheh, “woman” (Genesis 2:23-25) or where it refers to male characters (Genesis 4:1). It can mean “husband” (Ruth 1:11). But it can also mean “each” without reference to sex (Exodus 12:4: “each according to his eating”) or “someone/anyone” (Genesis 13:16; Exodus 16:29).

Alternatives to “man” in Psalm 1:1, though, miss critical dimensions of the theology of the Psalm. Some translations fudge by substituting a plural: “Happy are those who do no follow the advice of the wicked,” says the NRSV. The plural doesn’t match the Hebrew, and, importantly, it obscures one of the key points about the blessed and righteous man, namely, that he resists the crowd. 

Throughout, the Psalm contrasts the singular, the individual, with the collective. He does not follow the way of the wicked, of sinners, or of scoffers (v 1). He is a rooted tree (v. 2) in contrast to the numerous but light “chaff” that symbolizes the wicked (v. 4). The righteous have an assembly from which the wicked are expelled (v. 5). But the assembly of the righteous consists of those who are able to stand as singulars against the plural. To be righteous is to refuse to become part of a mob.

“How blessed is the one,” says the NIV. That at least captures the dynamics of singular and plural, but misses another dimension of the Psalm. James Jordan has pointed out that Psalms 1-2 form a rough chiasm:

A. Blessed is the man who does not walk, 1:1.

B. Life of the righteous, 1:2-3.

C. Judgment on the wicked, 1:4-6.

C’. Why do the heathen rage? 2:1-3.

B’. Yahweh installs His king to rule, 2:4-9.

A’. Blessed are those who take refuge, 2:12.

This means that the “man” of Psalm 1:1 isn’t just a private person. He is Yahweh’s king who muses, like Joshua (Joshua 1:8), day and night on Yahweh’s Torah. And once we recognize the connection of the righteous man and the king, the Christological dimensions of the Psalm come into focus. Jesus is the King on Zion, and He is so because He is first the righteous man who does not walk in the path of sinners or sit with scoffers. Jesus is the fruitful, enduring tree, planted by rivers of water.

What do gender-avoidant translations miss? Well, they miss Jesus. Which is, one might think, missing quite a lot.


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