Psalm 1 · KJV
Psalm 1
The Two Ways
Psalm 1 contrasts two ways to live: the person who delights in God's word is like a fruitful, well-watered tree, while the one who ignores it is like chaff blown away. It opens the whole book of Psalms with a call to root life in Scripture.
Psalm 1 (KJV)
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.
What Psalm 1 means
The "blessed" person is defined first by what they avoid — the counsel of the ungodly — and then by what they love: the law of the LORD, meditated on "day and night." The result is the psalm's famous picture: "a tree planted by the rivers of water," bearing fruit in season, its leaf never withering.
Against that stands the ungodly, "like the chaff which the wind driveth away" — rootless and weightless. Psalm 1 is the doorway to the Psalter, framing everything that follows as a choice between two paths and two futures.
Key verses
“But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.”
Psalm 1:2 · KJV — Delight and meditation in God's word.
“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.”
Psalm 1:3 · KJV — The tree by the rivers of water.
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A prayer from Psalm 1
Lord, make me like a tree planted by Your streams. Give me delight in Your word and roots that go deep, so that in every season I bear fruit and do not wither. Amen.
Themes in this passage
Related passages
Frequently asked
What does Psalm 1 mean?
Psalm 1 contrasts two ways to live: the person who delights in God's word is like a fruitful, well-watered tree, while the one who ignores it is like chaff blown away. It opens the whole book of Psalms with a call to root life in Scripture.
What is Psalm 1 about?
The "blessed" person is defined first by what they avoid — the counsel of the ungodly — and then by what they love: the law of the LORD, meditated on "day and night." The result is the psalm's famous picture: "a tree planted by the rivers of water," bearing fruit in season, its leaf never withering.
What is the key verse in Psalm 1?
Psalm 1:2 — “But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.”
Is Psalm 1 in the King James Version?
Yes. The full text of Psalm 1 on this page is the King James Version (KJV), which is in the public domain.