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Psalm 1

Psalm 1 contrasts two ways of life whose outcomes rest under YHWH’s care and judgment.

A person who refuses wicked counsel and delights in YHWH’s law stands at the center of Psalm 1. The unnamed poet teaches readers through a contrast: the righteous resemble a tree beside streams, while the wicked resemble chaff scattered by wind. No particular occasion is named. The psalm moves from the counsel a person follows to the outcome of each path, ending with YHWH’s knowledge of the righteous and the ruin of the wicked.

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1Blessed is the man who doesn’t walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand on the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers;
2but his delight is in the LORD’s law. On his law he meditates day and night.
3He will be like a tree planted by the streams of water, that produces its fruit in its season, whose leaf also does not wither. Whatever he does shall prosper.
4The wicked are not so, but are like the chaff which the wind drives away.
5Therefore the wicked shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
6For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked shall perish.
World English BibleRead in NIV in Psalmlog →Highlighted verses are the most connected. Tap a number for its page.
Key verses
Psalm 1:1The opening blessing connects a person’s way of life with the counsel and company that person accepts.
Psalm 1:3The tree beside water pictures the rooted, fruitful life of someone whose delight is in YHWH’s law.
Psalm 1:6The closing verse grounds the contrast in YHWH’s knowledge of the righteous and the destruction awaiting the wicked.
Where this chapter reaches

Jeremiah shares the image of a tree planted beside water, and Joshua connects meditation on God’s law with obedience and prosperity. Matthew shares the contrast between two roads with different ends, as well as the image of chaff facing judgment.

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Notice

After reading the whole chapter

What counsel has shaped your choices, and how does it compare with YHWH’s instruction?

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How does the final verse shape your reading of the tree and the chaff?

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Questions people ask about Psalm 1

Who wrote Psalm 1?

Psalm 1 does not name its author or give a historical setting. There is no heading identifying David or another writer. Its opening position introduces concerns that recur throughout Psalms: YHWH’s instruction, the lives of the righteous and wicked, and God’s judgment.

Does Psalm 1 promise that righteous people will become wealthy?

The statement “Whatever he does shall prosper” belongs to the picture of a well-watered, fruitful tree. As wisdom poetry, the psalm describes the flourishing of a life shaped by God’s instruction. It gives no measure of wealth or timetable for success, and its final focus is God’s judgment.

What does it mean to meditate day and night in Psalm 1?

Meditation here means sustained attention to YHWH’s law, returning to his instruction in thought and reflection. The phrase “day and night” describes its ongoing place in the person’s life. Verse 2 links this attention with delight, while the surrounding verses connect it with conduct and fruitfulness.

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Psalms · 150 chapters
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Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY). Scripture from the World English Bible (public domain). Arc diagram after Chris Harrison and Christoph Römhild (2007).