The Condition of the Righteous and the Wicked (Verses 3–4)

Having depicted the traits of activity of the righteous man, and through them of sinners as well, he passes on to depict their condition. By reason of his all-round removal from evil and unceasing meditation on God’s word, the righteous man will be like a tree beside streams of water—filled with the life-giving power of God’s word, enriched, and from the fullness of life will bring forth fruit—corresponding deeds—and prosper in all his undertakings.

Verse 3. And he will be like a tree planted beside the outflowings of waters, that gives its fruit in its season, and its leaf will not fall off: and all that he does will prosper.

Will be — which can also mean is—future in place of present—or both… both is and will be… fullness of life is his constant condition.

Tree, ets — any tree—living or dry—here, by the traits ascribed to it, either an olive or a palm, which do not shed their leaves—with which the righteous are also compared in other places (Ps. 91:13; Jer. 17:8). The Chaldean translation: like the tree of life, that is, ever living and flowering. The Syriac simply states—a tree. Rabbi Eleazar ben Azariah says that a man whose learning is broader than his good deeds is like a fir tree, whose branches spread wide while its roots are small and which the wind can therefore easily overcome. But one whose good deeds surpass his learning is like an oak.

It is very favorable for a tree to stand beside streams of water, especially in the East in hot regions, where the soil quickly loses moisture under the intolerable heat and trees wither (Jer. 17:8; Ezek. 19:10). Beside — on one side or bank of a river. The Greek (διεξοδος) suggests the idea of a place where the water divides into two arms, so that a tree standing in the middle receives an inflow of water-sap from both sides. Such inflows applied to the righteous man are the outpourings of God’s grace—the Holy Spirit in the sacraments—and the illumination of the mind by the truths of God’s word, from which an uninterrupted spiritual sap and vitality is imparted to him for repelling evil passions and afflictions. Planted — in Hebrew: shatal, transplanted—like a branch cut from the top of a cedar and set in another place (Ezek. 17:22), and like a vine branch transplanted from a moist place to a dry one—so the righteous man is transplanted from the dry wilderness of sin into the beautiful paradise of the Church.

Fruit in its season. A tree is meant that is not fruitless—one that merely looks fine with its leaves—but one that always in due season bears abundant fruit. The righteous too resemble good trees that bear fruit not for themselves but for others, adorning themselves with good deeds (Mt. 7:16–18), not content with the seed of a good intention, or the flower of good resolves, or the leaves of fair speech. These good fruits are enumerated in the Epistle to the Galatians (Gal. 5:22).

In its season. The ungodly either bring forth no fruit at all, or bring forth fruit that is unripe, withered, and quickly spoiled by decay; but the devout always in due season bring forth ripe, well-flavored, and enduring fruit—such as love, patience, and the like—and in the other life they will offer God unceasing praise, love, eternal vision, and more.

His leaf will not fall off. The righteous are always consistent with themselves, adorned by a wondrous order of life, and by all they say and do—by their affability and attractiveness in mutual relations—they give pleasure to all, like the shade of a tree. The falling or shedding of leaves signifies calamity and the loss of all piety (Is. 1:30, 64:6). It also signifies a lack or loss of uprightness and virtue, like the stripping of a cluster from the vine or of leaves from a tree (Jer. 8:13). Thus, when it is said that the righteous do not lose the leaves of the beauty of right conduct and prosperity, this signifies the constant overshadowing of them by God’s grace, which preserves in them an inward right disposition and outward orderliness and happiness, comforts them with hope, and leads them to eternal blessedness. In other places the word naval, to fall off, is used properly of grasses and leaves when, owing to the exhaustion of their inner sap and under the action of excessive external heat, they wither and, having dried up, fall off (Is. 34:4, 40:7–8; Jer. 8:13; Ps. 36:2 and elsewhere).

Will prosper. This continuation can be taken either as a continuation of the comparison of the righteous to a tree (the Chaldean translation: on all its branches that it puts forth it will bear fruit abundantly and successfully. Some understand it of twigs taken from a tree and planted elsewhere—that they too grow well and bear fruit. Others understand it of the leaves—that they are all beneficial for health (Ezek. 47:12)), or as a separate statement expressing a distinct idea about the righteous (grammatically relating to: and he will be like a tree… and he will prosper)… The latter is better and more direct. Examples are provided by Joseph, for whom all things prospered in the house of Potiphar (Gen. 39:2–3); Hezekiah, who successfully restored religious order (see 2 Chron. 30:21, 32:30); Solomon (see 1 Chron. 29:23 and elsewhere). That the works of piety go well for the devout man, despite outward afflictions, is shown in Rom. 8:28, 36–37; Jas. 1:25; 1 Tim. 4:8. By the last reference, piety holds the promise not only of the present age but of the age to come. The first idea about the righteous from the comparison with the tree shows that he brings forth good as if naturally; while the second — will prosper — points to specific deliberate undertakings. The Syriac translation: all that he undertakes he accomplishes.

Verse 4. This is followed by the contrasting condition of the ungodly. It is expressed concisely and forcefully. Not so the ungodly, not so. What was said of the life-giving fruitfulness and prosperity of the devout is here denied of the ungodly. They may sometimes seem to flourish; but this flourishing is unstable and immediately scatters and vanishes. In Hebrew: not so — is not repeated. Jerome testifies that not only in the Hebrew codices but in the LXX as well there stands only one — not so. So too in the Hexapla of Origen, which he read at Caesarea. In current editions of the LXX this particle appears in repetition. The Syriac translation repeats it, as do the Arabic and Ethiopic. The Sinaitic likewise repeats it.

Like dust. Just as above the devout man was likened to a firmly rooted, flowering, and fruitful tree (and in other places to wheat), so now the ungodly is likened to dust—dry, lifeless, useless—easily scattered, so that not a trace of it can afterwards be found. The Hebrew word: mots — denotes properly not dust but chaff, husk, or bran—the remainder left after pure wheat (Hos. 13:3; Is. 41:15). Sinners are likened to chaff destined for burning (Mt. 3:12; Ps. 34:5; Is. 17:13; Job 21:18; Dan. 2:35). The Hebrew word: nadaf — to hurl forcefully, scatter, and disperse so that not a trace remains, like vanishing smoke (Ps. 67:3; Is. 41:2).