Psalm 1:4
New International Version
Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away.

New Living Translation
But not the wicked! They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind.

English Standard Version
The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away.

Berean Standard Bible
Not so the wicked! For they are like chaff driven off by the wind.

King James Bible
The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.

New King James Version
The ungodly are not so, But are like the chaff which the wind drives away.

New American Standard Bible
The wicked are not so, But they are like chaff which the wind blows away.

NASB 1995
The wicked are not so, But they are like chaff which the wind drives away.

NASB 1977
The wicked are not so, But they are like chaff which the wind drives away.

Legacy Standard Bible
The wicked are not so, But they are like chaff which the wind drives away.

Amplified Bible
The wicked [those who live in disobedience to God’s law] are not so, But they are like the chaff [worthless and without substance] which the wind blows away.

Christian Standard Bible
The wicked are not like this; instead, they are like chaff that the wind blows away.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
The wicked are not like this; instead, they are like chaff that the wind blows away.

American Standard Version
The wicked are not so, But are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.

Contemporary English Version
That isn't true of those who are evil--they are like straw blown by the wind.

English Revised Version
The wicked are not so; but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Wicked people are not like that. Instead, they are like husks that the wind blows away.

Good News Translation
But evil people are not like this at all; they are like straw that the wind blows away.

International Standard Version
But this is not the case with the wicked. They are like chaff that the wind blows away.

Majority Standard Bible
Not so the wicked! For they are like chaff driven off by the wind.

NET Bible
Not so with the wicked! Instead they are like wind-driven chaff.

New Heart English Bible
Not so with the wicked; instead, they are like the chaff which the wind drives away from the surface of the ground.

Webster's Bible Translation
The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.

World English Bible
The wicked are not so, but are like the chaff which the wind drives away.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Not so the wicked: But [they are] as chaff that wind drives away!

Young's Literal Translation
Not so the wicked: But -- as chaff that wind driveth away!

Smith's Literal Translation
Not so the unjust: but as the chaff which the wind shall drive away.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Not so the wicked, not so: but like the dust, which the wind driveth from the face of the earth.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Not so the impious, not so. For they are like the dust that the wind casts along the face of the earth.

New American Bible
But not so are the wicked, not so! They are like chaff driven by the wind.

New Revised Standard Version
The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
The ungodly are not so, but are like the chaff which the wind drives away.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
The wicked are not so, but are like the chaff that the wind drives away.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Not so the wicked; But they are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Not so the ungodly; - not so: but rather as the chaff which the wind scatters away from the face of the earth.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The LORD Blesses Job
3He is like a tree planted by streams of water, yielding its fruit in season, whose leaf does not wither, and who prospers in all he does. 4Not so the wicked! For they are like chaff driven off by the wind. 5Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.…

Cross References
Matthew 3:12
His winnowing fork is in His hand to clear His threshing floor and to gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

Job 21:18
Are they like straw before the wind, like chaff swept away by a storm?

Isaiah 17:13
The nations rage like the rush of many waters. He rebukes them, and they flee far away, driven before the wind like chaff on the hills, like tumbleweeds before a gale.

Hosea 13:3
Therefore they will be like the morning mist, like the early dew that vanishes, like chaff blown from a threshing floor, like smoke through an open window.

Matthew 13:30
Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat into my barn.’”

Isaiah 29:5
But your many foes will be like fine dust, the multitude of the ruthless like blowing chaff. Then suddenly, in an instant,

Jeremiah 13:24
“I will scatter you like chaff driven by the desert wind.

Luke 3:17
His winnowing fork is in His hand to clear His threshing floor and to gather the wheat into His barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

Isaiah 41:15-16
Behold, I will make you into a threshing sledge, new and sharp, with many teeth. You will thresh the mountains and crush them, and reduce the hills to chaff. / You will winnow them, and a wind will carry them away; a gale will scatter them. But you will rejoice in the LORD; you will glory in the Holy One of Israel.

Job 27:21
The east wind carries him away, and he is gone; it sweeps him out of his place.

Isaiah 40:24
No sooner are they planted, no sooner are they sown, no sooner have their stems taken root in the ground, than He blows on them and they wither, and a whirlwind sweeps them away like stubble.

Malachi 4:1
“For behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace, when all the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble; the day is coming when I will set them ablaze,” says the LORD of Hosts. “Not a root or branch will be left to them.”

Daniel 2:35
Then the iron, clay, bronze, silver, and gold were shattered and became like chaff on the threshing floor in summer. The wind carried them away, and not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that had struck the statue became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.

James 1:6
But he must ask in faith, without doubting, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.

Ephesians 4:14
Then we will no longer be infants, tossed about by the waves and carried around by every wind of teaching and by the clever cunning of men in their deceitful scheming.


Treasury of Scripture

The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind drives away.

like

Psalm 35:5
Let them be as chaff before the wind: and let the angel of the LORD chase them.

Job 21:18
They are as stubble before the wind, and as chaff that the storm carrieth away.

Isaiah 17:13
The nations shall rush like the rushing of many waters: but God shall rebuke them, and they shall flee far off, and shall be chased as the chaff of the mountains before the wind, and like a rolling thing before the whirlwind.

Jump to Previous
Blows Chaff Drives Driveth Dust Evil-Doers Grain Ungodly Wicked Wind
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Blows Chaff Drives Driveth Dust Evil-Doers Grain Ungodly Wicked Wind
Psalm 1
1. The happiness of the godly
4. The unhappiness of the ungodly














Not so the wicked!
This phrase contrasts the fate of the wicked with that of the righteous, as described in the preceding verses. The righteous are like a tree planted by streams of water, symbolizing stability and prosperity. In contrast, the wicked do not enjoy such blessings. The term "wicked" refers to those who live in opposition to God's law and righteousness. Throughout the Bible, the wicked are often depicted as those who reject God's commandments and pursue their own desires (Proverbs 4:14-19). This distinction between the righteous and the wicked is a recurring theme in Scripture, emphasizing the moral and spiritual divide between those who follow God and those who do not.

For they are like chaff
Chaff is the husk or outer shell of grain that is separated from the edible part during the threshing process. In ancient agricultural practices, chaff was considered worthless and was discarded. This imagery is used to describe the wicked as being without substance or value in the eyes of God. The metaphor of chaff is also found in other biblical passages, such as Job 21:18 and Isaiah 17:13, where it symbolizes the fleeting and insubstantial nature of the wicked. The use of agricultural imagery would have been familiar to the original audience, who lived in an agrarian society and understood the process of winnowing and the insignificance of chaff.

driven off by the wind.
The wind represents the forces that scatter and disperse the chaff, illustrating the instability and impermanence of the wicked. Unlike the righteous, who are firmly rooted and nourished, the wicked are easily swept away by the trials and judgments of life. This imagery is echoed in other parts of Scripture, such as Hosea 13:3 and Matthew 3:12, where the wind or fire is used to depict divine judgment. The idea of being driven away by the wind also suggests a lack of direction and purpose, as the wicked are not anchored in God's truth. This phrase underscores the ultimate futility of a life lived apart from God, as the wicked will not stand in the judgment or have a place among the righteous (Psalm 1:5).

Persons / Places / Events
1. The Wicked
In the context of Psalm 1, the wicked are those who do not follow God's law and live in opposition to His ways. They are contrasted with the righteous, who delight in the law of the Lord.

2. Chaff
Chaff is the husk of grain that is separated and discarded during the winnowing process. It symbolizes worthlessness and instability, as it is easily blown away by the wind.

3. The Wind
In biblical imagery, the wind often represents forces of judgment or the transient nature of life. Here, it signifies the ease with which the wicked are scattered and their lack of permanence.
Teaching Points
The Transience of Wickedness
The wicked may appear to prosper temporarily, but their success is fleeting. Like chaff, they lack substance and permanence.

The Importance of Righteous Living
In contrast to the wicked, the righteous are rooted and stable, like a tree planted by streams of water. This highlights the importance of living according to God's Word.

Judgment and Accountability
The imagery of chaff being driven by the wind serves as a reminder of God's judgment. The wicked will not stand in the judgment, emphasizing the need for repentance and alignment with God's will.

The Value of Substance Over Appearance
Chaff may look similar to grain but lacks its value. This teaches us to seek genuine righteousness rather than superficial appearances.

The Role of God's Word
The stability of the righteous is attributed to their delight in and meditation on God's law. This underscores the transformative power of Scripture in our lives.(4) The ungodly.--Better, Not so the ungodly.

But are like.--They shall be winnowed out of the society of the true Israel by the fan of God's judgment. The image is a striking one, although so frequent as almost to have become a poetical commonplace (Habakkuk 3:12; Joel 3:14; Jeremiah 51:33; Isaiah 21:10). (See Bible Educator, iv. 4.)

Verse 4. - The ungodly are not so; or, the wicked (see the comment on ver. 1. But are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. "Chaff" is used throughout Scripture as an emblem of what is weak and worthless (see Job 21:18; Psalm 35:5; Isaiah 5:24; Isaiah 17:13; Isaiah 29:5; Isaiah 33:11; Isaiah 41:15; Jeremiah 23:28; Daniel 2:35; Hosea 13:3; Zephaniah 2:2; Matthew 3:12; Luke 3:17). In ancient times it was considered of no value at all, and when corn was winnowed, it was thrown up in the air until the wind had blown all the chaff away (see the representation in the author's 'History of Ancient Egypt,' vol. 1. p. 163).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Not
לֹא־ (lō-)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

so
כֵ֥ן (ḵên)
Adverb
Strong's 3651: So -- thus

the wicked!
הָרְשָׁעִ֑ים (hā·rə·šā·‘îm)
Article | Adjective - masculine plural
Strong's 7563: Wrong, an, bad person

For
כִּ֥י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

[they are]
אִם־ (’im-)
Conjunction
Strong's 518: Lo!, whether?, if, although, Oh that!, when, not

like chaff
כַּ֝מֹּ֗ץ (kam·mōṣ)
Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4671: Chaff, threshed loose)

driven off
תִּדְּפֶ֥נּוּ (tid·də·p̄en·nū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5086: To shove asunder, disperse

by the wind.
רֽוּחַ׃ (rū·aḥ)
Noun - common singular
Strong's 7307: Wind, breath, exhalation, life, anger, unsubstantiality, a region of the sky, spirit


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OT Poetry: Psalm 1:4 The wicked are not so (Psalm Ps Psa.)
Psalm 1:3
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