Psalm 1 pronounces a blessing on the \u201cman <\/em>who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked\u201d (v. 1). For some modern translators, it\u2019s a sexist text: Aren\u2019t women <\/em>blessed when they refuse the counsel of the wicked?\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cMan\u201d is not an absolutely necessary translation. The Hebrew \u2018ish<\/em> means \u201cman\u201d in contexts where it is opposed to \u2018ishsheh<\/em>, \u201cwoman\u201d (Genesis 2:23-25) or where it refers to male characters (Genesis 4:1). It can mean \u201chusband\u201d (Ruth 1:11). But it can also mean \u201ceach\u201d without reference to sex (Exodus 12:4: \u201ceach according to his eating\u201d) or \u201csomeone\/anyone\u201d (Genesis 13:16; Exodus 16:29).<\/p>\n Alternatives to \u201cman\u201d in Psalm 1:1, though, miss critical dimensions of the theology of the Psalm. Some translations fudge by substituting a plural: \u201cHappy are those who do no follow the advice of the wicked,\u201d says the NRSV. The plural doesn\u2019t match the Hebrew, and, importantly, it obscures one of the key points about the blessed and righteous man, namely, that he resists the crowd.\u00a0<\/p>\n 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 \u201cchaff\u201d 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.<\/p>\n \u201cHow blessed is the one,\u201d 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:<\/p>\n A. Blessed is the man who does not walk, 1:1.<\/p>\n B. Life of the righteous, 1:2-3.<\/p>\n C. Judgment on the wicked, 1:4-6.<\/p>\n C\u2019. Why do the heathen rage? 2:1-3.<\/p>\n B\u2019. Yahweh installs His king to rule, 2:4-9.<\/p>\n A\u2019. Blessed are those who take refuge, 2:12.<\/p>\n This means that the \u201cman\u201d of Psalm 1:1 isn\u2019t just a private person. He is Yahweh\u2019s king who muses, like Joshua (Joshua 1:8), day and night on Yahweh\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n What do gender-avoidant translations miss? Well, they miss Jesus. Which is, one might think, missing quite a lot.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Psalm 1 pronounces a blessing on the \u201cman who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked\u201d (v. 1). For some modern translators, it\u2019s a sexist text: Aren\u2019t women blessed when they refuse the counsel of the wicked?\u00a0 \u201cMan\u201d is not an absolutely necessary translation. The Hebrew \u2018ish means \u201cman\u201d in contexts where it […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3021,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[58],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17530","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bible-ot-psalms"],"yoast_head":"\n