Psalms

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Psalm 1

1 How blessed is the one who does not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand in the pathway with sinners, or sit in the assembly of scoffers.⁠ 2 Instead he finds pleasure in obeying the Lord’s commands; he meditates on his commands day and night.⁠ 3 He is like a tree planted by flowing streams; it yields its fruit at the proper time, and its leaves never fall off.⁠ He succeeds in everything he attempts.⁠ 4 Not so with the wicked! Instead they are like wind-driven chaff.⁠ 5 For this reason the wicked cannot withstand judgment, nor can sinners join the assembly of the godly. 6 Certainly the Lord guards the way of the godly, but the way of the wicked ends in destruction.

Texts in conversation

Compare Psalm 1:1 and Jude 1:18

Hebrew Bible · New Testament

Summary

Jude speaks about scoffers who mock and dismiss. His language draws on texts like Psalm 1 that urge people to avoid such influences and contrasts them with those who follow God's way.

Passages

Psalm 1:1

Hebrew Bible

1 How blessed is the one who does not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand in the pathway with sinners, or sit in the assembly of scoffers. 2 Instead he finds pleasure in obeying the Lord’s commands; he meditates on his commands day and night. 3 He is like a tree planted by flowing streams; it yields its fruit at the proper time, and its leaves never fall off. He succeeds in everything he attempts.

600–201 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Psalms

Jude 1:18

New Testament

16 These people are grumblers and fault-finders who go wherever their desires lead them, and they give bombastic speeches, enchanting folks for their own gain. 17 But you, dear friends—recall the predictions foretold by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. 18 For they said to you, “At the end of time there will come scoffers, propelled by their own ungodly desires.” 19 These people are divisive, worldly, devoid of the Spirit. 20 But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith, by praying in the Holy Spirit,

60–80 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in Jude

References

"... Jude 1 does not rule out an audience larger than one church, though Jude is likely dealing with a problem confined to a specific area, perhaps in Galilee. The original disciples, following Jesus' teaching (Mt 7:15-20; 24:11; Mk 13:22; 1 Tim 4:1-3; 2 Tim 3:1-9; 4:3-4: 2 Pet 3:3), warned of people who were false teachers and who scoffed at true religion. In Jude 18 ('scoffers'), an extremely derogatory term in early Judaism, refers to a typical Old Testament type of troublemaker - one who despises or ignores and mocks true religion and/or morality (Psalm 1:1; Proverbs 1:22, 9:7-8: Isaiah 28:14). Scoffers characterize this last age and live according to their desires to do ungodly things, not merely thinking ungodly thoughts. Jude is here again using a catchword - ton asebeion probably a paraphrase of Jude's favorite term of the gist of the apostolic teaching ..."

Ben Witherington, Letters and Homilies for Jewish Christians: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary on Hebrews, James and Jude (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 2010), 628–629.

References are not endorsements of their contents. Read each reference in full to understand its author's intentions in using these texts.

Psalms150 psalms

Compare Psalm 1:1 and Jude 1:18

Summary

Passages

Psalm 1:1

Jude 1:18

References

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