Psalm 1:4

 

Not so the wicked! For they are like chaff driven off by the wind.
Psalm 1:4 Berean Standard Bible (BSB)
 
The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.
Psalm 1:4 King James Bible (KJV)
 
Not so with the wicked! Instead they are like wind-driven chaff.
Psalm 1:4 New English Translation (NET)
 
Not so the wicked
This phrase sets a stark contrast between the righteous and the wicked. In Hebrew, the word for "wicked" is "רְשָׁעִים" (resha'im), which refers to those who are morally wrong, guilty, or hostile to God. The phrase "not so" emphasizes the complete divergence in the path and destiny of the wicked compared to the righteous. Historically, the wicked are those who reject God's law and guidance, choosing instead a path of self-reliance and rebellion. This distinction is crucial in the wisdom literature of the Bible, where the outcomes of the righteous and the wicked are often contrasted.
 
For they are like chaff
The imagery of "chaff" is powerful and evocative. Chaff is the husk or outer shell of grain that is separated and discarded during the threshing process. In Hebrew, "מֹץ" (motz) signifies something that is worthless and easily blown away. This metaphor illustrates the instability and lack of substance in the lives of the wicked. Unlike the righteous, who are compared to a fruitful tree, the wicked have no root or permanence. Archaeological findings from ancient threshing floors reveal the process of winnowing, where chaff is separated from the grain, underscoring the idea of judgment and separation.
 
Driven away by the wind
The phrase "driven away by the wind" further emphasizes the transience and instability of the wicked. In the ancient Near East, wind was often seen as a force of nature that could scatter and destroy. The Hebrew word "תִּדְּפֶנּוּ" (tiddofennu) conveys the idea of being pursued or chased away. Scripturally, wind is sometimes used as a symbol of divine judgment or the breath of God executing His will. The wicked, lacking the rootedness and stability of the righteous, are at the mercy of external forces, illustrating their ultimate fate of being removed from God's presence and blessing.
 
Berean Study Bible
 
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The Wicked: In contrast to the righteous, the "wicked" here refers to those who do not follow God's laws or live according to His will. They are characterized by their rejection of divine guidance.
 
Like Chaff: Chaff is the husk of grain, which is light, dry, and easily blown away by the wind during threshing. This imagery is used metaphorically to describe:
 
Impermanence and Lack of Substance: Just as chaff has no real value or substance once separated from the grain, the wicked are seen as lacking spiritual or moral depth. Their lives and achievements are fleeting and without lasting impact or value in the eyes of God.
 
Vulnerability: Chaff is at the mercy of the wind, symbolizing how the wicked are subject to the adversities of life without the stability or protection that comes from living righteously according to God's teachings.
 
Judgment: The imagery also hints at divine judgment; just as chaff is separated and removed in the threshing process, so the wicked will be separated from the righteous in the judgment of God.
 
Theological Implications:
 
This verse underscores the transient nature of wickedness in contrast to the enduring nature of righteousness. It serves as a warning about the consequences of living a life detached from God's guidance.
 
It also reflects a common Old Testament theme where godly wisdom leads to stability and prosperity (in a spiritual or moral sense), whereas folly or wickedness leads to ruin.
 
This passage invites reflection on one's life choices, encouraging adherence to divine laws for lasting significance and protection, as opposed to a life of wickedness which is ultimately futile and vulnerable.
 
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The ungodly are not so,.... They are not as the good man is; their manner and course of life are different; they walk in the counsel of ungodly men, like themselves, and take counsel against the Lord, his Anointed, and his people: they stand in the way of sinners, and steer their conversation according to the course of the world, and sit in the seat of the scornful; laugh at divine revelation, lampoon the Scriptures, deride good men, make a jest of religion and a future state: they have no delight in the law of the Lord, they cast it away from them, and despise it; and are so far from a constant meditation on it, that they never read it, nor so much as look into it, nor is it ever in their thoughts. They are not like to a tree, as described in Psa_1:3, if they are like to trees, it is to dry trees, and not green ones, to trees without any sap, moisture, and verdure, and which are only fit fuel for the fire; to the trees of the wood, to wild olive trees; to trees on an heath, in a desert, in parched land, and not to trees by rivers of water, but to trees that have no root, and are without fruit, Jud_1:12. And though they may be in a seeming prosperous condition for a time, may be in great power, riches, and honour, and spread themselves like a green bay tree; yet suddenly they are cut down as the grass, and wither as the green herb; and even their outward prosperity destroys them; so that not anything they have or do in the issue prospers: and therefore they are not blessed or happy as the good man is; yea, they are wretched and miserable, nay, cursed; they are cursed now, and will be hereafter; they are cursed in their basket and store, their blessings are curses to them; the law pronounces them cursed; and they will hear, "go ye cursed", at the day of judgment, see Mat_25:41. The Vulgate Latin, Septuagint, and Arabic versions, repeat the words "not so", and read "not so the ungodly, not so:" which seems to be done for the confirmation of the truth of it:
 
but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away; they are like chaff, which has no root, moisture, greenness, nor fruitfulness; they have nothing in them solid and substantial; they are destitute of all that is good; are vain and empty; without the knowledge of God and Christ; without faith in Christ and love to him; and are sensual, not having the Spirit, his graces and fruits: they are like chaff for lightness, vain in their imaginations, light in their principles, frothy in their words, and unstable in all their ways: they are never long in any position, unsettled, disquieted, and tossed to and fro; and there is no peace unto them: they are like chaff, useless and unprofitable, nothing worth, fit only for everlasting burnings, which will be their case. For when Christ will gather his wheat, the righteous, which are of value, into his garner, the heavenly glory, he will burn the chaff, the wicked, with unquenchable fire. They are now like chaff, driven and carried about with every wind of doctrine, with divers and strange doctrines, and entertain every light and airy notion; and are easily drawn aside and carried away by the force of their own lusts, and with every temptation of Satan, who works effectually in then: and particularly they are like chaff before the wind of terrible judgments and calamities in this life, and of the awful judgment hereafter, when they will be driven away from the presence of the Lord into everlasting destruction. The metaphor is often used in this sense; see Job_21:17; and denotes the secret, sudden, sure, and easy ruin of the ungodly, which comes upon them like a whirlwind, in an instant, which they cannot avoid; and they can no more stand before God and against him, than chaff before the wind.
 
John Gill’s Exposition of the Bible