The Meaning of מִשׁפָּט in Ps. 1:5

Back to Psalm Overview

Exegetical Issues in Psalm 1:

• The Identity of the Person in Ps 1:1
• The Grammar of Ps 1:3d
• The Meaning of מִשׁפָּט in Ps. 1:5

Introduction

The Hebrew text of Psalm 1:5 reads as follows:

עַל־כֵּ֤ן ׀ לֹא־יָקֻ֣מוּ רְ֭שָׁעִים בַּמִּשְׁפָּ֑ט

וְ֝חַטָּאִ֗ים בַּעֲדַ֥ת צַדִּיקִֽים׃

To illustrate some of the difficulties involved in interpreting this verse, consider the following English translations:

• "So when judgement comes the wicked shall not stand firm, nor shall sinners stand in the assembly of the righteous" (NEB).
• "the wicked will not stand firm at the Judgement" (NJB).
• "Sinners will be condemned by God and kept apart from God's own people" (GNT).

The difficulty centers around the phrase "in [the] judgment" (בַּמִּשְׁפָּ֑ט) in v. 5a. It is not clear whether the word "judgment" (מִשְׁפָּט) here refers to human judgment (i.e., the local Israelite institution of deciding cases at the city gate) or to divine judgment (so GNT). And if it refers to divine judgment, it is not clear whether it refers specifically to the final, eschatological judgment (so NJB) or to the judgment that YHWH periodically visits upon people (so perhaps NEB). "Depending on whether one speaks of the Judgment or of a judgment, the meaning of the verse and the scope of the psalm will be different.”

Argument maps

Eschatological divine judgment (preferred)

Many interpreters, ancient and modern, have claimed that Psalm 1:5 refers to final, eschatological judgment. This interpretation is clearly reflected in some modern translations. The NJB, for example, capitalizes the word "Judgement": "the wicked will not stand firm at the Judgement" (NJB).

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[Eschatological divine judgment]: "The judgment refers to a day set aside as a day of judgment for all" (Ibn Ezra :C:; cf. BDB :L:, Gesenius 2013 :L:, NIDOTTE :D:, TWOT :D:). 
 + <Definite Article>: The noun מִשְׁפָּט is definite, and the best explanation for why מִשְׁפָּט is definite is that it refers to a unique judgment, i.e., the final judgment (cf. Baethgen 1904, 3 :C:).
  + <Vocalization tradition>: The MT vocalises במשפט as definite. Other ancient witnesses probably also understood the noun as definite.
   + [Vocalization tradition]: MT בַּמִּשְׁפָּ֑ט; Peshitta: ܒܕܝܢܐ; Targum: ביומא דינא רבא.
  - <No definite article>: The vocalization of במשפט as definite is probably a secondary tradition. Following the LXX, we should instead vocalize במשפט as indefinite: בְּמִּשְׁפָּט (Auvray 1946 :A:). #dispreferred
   + [LXX]: ἐν κρίσει #dispreferred
   - <Article in Greek>: In Greek, the article is frequently omitted in prepositional phrases, even if the word has a definite referent (cf. BDF §255 :G:), and so the translator might just be following Greek idiom, as he often does (cf. Lee 2024 :A:).
 + <Chaff (v. 4)>:"The metaphoric language (of chaff in v. 4) already hints at the (eschatological) judgment" (Weber 2006 :A:).
  + [Chaff & eschatological judgment]: "Gather before judgment begins, before your time to repent is blown away like chaff. Act now, before the fierce fury of the LORD falls and the terrible day of the LORD’s anger begins" (Zeph 2:2, NLT; cf. Isa 17:13; 29:5; 40:23–24; Jer 13:24; Hos 13:3; Ps 35:5ff; Job 21:17f).
 + <Perishing (v. 6)>:"In verse 6 'judgment' is described as perishing, strongly suggesting that this is divine eschatological judgment" (Grogan 2008 :C:; cf. Bratcher and Reyburn 1991 :C:).
 + <Ancient interpreters>:"The ancient commentaries of Psalm 1, more convergent in their reading of this text than modern interpretations, agree in raising its eschatological significance. Jews and Christians all see in the judgment of Psalm 1 a mention of the judgment after death" (Rico 2019 :A:).
  + [LXX, Jerome, Targum]: E.g., the Targum refers explicitly to "the great day of judgment." The Septuagint and Jerome translate קוּם with words that are appropriate to final resurrection (ἀναστήσονται / resurgent).
   - <ἀνίστημι>: ἀνίστημι is the word usually used to translate קוּם. So, even if early interpreters of the LXX understood the text to refer to resurrection, it is not clear that the original translators would have held this view (Dorival 2021 :C:). #dispreferred
 + <Canonical placement>: The canonical placement of Ps 1 between Malachi 3 and Ps 2 suggests the psalm was understood, at a very early date, as referring to eschatological judgment (cf. Cole 2002 :A:).
  + <Psalm 2>: The juxtaposition of Psalm 1 with Psalm 2 makes it more probable that the judgment of Psalm 1:5 is eschatological (Zenger 1993, 48 :C:).
   + [Psalm 2:11]: The judgment in Psalm 2 is "described... with the same terms as in Psalm 1...: 'you will perish in the way' (2:11, compare 1:6, 'the way… will perish')" (Schaeffer 2001 :C:).
  + <Malachi 3>:In the Hebrew Bible, Ps 1 follows Malachi 3, which predicts "the coming day" when the wicked will become like chaff in the judgment (Mal 3:19-21) and exhorts the righteous to remember תּוֹרָה (Mal 3:22; cf. Ps 1:2). "The parallel of Mal 3 allows us to better understand the eschatological perspective of Ps 1" (Barbiero 2003 :A:).
 - <Anachronism>: Final judgment is only "described in later biblical revelation" (NET 2001 :C:). #dispreferred
  <_ <Date of Psalm 1>: Psalm 1 could be a relatively late text (Briggs 1906, 7 :C:).
   + <Allusions to Jeremiah and Ezekiel>: "Verse 3 is based on Jeremiah 17:5–8 and Ezekiel 47:12, and is therefore post-exilic" (Briggs 1906, 3 :C:; cf. Creach 1999 :A:).
  - <Immortality & resurrection in Psalms>: "The proposed exegesis assumes a rather advanced concept of resurrection and immortality, but there is ample basis in the Psalter for this supposition" (Dahood 1965 :C:).
   + [Immortality & resurrection in Psalms]: Passages where these concepts (resurrection and immortality) appear include 5:12, 16:10–11, 17:15, 22:30, 27:4, 13, 36:9–10, 37:37–38, 49:16, 73:23–26, 139:18, 24" (Dahood 1965 :C:).
  - <Final retribution>: "Final retribution is a major theme in wisdom literature (Pss 49, 73), namely, that at the end of the age the righteous will stand before God in glory, but the ungodly will not" (Ross 2011, 192 :C:).

Periodic divine judgment

Some scholars agree that the judgment in Psalm 1:5 is divine, but they argue that, instead of referring to the final divine judgmnt, the verse refers to divine judgment in general, which, for example, is manifested in the judgments that YHWH periodically visits on his people and on their enemies. The NET translation, for example, says "...the wicked cannot withstand judgment," and in their note, they say that "this probably does not refer to the 'final judgment'... but to a temporal/historical judgment which the author anticipates."

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[Periodic divine judgment]: Psalm 1:5 refers to "divine judgment in general, such as the sifting judgments of God that occur from time to time in the prophets... and of the continual demonstration of divine justice" (Hupfeld 1855, 12 :C:; cf. Delitzsch 1894 :C:; van Gemeren 2008 :C:). #dispreferred
 + <Periodic judgment in the OT>: "Periodically during the OT period, God would come in judgment, removing the wicked from the scene, while preserving a godly remnant" (NET). #dispreferred
  + [Periodic judgment in the OT]: Gen 6-9; Ps 37; Hab 3 (cited in NET); Isa 1:24; 2:12; 3:14; 4:4; 5:16; Mal 3:5 (cited in Hupfeld 1855, 12 :C:). #dispreferred

Historical human judgment

Some scholars argue that "the judgment" refers to the ordinary Israelite institution of deciding legal cases at the city gate. Although none of the translations consulted explicitly reflect this view, some of them do leave open the possibility for it.

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[Historical human judgment]: "The judgment" is a local human institution, "a gathering assembled to make a decision on some dispute or issue or wrongdoing in the community" (Goldingay 2006 :C:).  #dispreferred
 + <Life context>: "At the time when the psalm was written, judgment, as well as the assembly of the righteous, were realities of everyday life" (Auvray 1947 :A:; cf. Köhler 1956, 127-150 :M:).  #dispreferred
  + [Life context]: E.g. Deut 25:1-3; 1 Kgs 21:11-14; Jer 26. #dispreferred
 + <v. 5b>: The word "עדה \[in v. 5b\] probably refers to more than a circle of family and friends, but to a legal assembly that executes the משפט. Since the wicked are like chaff and their way will perish, the assembly of the righteous, we may presume, hand down and exact a death sentence against the wrongdoers" (Waltke 2010, 142 :C:).  #dispreferred
  - <"Guilty" and "Innocent">
 - <"Guilty" and "Innocent">: The terms "wicked" (רשׁע) and "righteous" (צדיק) are legal terms referring to the "guilty" and the "innocent" respectively (cf. HALOT :L:). The use of these terms in v. 5 does not imply that the "innocent" are judging the "guilty," but that *both* parties are receiving judgment from a third party (i.e., God).
  + [Deuteronomy 25:1; etc.]: "When people have a dispute, they are to take it to court and the judges will decide the case, acquitting the innocent (הַצַּדִּיק) and condemning the guilty (הָרָשָׁע)" (Deut 25:1 NIV; cf. Eccl 3:17).
 - <v. 6>: "The whole context shows, that by 'the judgment' we are to understand God's; in particular, it appears from the following verse, where the fact that ungodly shall not stand in the judgment is founded on the truth that the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous" (Hengstenberg 1863, 15 :C:; cf. Kittel 1922, 5–6 :C:).

Conclusion (A)

The word "judgment" in Ps 1:5 refers to divine judgment that is definite, decisive, and, from the perspective of the psalm, in the future. It refers to a future event when YHWH will separate the righteous from the wicked, just as chaff is separated from wheat (v. 4), and remove the wicked from the land (cf. Ps 37) so that the way of the wicked "will come to an end" (v. 6b). This interpretation is probably reflected in the Masoretic Text, which vocalises משפט as a definite noun (בַּמִּשְׁפָּט). The immediately surrounding verses, which describe the wicked as "chaff" (v. 4; cf. Zeph 2:2) and say that their way will "perish / come to an end" (v. 6) support this interpretation. The wider literary context of Psalm 1 (its position between Mal 3 and Ps 2) also supports this interpretation. At the very least, this context of Psalm 1 suggests that "the judgment" was probably understood eschatologically from a very early period. It is not surprising, then, that ancient interpreters continued to read the Psalm eschatologically (cf. Rico 2019).

Some have objected to this interpretation, noting that final judgment is only "described in later biblical revelation" (NET note). But, granting the assumption, it is likely that Ps 1 is in fact a relatively late (post-exilic) text, since it appears to be dependant on both Jeremiah and Ezekiel (cf. Creach 1999). Thus, there is no reason why the idea of final judgment (cf. Mal 3; Dan 7:9-10; 12:2-3; 1 Enoch 91ff) would not have been familiar to the author of Ps 1.

Research

Translations

Ancient

• LXX: διὰ τοῦτο οὐκ ἀναστήσονται ἀσεβεῖς ἐν κρίσει οὐδὲ ἁμαρτωλοὶ ἐν βουλῇ δικαίων (cf. v.4: ὃν ἐκρίπτει ὁ ἄνεμος ἀπὸ προσώπου τῆς γῆς)
  • "Therefore the impious will not rise up in judgment, nor sinners in the council of the righteous."
  • "Deshalb werden die Gottlosen im Gericht nicht aufstehen, auch nicht die Sünder im Rat der Gerechten."
• Peshitta: ܡܛܠ ܗܢܐ ܠܐ ܢܩܘܡܘܢ ܪ̈ܫܝܥܐ ܒܕܝܢܐ܂ ܐܦ ܠܐ ܚ̈ܛܝܐ ܒܟܢܘܫܬܐ ܕܙܕܝ̈ܩܐ܂
  • "Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgement, nor will sinners in the assembly of the righteous."
• Targum: מטול היכנא לא יקומון רשיעי ביומא דינא רבא וחייבין בסיעת צדיקיא׃
  • "Therefore the wicked do not stand in the great day of judgment, nor sinners in the company of the righteous."
• Jerome (iuxta Hebr): propterea non resurgent impii in iudicio neque peccatores in congregatione iustorum.

Modern

Judgment definite

Time and agent of judgment ambiguous ("the judgment")

• Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. (NIV)
• Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; (ESV)
• Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; (NRSV)
• Por tanto, no se levantarán los malos en el juicio ni los pecadores en la congregación de los justos, (RVR95)
• Por eso no se sostendrán los malvados en el juicio ni los pecadores en la asamblea de los justos. (NVI)
• Por lo que no se levantarán los malos en el juicio, Ni los pecadores en la asamblea de los justos. (BTX4)
• Lors du jugement, les méchants ne se relèveront pas, ni les pécheur au rassemblement des justes. (TOB)
• Aussi, lors du jugement, ╵ils ne subsisteront pas, et nul pécheur ne se maintiendra ╵parmi la communauté des justes. (BDS)
• Voilà pourquoi les méchants ne résistent pas lors du jugement, ni les pécheurs dans l’assemblée des justes. (S21)
• Darum bestehen die Gottlosen nicht im Gericht noch die Sünder in der Gemeinde der Gerechten. (LUT)
• Darum bestehen Gottlose nicht im Gericht, noch Sünder in der Gemeinde der Gerechten. (ELB)
• Darum werden die Frevler im Gericht nicht bestehen noch die Sünder in der Gemeinde der Gerechten. (EÜ)
• Darum werden die Frevler nicht bestehen im Gericht, noch die Sünder in der Gemeinde der Gerechten. (ZÜR)

Time specified: "The day/time of judgment"

• They will be condemned at the time of judgment. Sinners will have no place among the godly. (NLT)
• Sinners won't have an excuse on the day of judgment, and they won't have a place with the people of God. (CEV)
• The wicked will not stand firm at the Judgement nor sinners in the gathering of the upright.
• C'est pourquoi les méchants ne résistent pas au (jour du) jugement, Ni les pécheurs dans la communauté des justes; (NVS78P)
• C’est pourquoi, au moment du jugement, ces gens-là ne sont pas acceptés. Quand ceux qui obéissent à Dieu se rassemblent, il n’y a pas de place pour les gens mauvais. (PDV2017)
• C'est pourquoi, au moment du jugement, ces gens-là ne sont pas admis; dans l'assemblée des justes, il n'y a pas de place pour eux. (NFC)

Agent specified: "God"

• Sinners will be condemned by God and kept apart from God's own people. (GNT)
• Vor Gottes Gericht können sie nicht bestehen. Weil sie seine Gebote missachtet haben, sind sie aus seiner Gemeinde ausgeschlossen. (HFA)
• Darum können sie auch nicht bestehen, wenn Gott Gericht hält. Wer Gott ablehnt, hat keinen Platz in der Gemeinde derer, die nach seinem Willen leben! (NGÜ)
• Vor Gottes Gericht können sie nicht bestehen und in der Gemeinde der Treuen ist für sie kein Platz. (GNB)
• Por eso los malvados caerán bajo el juicio de Dios y no tendrán parte en la comunidad de los justos. (DHH)

Judgment indefinite; time and agent ambiguous

• Therefore the wicked will not survive judgment, nor will sinners, in the assembly of the righteous. (JPS85)
• For this reason the wicked cannot withstand judgment, nor can sinners join the assembly of the godly. (NET)
• So when judgement comes the wicked shall not stand firm, nor shall sinners stand in the assembly of the righteous. (NEB)
• When judgement comes, therefore, they will not stand firm, nor will sinners in the assembly of the righteous. (REB)
• C'est pourquoi les méchants ne se tiendront pas debout au jugement, ni les pécheurs dans la communauté des justes. (NBS)

Secondary literature

Auvray, Paul. 1946. “Le Psaume 1.” Revue Biblique 53 (3): 365–71.

Baethgen, Friedrich. 1904. Die Psalmen. Göttingen: Vandenhoeck und Ruprecht.

Barbiero, Gianni. 2003. “Le Premier Livret Du Psautier (Ps 1-41).” Revue Des Sciences Religieuses 77 (4): 439–80.

Bratcher, Robert G., and William D. Reyburn. 1991. A Handbook on Psalms. UBS Handbook Series. New York: United Bible Societies.

Briggs, Charles A., and Emilie Briggs. 1906. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Book of Psalms. Vol. 1. ICC. Edinburgh: T & T Clark.

Cole, Robert Alan. 2002. “An Integrated Reading of Psalms 1 and 2.” Journal for the Study of the Old Testament 98: 75–88.

Creach, Jerome. 1999. “Like a Tree Planted by the Temple Stream: The Portrait of the Righteous in Psalm 1:3.” The Catholic Biblical Quarterly 61: 34–46.

Dahood, Mitchell. 1966. Psalms. Vol. 1. Anchor Bible Commentary. New York: Doubleday.

Delitzsch, Franz. 1894. Biblischer Kommentar über die Psalmen. Biblischer Kommentar über das Alte Testament. Leipzig: Dörffling und Franke.

Dorival, Gilles. 2021. Les Psaumes. Edited by Monique Alexandre and Marguerite Harl. Vol. 1. La Bible d’Alexandrie 20. Paris: Cerf.

Grogan, Geoffrey. 2008. Psalms. Two Horizons Old Testament Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans.

Hengstenberg, Ernst Wilhelm. 1863. Commentary on the Psalms. Vol. 1. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark.

Hossfeld, Frank-Lothar, and Erich Zenger. 1993. Die Psalmen I: Psalm 1–50. Neue Echter Bibel. Würzburg: Echter.

Hupfeld, Hermann. 1855. Die Psalmen. Vol. 1. Gotha: Friedrich Andreas Perthes.

Kittel, Rudolf. 1922. Die Psalmen. Leipzig: A. Deichertsche Verlagsbuchhandlung Dr. Werner Scholl.

Kohler, Ludwig. 1954. Hebrew Man. Abingdon Press.

Kraus, Hans-Joachim. 1988. Psalms 1–59. Minneapolis: Fortress.

Lee, John A. L. 2024. “The Language of the Greek Psalter.” In Editing the Greek Psalter, edited by Felix Albrecht and Reinhard G. Kratz, 21–40. De Septuaginta Investigationes. Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht.

Rico, Christophe. 2019. “Yaqumu: Tenir, Prévaloir, Se Relever Ou Ressusciter?: Le Psaume 1,5 a La Lumiere de La Reception Ancienne.” Revue Biblique 126 (4): 497–520.

Ross, Allen. 2012. A Commentary on the Psalms, Volume 1: 1-41. Kregel Exegetical Library. Grand Rapids: Kregel Academic & Professional.

Schaefer, Konrad. 2001. Berit Olam: Psalms. Studies in Hebrew Narrative and Poetry. Collegeville, MN: The Liturgical Press.

VanGemeren, Willem A. 2008. The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Psalms. Edited by Tremper Longman and David E. Garland. Rev. ed. Vol. 5. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

Waltke, Bruce K., J. M. Houston, and Erika Moore. 2010. The Psalms as Christian Worship: A Historical Commentary. Grand Rapids, Mich: William B. Eerdmans Pub. Co.

Weber, Beat. 2006. “Psalm 1 and Its Function as a Directive into the Psalter and towards a Biblical Theology.” Old Testament Essays 19 (1): 237–60.

References

1:5 Approved