Psalms 1

Chapter Overview

What happens in Psalms 1

This wisdom psalm opens the entire book by contrasting two ways of living: the path of the righteous and the path of the wicked. It serves as an introduction to all 150 psalms.

Scripture

The Blessed Person

Study note

The psalm begins by describing the person who avoids the influence of the wicked. Instead of following bad advice, this person finds joy in studying God's word. The image of a tree planted by water shows deep roots, steady growth, and lasting fruitfulness.

1 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful. 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.

2 This person loves what God teaches and spends time thinking about his word all through the day and night. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.

3 A person like that is like a tree growing right next to a river. It gives fruit when the time is right, and its leaves stay green and alive. Whatever that person does turns out well. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

The Fate of the Wicked

Study note

In contrast, the wicked are compared to chaff — the lightweight husks that blow away when grain is tossed in the wind. They have no stability and will not survive God's judgment. The psalm ends with a comforting truth: God watches over those who follow him.

4 People who do wrong are nothing like that. They are like dry shells of grain that get blown around by the wind. The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.

5 When the day of judgment comes, those who do wrong will not survive it. People who live in sin will have no place among those who live right. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

6 The Lord keeps a close eye on those who follow the right road, but the road that wrongdoers travel ends in total ruin. For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

Key Themes

Themes in Psalms 1

Two paths: righteousness and wickednessDelight in God's wordThe righteous as a fruitful treeThe fate of the wicked like chaff

Apply This Today

Living Psalms 1

Your daily choices shape the direction of your entire life. Psalm 1 invites you to plant yourself deeply in God's word, like a tree by streams of water. When you regularly soak in Scripture, you develop roots strong enough to bear fruit in every season — even the hard ones.

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