Psalm 1

Words: Thomas Sternhold, as in  The Scottish Psalter of 1635

Music:
Unable to initialize a MIDI player for your browser(piano)
Unable to initialize a MIDI player for your browser(organ added)		 Psalm 1, Anglo-Genevan Psalter 1556
Harmony by Edward Millar, c1635.

 

Whether it was Esdras, or any other that gathered the Psalms into a Book, it seemeth he did set this Psalm first in manner of a Preface, to exhort all godly men to study and meditate the heavenly wisdom: for the effect there of is, that they be blessed, who give themselves wholly all their life to the holy Scriptures, and that the wicked condemmers of GOD, though they seem for a while fortunate, yet at length shall come to miserable destruction. ***

   1  The man is blest that hath not lent
         to wicked men his ear,
      Nor led his life as sinners do,
         nor sat in scorner's chair.
   2  But in the law of God the Lord
         doth set his whole delight,
      And in the same doth exercise
         himself both day and night.
   3  He shall be like a tree that grows
         fast by the river side:,
      Which bringeth forth most pleasant fruit
         in her due time and tide.
      Whose leaf shall never fade nor fall,
         but flourish still and stand:
      E'en so all things shall prosper well
         that this man takes in hand.
   4  So shall not the ungodly men,
         they shall be nothing so;
      But as the dust, which from the earth
         the winds drive to and fro.
   5  Therefore shall not the wicked men
         in judgment stand upright,
      Nor the sinners with the just
         shall come in place or sight.
   6  For why? The way of godly men
         unto the Lord is known:
      Whereas the way of wicked men
         shall quite be overthrown.

Although the tune for this is a CMD tune, there are an odd number of verses, so there is one extra verse at the end of the Psalm. We are not sure how they handled the singing of it this way. This is, however, an excellent tune with this Psalm. You might want to try it with the 1650 Scottish version, or the Brady and Tate.

*** Commentary from the 1635 Psalter.


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