Down to Earth But Heavenly Minded

What does Psalms Chapter 1 mean?

The book of Psalms contains 150 inspired songs, each referred to as a “psalm,” written mainly by King David. Fifty of the psalms are anonymous. Asaph, a worship leader and prophet, wrote twelve psalms. The sons of Korah wrote ten. King Solomon wrote two (Psalm 72; Psalm 127). It is thought that Heman (Psalm 88) and Ethan (Psalm 89) each wrote a psalm, and Moses also wrote one (Psalm 90). All 150 psalms are poetic works which offer praise to God. These cover a wide range of topics from joy to depression, from peace to persecution, from contemplation to confession, from praise to prophecy, from creation to coronation, and from anxiety to adoration.

This collection was known to the Jews as Sepher Telhillim, “Book of Praises.” Set to stringed instrumental accompaniment, Psalms became the hymnbook for temple worship. The Book of Psalms takes its place among the Old Testament’s poetic Books: Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon.

The Book of Psalms has five divisions. The first of these extends from Psalm 1 to Psalm 41 and relates to Genesis because of its recurring theme of creation. The second division extends from Psalm 42 to Psalm 72 and relates to Exodus because of its theme of redemption. Psalms 73 to 89 comprise the third division and relate to Leviticus because of their emphasis on worship. The fourth division is Psalm 90 to Psalm 106 and relates to Numbers with its many references to Israel’s wanderings in the desert. The fifth division extends from Psalm 107 to Psalm 150 and relates to Deuteronomy because of its emphasis on God’s Word.

Psalm 1 proclaims truths echoed in the book of Proverbs: that following the wisdom of God is the best and wisest way to live. Like Proverbs, this psalm declares that those who obey God’s teachings can avoid consequences arising from sin and disobedience.

Chapter Context
Psalm 1, typically ascribed to David, stresses the importance of ordering one’s life according to God’s Word. This emphasis sets the tone for the rest of the collection of psalms. Themes in this passage echo the early chapters of Proverbs, with an emphasis on seeking godly wisdom. Psalm 1‘s emphasis on meditation on and obedience to God’s Word parallels God’s instructions to Joshua when He commissioned Joshua to lead Israel into the Promised Land (Joshua 1:6–9). Its teaching about the blessing of obedient believers and the disastrous end of the wicked parallels the blessings and curses we read about in Deuteronomy 28. New Testament passages that emphasize the link between devotion to God’s Word and righteous living include Matthew 7:24–27; Colossians 3:16–17; 2 Timothy 3:16–17; James 1:19–25; and 2 Peter 1:19–21.

Verse by Verse

Verse 1. Blessed is the manwho walks not in the counsel of the wicked,nor stands in the way of sinners,nor sits in the seat of scoffers;

Psalm 1 begins by identifying the man who is blessed. The word “blessed” in the Hebrew Old Testament is actually a plural noun. Therefore, the words, “Blessed is the man,” may be rendered, “Blessings to the man.” Also, the word for “man” in this context refers to human beings in general. Blessings come to anyone who refuses to be influenced by the ungodly, those whose lives are governed by evil passions. The blessed person refuses to align with sinners: those who choose to do wrong. Further, they refuse to join the ranks of those who mock God, mock the righteous, or oppose whatever is virtuous.

This verse describes a downward spiral. First is willingness to be influenced by the ungodly, followed by entering into fellowship with them, followed by joining in their scornful attitudes and behavior. Christians today need to lead a righteous life, refusing to be influenced by godless attitudes. Despite the temptations of popularity or comfort, believers should not side with those who disdain God’s standards of righteousness. Ephesians 5:7–8 commands: “Therefore do not become partners with [the sons of disobedience]; for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.”

Context Summary
Psalm 1:1–3 teaches that those who properly respect God’s Word will enjoy spiritual prosperity and spiritual success. This first half of Psalm 1 stands in stark contrast to the second half. These words echo what God promised Joshua, if he would meditate upon God’s Word and obey it (Joshua 1:6–9). Psalm 119 also teaches the importance of devoting oneself to God’s Word and the blessings that accompany that obedience.

Verse 2. but his delight is in the law of the Lord,and on his law he meditates day and night.

This verse continues to describe the blessed man. Whereas verse 1 takes a negative tone (Psalm 1:1), this strikes a positive tone. Verse 1 describes what the blessed man does not do, verse 2 describes what he does. As in verse 1, the context here applies to all people, not only males or men.

The blessed person delights in the law of the Lord. The Hebrew word translated “delight” is related to a word that can mean “to bend.” The blessed person “bends” towards God. His or her inclination is to meditate on God’s Word. Instead of letting the words of the ungodly influence one’s thinking, a blessed person wants God’s words to influence his or her life. Reading and obeying the Scripture is extremely important to the blessed person. Such a person doesn’t merely give God’s Word a cursory reading or an occasional reading—he or she digs into it, whether it is daytime or nighttime.

Worthwhile meditation does not require a person to empty his or her mind. Scripture does not support the idea of self-emptying in meditation—godly meditation means filling the mind with Scripture. To meditate on Scripture involves pondering what the Bible teaches about God’s character. It involves thinking deeply about what His Word teaches about ourselves and others. As we meditate, we cherish the promises and precepts we find in the Bible, we heed its commands, we confront our sins and confess them, and we conform our thoughts to God’s thoughts.

The blessed person is not influenced by the words of the ungodly, but is deeply influenced by God’s words.

Verse 3. He is like a treeplanted by streams of waterthat yields its fruit in its season,and its leaf does not wither.In all that he does, he prospers.

Every fruit grower knows it would be unwise to plant a fruit tree in the middle of a desert, far from a water source. The tree’s leaves would wither, and the tree would never yield any fruit. For fruit trees to grow healthy and bear fruit, they must enjoy an abundant supply of water.

The blessed person—one who follows and considers the words of God (Psalm 1:1–2)— is like a tree planted by streams of water. They are spiritually healthy, vibrant, productive, and successful because they take advantage of an abundant supply of the water of God’s Word. In such a person’s life, the inspired Word becomes the illustrated Word—he or she obeys and lives out the truths of God’s Word. Blessed people bear the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (Galatians 5:22–23).

It should be noted that fruit does not grow as soon as a tree is planted, but the fruit will appear in season. The spiritually productive life is one of growth, and in due season the consistent watering with God’s Word will bear fruit. The main application here is spiritual—while earthly success is more likely when we follow truth, material prosperity is not guaranteed for all believers at all times.

Verse 4. The wicked are not so,but are like chaff that the wind drives away.

Scripture states emphatically that the wicked are unlike the blessed persons who relish God’s Word and are fruitful (Psalm 1:1–3). By contrast, the wicked resemble chaff that is blown away in the wind. Chaff refers to the husks of grain that are tossed into the wind and blown away in the winnowing process. Just as chaff is worthless, the ungodly lifestyle is worthless in God’s sight.

The Hebrew word for “wicked” describes people who do not belong to God and are controlled by their passions. They are totally depraved: every part of their being is tainted by sin. Because of this, they are incapable of doing anything that has eternal value in God’s sight.

This is the natural condition of all people, until they submit to Christ. Romans 3:10 declares, “None is righteous, no, not one,” and Romans 3:12 says, “All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” According to Romans 3:18, “There is no fear of God before their eyes,” and Romans 3:23 says categorically that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Fortunately, God provides a way for sinners to be redeemed, as given in Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Although a wicked person may perform kind deeds occasionally, God does not consider those deeds to be eternally worthwhile.

Context Summary
Psalm 1:4–6 presents a striking contrast between wicked and blessed people. The blessed person leads a life anchored in the Word of God, which is therefore spiritually productive in God’s sight. The lives of the wicked are unproductive in God’s sight. The lifestyle of the wicked is as unstable and valueless as chaff. The destiny of the wicked is damnation. This contrast is reinforced by Jesus’ words about the narrow way and the broad way (Matthew 7:13–14). The narrow way leads to eternal life, but the broad way that many choose leads to eternal death. Revelation 20:1–15 discloses what is involved in this destruction.

Verse 5. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;

When God judges the righteous and the wicked, He will separate the two groups. The righteous will “stand” in His presence, which in this case is contrasted with those who “fall” in the presence of God. Those who fall are the wicked, who will be sentenced to eternal punishment.

Jesus foretold a time when He will separate the sheep from the goats, likewise meaning the righteous from the unrighteous (Matthew 25:31–33). He will welcome the sheep—those who are blessed by the Father—to enter His kingdom (Matthew 25:34). However, He will tell the goats, the unrighteous, “Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41).

Here, in this psalm, Scripture declares that sinners, meaning those who go against God, will be excluded from the congregation of the righteous. The congregation of the righteous may refer to Israel as opposed to the heathen or to faithful Israelites as opposed to the unfaithful Israelites who spurned God’s covenant by breaking His laws.

No one can violate God’s commandments and refuse to repent without incurring God’s wrath. Since all people are guilty of sin (Romans 3:10), only those who accept Christ can be declared free from that penalty of sin (John 3:16–18). Though we all once fit into the category of “wicked” or “sinners” as used in Psalm 1 (Ephesians 2:1–3), God made a way for us to become His children and be counted among the righteous—Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:4–9; 2 Corinthians 5:21; John 1:12). All who put their faith in Him will be saved (Romans 10:9–13).

Verse 6. for the Lord knows the way of the righteous,but the way of the wicked will perish.

This verse contrasts two ways: the way of the righteous and the way of the wicked. Neither way escapes God’s all-seeing eye (Hebrews 4:13). The word “way,” in this context, represents lifestyle. The righteous pursue a lifestyle of meditating upon God’s Word and obeying it. Consequently, they produce spiritual fruit (Psalm 1:1–3). The wicked pursue a lifestyle in which evil passions control them. Consequently, they are spiritually unproductive and their lifestyle is worthless—it adds nothing of value—in God’s sight (Psalm 1:4).

God knows who is righteous and who is unrighteous. He rewards the righteous but punishes the wicked. He examines the heart, so no hypocrite can fool Him. Jesus related the story of a tax collector and a Pharisee who prayed in the temple. The publican acknowledged his sin and asked for forgiveness. The Pharisee hypocritically boasted to God about his so-called good deeds, but he did not fool God. Jesus concluded that only the tax collector returned home justified—brought into a right relationship with God (Luke 18:9–14).

End of Psalm 1.

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