Psalms — Chapter 1
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1Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, or set foot on the path of sinners, or sit in the seat of mockers.
2But his delight is in the Law of the LORD, and on His law he meditates day and night.
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.
6For the LORD guards the path of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.
1Blessed 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.
2But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
3And 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.
4The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.
5Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
6For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.
1Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the wicked, Nor standeth in the way of sinners, Nor sitteth in the seat of scoffers:
2But his delight is in the law of Jehovah; And on his law doth he meditate day and night.
3And he shall be like a tree planted by the streams of water, That bringeth forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also doth not wither; And whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
4The wicked are not so, But are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.
5Therefore the wicked shall not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
6For Jehovah knoweth the way of the righteous; But the way of the wicked shall perish. Psalm 2
1How 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.
2Instead he finds pleasure in obeying the Lord’s commands; he meditates on his commands day and night.
3He 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.
4Not so with the wicked! Instead they are like wind-driven chaff.
5For this reason the wicked cannot withstand judgment, nor can sinners join the assembly of the godly.
6Certainly the Lord guards the way of the godly, but the way of the wicked ends in destruction.
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 Yahweh’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 Yahweh knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked shall perish.
Summary
A wisdom psalm opening the Psalter, contrasting two ways of life. The blessed person avoids the counsel of the wicked and instead delights in and meditates on God's instruction (vv. 1-2), growing like a tree planted by flowing water that bears fruit and does not wither (v. 3). The wicked have no such stability; they are compared to chaff that the wind blows away and will not survive God's judgment or stand among the righteous (vv. 4-5). The psalm closes with its central claim: the LORD watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to ruin (v. 6).
Authorship & Background
Commentary
- Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com Verse-by-verse commentary on this chapter, written for the everyday reader and freely available online.
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown (1871): blueletterbible.org A critical and explanatory commentary on the whole Bible, more concise than Matthew Henry and closer to the Hebrew and Greek, with attention to historical and geographical detail. Public domain.
- Matthew Henry's Exposition (1710): blueletterbible.org A devotional verse-by-verse commentary in the Puritan tradition, still among the most widely read three centuries on. Public domain.
Videos
Articles
- GotQuestions.org: gotquestions.org On the whole book: an overview of Psalms -- who wrote it, when, why, and how it fits the rest of Scripture.
Links open on the publisher's own site. Nothing here is reproduced on this page.
Reflection
- The Progression of Sin (v.1) — The blessed man's path is described by what he avoids: walking, then standing, then sitting with the wicked. Sin rarely arrives all at once — it starts with a casual association that becomes a settled identity. Where might you be walking toward something you'd never deliberately sit down in?
- Delight Over Duty (v.2) — The righteous person isn't defined merely by what he refuses but by what he loves — meditating on God's Word day and night. Is your relationship with Scripture driven by delight, or does it feel like an obligation?
- Steady Fruit, Constant Life (v.3) — The tree planted by water doesn't bear fruit every season, but its leaf never withers — vitality persists even when visible results don't. Can you trust that God is still at work in you during a season that doesn't feel productive?
- The Weightlessness of the Wicked (v.4) — Chaff looks like grain from a distance but has no substance and is blown away by the wind. What are you building your life on that might look solid now but has no lasting weight?
- Known by God (v.6) — The Lord "knows" the way of the righteous — not mere awareness but intimate, protective attention, while the way of the wicked simply perishes. Do you live as someone who is truly known and watched over by God?