V. 1. Blessed is he who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked.
I. This first psalm belongs to the third commandment, for it praises and extols to us the practice of the divine word, that we should gladly hear, learn and read the same. For this actually means to sanctify the Sabbath, the holiday.
with the word of God, for by it all things are sanctified. And when the word is taught, then the hour, the day, the place, and the person who preaches or listens to the word is sanctified. Therefore, Christians must keep the Sabbath every day, that is, they must always keep the word.
*This writing was written when Luther was at the fortress of Coburg during the Diet of Augsburg in 1530. Aurifaber reports about it in the second Eisleben volume, p. 19: "At the same time I). Martin Luther read and interpreted these twenty-five psalms to the venerable Mr. Veit Dietrich, then a student at Wittenberg, and to his table companion, who was waiting diligently for the doctor at Coburg, when he was able to take an hour or so off from his varied, large, important and difficult business there to strengthen his faith, hope and prayer with these psalms. Such interpretations have been recorded and transcribed with special diligence by the well-meaning Veit Dietrich. A part of these interpretations, namely about the first 12 Psalms, was published by Aurifaber in Erfurt in 1548 under the title: "Kurze und tröstliche Auslegung über die ersten XII Psalmen, so v. Martin Luther seliger Gedächtnisniß im XXX. Year in Coburg at the castle of his good friend prescribed to one for comfort and instruction." The whole text was first published in German by Basilius Faber in 1560, and this edition by Faber was included by Aurifaber in the second volume of the Eisleben Collection of Luther's German writings, where it is found on p. 20 et seq. From there it has been transferred to the other collections: Altenburger, vol. V, p. 412; Leipziger, vol. V, p. 246; Walch, vol. IV, Col. 1838; and Erlanger, vol. 38, p. I. Because none of the publishers had indicated their sources and described them in more detail, it was assumed until recent times that the original was written in German. Only in the Altenburg edition do we find vol. V, p. 412 the note of Johann Christfried Sagittarius, that to him I). Caspar Bertram, Oberpfarrherr zu Naumburg, had sent him a written volume in which these short interpretations, in Latin and German, were contained, and sometimes the days on which they were recited were indicated in the margin. It was not until 1845 that the editor of the Erlangen edition, I). Jrmischer, discovered in the library at Nuremberg the first printing of our writing, which the sons and heirs of Veit Dietrich organized from the manuscript of their father in 1559. The text is in Latin mixed with German. The title of this original edition is: In psalinos vi^inti qniuquo priores, et secznentes aliquot enari-ationes breves et oruditas Keverencli patrik D. klar. Qutüeri pio atudio ao dili^ontia III. viti Tlioodori Xoriker^enms eoHeetue. Xune demuin in lueem neditae. OataloAum ksalrnorurn praelationi suöseeirnus. Cl.D.IUX. At the end: Xoi-iderMe Lxeudedant dounnes Nontanus et Odrieus ^euderus. This original is only in the Erlangen edition ^xe^etiea Opera, torn. XVII, p. I. 8qq. It is preceded by a dedication of Dietrich's sons to Duke Christoph von Würtemberg. In this dedication they say that Veit Dietrich added to the second, shorter interpretation of Ps. 1-8 and Ps. 23. these words (Lrl. opp. 6X6.]. XVII, p. 6): "The following Psalms have v. Luther written; to these (which Luther wrote) belongs also the 45th and the 128th". These drafts to an explanation find probably also on Coburg written or soon after. (Köstlin, Martin Luther, Vol. II, 657 ad 225.) We reproduce the text according to the just mentioned print of the original in the Erlangen edition, of course with translation of the Latin. Our time determination is based on the dates given in the Erlangen edition, tom. XVII, p. 8 and p. 227.
**) In the Latin edition, the interpretation of the first psalm contains the time: ^nno 30. 4. nonas klaff, that is, May 4, 1530.
But they that teach lies, and contrary to the word, sin against the third commandment, and profane the sabbath: for without the word of God nothing is holy.
2 So this first psalm teaches us to hear the word diligently, and all things shall be holy unto us, and shall prosper. O what a blessed man, saith he, is he that keepeth himself from profaning the sabbath. For the wicked have their own preaching, which is called "consilia," that is, their own dreams, as they wash day and night; as the sacramentaries and the Turks do, 2c. all of whom profane the Sabbath.
Nor treads on the way of sinners.
(3) That is, Blessed is he who does not live according to their counsel, as do those who break and desecrate the Sabbath even with their lives. For the Hebrews call "the way" what we call "the way," "the custom," and "the habit," item: "This is the way to do it.
Nor sit where the scoffers sit.
The Latin interpreter did not translate badly: In cathedra non sedit [he does not sit on the chair], lest he also become a teacher of the same doctrine. Thus he makes three degrees. First, that one hears and accepts the ungodly teaching. Second, to live by it. Third, to teach it to others. Then they become mockers, who make a mockery out of God's word and godly life. When one tells them about it, they feel as if they were whistling at a goose, and say like the Epicnrians: Oh, if I had money, or a hurdle for it! as Caesar Pflug said: I think there must be idle people who like to deal with things. He thought he had enough of his castles, so he died sine crux et sine lux, and the devil led him away. So the sacramentarians mock us and everything we teach; they are blasphemers and desecrators of the Sabbath. But the Psalm says: God protect the man from them! As if to say: There are many such godless people.
V. 2. But have pleasure in the law of the Lord, and speak of his law day and night.
(5) Especially the Ten Commandments. Oh, what a great grace and gift of God it is when a man gladly hears God's word, and gladly writes poetry, chats and sings about it. O, how blessed is the man! he says, it will go well with him, and he shall have happiness and salvation. Therefore now follow the promises.
V. 3. He is like a tree planted by the rivers of water.
(6) So also in the 92nd Psalm, v. 13, it is said, "The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree. And this is a glorious likeness of the palm tree, which grows green summer and winter, like the cedars and spruces, and has its daily sap; for it grows nowhere but in sandy and watery places. So should a godly man be, who gladly hears God's word, that is, I will give my spirit and grace: if then you hear the word, let sap follow; for there the Holy Spirit is present, and gives grace to it.
Who brings forth his fruit in his season.
7 The palm tree shows its fruit sooner than its leaves, as does the vine and the fig tree. So also a godly man does it first, and proves it by the works, after which he teaches. For the leaves signify the teaching. Therefore, a godly man can counsel, instruct, and comfort anyone with his teaching 2c.
In its time.
8. that is, when it is useful and necessary; has no specific time, like the monks, always bears fruit, even when he sleeps, drinks 2c.
And his leaves do not wither, and what he does is well done.
(9) He is able to do all things; neither hail nor lightning nor rain nor snow hinders him. He goes freely through all storms, because he has the strength and power in the root. Therefore, if a cross or persecution comes, he does not ask for it, because he has the juice and always goes on, they can neither quench nor dampen it. So he is capable of all things. And now this is the
Promise, which he has who follows the word. Now he adds a warning against the wicked.
V. 4. But the wicked are not like that, but like chaff scattered by the wind.
(10) Here he contradicts the previous parable, saying that the wicked are dust. Now think what a great difference there is between a green tree and ashes or dust scattered by the wind. So utterly does it take away all their fruit, that they are good for nothing, nor of any use. I could not disgrace them more. In the sight of the world they do great works, but in the sight of God it is ashes, because there is no juice, water or grace with them. In their eyes and before the whole world they make themselves believe that they are the tree, but before God it is nothing. They are like dust to a pious man. It is a very sublime image. They have no spirit. This they prove also by deed; as follows:
V. 5. Therefore the wicked do not remain in judgment.
11. ["In judgment"] that is, in service, in office; they do not remain with Christians in the
They blow themselves away like the dust, they must cause sectarianism so that they do not remain in the office of the right word.
Nor the sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
They fall not only from the chair, but also from the bench, they remain neither teacher nor pupil, but separate themselves from us by their recklessness and their own heads. Now what is the reason of this comparison? Before the world they are the tree, we are the dust. This is the reason. One must not look at it as the world looks at it, but as God looks at it; as now follows:
V. 6 For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked perishes.
Thirteen is the resolution. He delicately intertwines it so that we may be sure of it. If we keep the word, he says he will preserve us, and they shall perish. So then the psalm is a fine comforting exhortation to the word, if we keep it, he will give us to see that he will not leave us.
About the same Psalm.
The tree
that is planted there, rooted in
through faith in Christ into the grace of God,
is the godly one.
by the rivers of water, which bringeth forth fruit, which hath green leaves,
to whom everything goes well
with Carrying with Generating with Maintaining with Propagating
From branches
against all repugnance
Thus the righteous breaks through, may the adversaries like it or not.
The contrast before the world behaves like this:
The godly is the dust, yes, the dung on the feet.
The wicked is that tree, yes, a rock.
But see the comparison
between the tree that is so vigorous and fruitful and the dust that is scattered and nothing.
Who believes that?
Our consolation is:
The wicked are the scattered dust.
We are the tree with green leaves for eternity.