Christianity
Psalms 1The Two Ways
Summary
Psalm 1 contrasts two paths of life: the blessed person who avoids the counsel of the wicked and delights in God's law, meditating on it day and night, and the wicked, who are like chaff driven by the wind. The righteous are pictured as a tree planted by streams, bearing fruit in season. Untitled and brief, it serves as a gateway to the whole Psalter, framing prayer and praise around devotion to the Torah.
Key verse
“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.”
Psalms 1:1
Themes
- Two Paths
- Delight in the Law
- Meditation
- The Fruitful Tree
Text
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.
But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
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 ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.
Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.
Text: King James Version (1611/1769), public domain.
Across traditions
Islam
Surah Ibrahim (14): The Goodly TreeQuran 14:24 to 26 likens a good word to a goodly tree with firm roots and branches reaching heaven, giving fruit in every season, and a bad word to an uprooted tree. The image is close to Psalm 1, though the Quran applies it to speech and faith rather than to study of the law.
Buddhism
Dhammapada 1 to 20: The Twin VersesThe Dhammapada opens, like the Psalter, by setting two ways of living side by side, here the pure and the corrupted mind and the suffering or happiness that follow. It speaks of mind and consequence rather than of a divine law.
Christianity
Jeremiah 17: A Tree by the WatersJeremiah 17:7 to 8 blesses the one who trusts in the LORD as a tree planted by the waters, using nearly the same picture as Psalm 1:3.
Questions about Psalms 1
Why is Psalm 1 placed first in the Book of Psalms?
It has no title and reads like an introduction, presenting the choice between the way of the righteous and the way of the wicked. Many interpreters see it, often together with Psalm 2, as a preface to the entire collection.
What does it mean to meditate on the law day and night?
Psalm 1:2 describes continual, delighted reflection on God's teaching. The Hebrew verb suggests murmuring or reciting aloud, which fits the ancient practice of reading scripture under one's breath.