Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
The Hebrew title of this book is 'The Book of Praises'. The term "Psalms" is Greek [psalmoi], taken from the Septuagint, and meaning songs sung to musical instruments. This psalm is a preface to the collection. Hence, in the oldest reading of Acts 13:33, our second psalm is quoted as "the first psalm." One psalms is prefixed as a compendious summary of the whole-God's appointment of salvation to the righteous, perdition to the ungodly, in spite of all present appearances to the contrary.
Blessed - literally, 'Oh the happinesses of the man!' etc. Not merely happy in one respect, but in countless ways (marked by the abstract term, implying that happiness finds its realization only in Him; and by the plural number, implying the manifold aspects of his happiness). [The Hebrew, 'ashreey (H835), happiness, is distinct from baarak (H1288), bless and blessedness].
Walketh ... ungodly ... standeth ... sinners ... sitteth ... scornful - answering respectively to one another in poetical parallelism of thought (the Hebrew principle of versification: see Introduction to Poetical Books); and forming a climax: from "walking in the counsel" (i:e., according to the counsel or plans, Micah 6:16; Psalms 81:12), in the downward steps of sin, one goes on to "standing in the way;" and from this to "sitting in the seat" (Psalms 26:4-5). From associating with the "ungodly" or 'wicked' [margin, rªshaa`iym (H7563), the root ides of which is disturbance; restlessness (Isaiah 57:20), impelling to continual fresh misdeed: hence, transgression, in act of God's law], one passes to the way of "sinners" х chªTaa'iym (H2400): literally, those deviating from the straight course; erring, from estrangement of heart and principle]. The crowning of this awful declension is sitting, as in one's habitual place, among. "scorners" (2 Peter 3:3; Isaiah 5:19; Psalms 50:20; Psalms 69:12; Jeremiah 15:17; Jeremiah 17:15). Sitting is the attitude of drinking boon companions. Wine itself is a mocker (Proverbs 20:1).