Have you ever wondered what the first psalm in the KJV Bible is and what it means? We have asked ourselves this same question and that is why today we bring you Psalm 1 analyzed and commented. Let’s take a look at it!
Psalm 1 complete KJV
Psalm 1 speaks of the two options that people have in life, a choice that is summed up in the following question:to be a good personor a bad person? Thanks to this psalm you will be able to identify more easily the good from the evil and you will see how God rewards those people who work with good.
In addition, Psalm 1 has a great significant burden, much greater than most of the other psalms. Although it is a short psalm, the literary beauty of the composition and the power of its words make it a very special text in its category, in addition to the fact that it heads the biblical book to which it belongs.
Therefore, we recommend that, before you start, you find a relaxed place away from outside noise so that you can reflect more deeply. Likewise, having a prayer group can also help you to live more intensely the Word of God.
Psalm 1 complete in English and large print
Below, you will find Psalm 1 of the Bible in English and in large enough print so that everyone can read it without difficulty.
We have chosen the psalm from the King James version of the Bible, which has the best translations of the texts.
1 Blessed is the man who has not walked in the counsel of the wicked,
Nor was he in the way of sinners,
Not even in a scoffers chair has he sat down;
2 But in the law of the LORD is his delight,
And on his law he meditates day and night.
3 It shall be like a tree planted by streams of water,
That bears its fruit in its time,
And its leaf does not fall;
And whatever it does, it will prosper.
4 Not so the bad ones,
Which are like chaff that the wind snatches away.
5 Therefore, the wicked shall not rise up in judgment,
Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
6 For Jehovah knows the way of the righteous;
But the path of the wicked shall perish.
Meaning of Psalm 1 commentary verse by verse
After this introduction, we will analyze Psalm 1 verse by verse.
- Verse 1
“Blessed is the man who has not walked in the counsel of the wicked,
Nor was he in the way of sinners,
Nor in the chair of scoffers has he sat down;”
These are the first words we find in the Book of Psalms, and they summarize Christian conduct in a few sentences.
Those who follow the path of good, that is, the path of God, will be happy. The Lord teaches us what is good and evil, and those of us who choose to live with the former will find true happiness.
- Verse 2
“But in the law of the LORD is his delight,
And on his law he meditates day and night.”
In this second verse, the author shows us how the righteous find joy, satisfaction and happiness in the Word of God and not in other worldly pleasures. That is why the righteous reflect on the Holy Scriptures and prayer is not an obligation but a voluntary act that brings us happiness.
- Verse 3
“It will be like a tree planted by streams of water,
That bears its fruit in its time,
And its leaf does not fall;
And whatever he does, it will prosper.”
In verse 3, this first part of the psalm, in which the acts of the righteous have been highlighted, culminates.
Here we find a beautiful metaphor that tells you that those of us who follow God’s way will live a prosperous and fulfilled life. This should not be confused with having a life full of material wealth. The righteous will prosper in that which truly matters such as love and happiness.
- Verse 4
“Not so the bad ones,
Which are like chaff that the wind snatches away.”
From here, we find the consequences of leading a life in sin, away from the wonderful providence of God. The chaff is the outermost layer of the grain and must be removed to produce flour. Thus, everything we find in the life of sinners is ephemeral and fragile.
- Verse 5
“Therefore, the wicked shall not rise up in judgment,
Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.”
Although sinners have the opportunity to become righteous thanks to God’s love and the Holy Scriptures, those people who continue on the ungodly path will perish away from the happy lives of the righteous.
- Verse 6
“For the LORD knows the way of the righteous;
But the path of the wicked shall perish.”
The last verse of this psalm is a summary of what was said above. Those who follow the way of the Lord will be protected by Him and need fear nothing. The others must try to convert or nothing good awaits them living in sin.
Biblical context to Psalm 1
We hope that after reading and listening to Psalm 1 you have been able to appreciate the great meaning it has and especially the literary beauty of the text.
Now, we will go a little deeper to discover all the beauty and meaning of this psalm by analyzing it verse by verse. Before this, we will give you a short introduction to the text to better understand it.
Like almost all the psalms you will find in the bible, we find Psalm 1 in the Old Testament Book of Psalms, being this the first one we find. There is no consensus as to why this text is the first we find in the Book of Psalms, although there is no doubt that it is a text worthy of heading this great book.
The author of the text is also unknown and it is noteworthy that, unlike the rest of the psalms, it has no title. So much so that, in some versions of the Bible, it is not considered a chapter in itself but rather a prologue that introduces the Book of Psalms. This does not mean that it should be considered less important, since, as we have said, it has a very powerful meaning.
The main theme of Psalm 1 is the contrast between the way of the righteous and the wicked. To enhance this sensation of walking and transit, the author used a beautiful resource: the psalm begins with the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet and ends with the last letter. This resource appears on countless occasions in Christianity, making a simile with our path, which begins and ends in God.
Psalm 1 song
The metaphor of the righteous and prosperous tree found in verse 3 appears on another occasion in the Catholic Bible. This time in the book of the prophet Jeremiah:
For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which by the waterside shall cast down its roots, and shall not see when heat cometh, but its leaf shall be green; and in the year of drought it shall not be weary, neither shall it cease from yielding fruit. (Jeremiah 17:8)
There is not much more information in Psalm 1 that is worth noting.
Even so, today we bring you the musical composition of the psalm from “The Psalms Project”. This English-speaking group has dedicated itself to making a song with each psalm of the Book of Psalms , achieving a wonderful result. Enjoy this beautiful song!
So much for this article on Psalm 1 of the Bible! We hope we have answered your questions about this psalm and that you have been able to enjoy a close contact with Our Lord. We also recommend you to read the article on Isaiah 41-10 or Psalm 7… We say goodbye for today and see you in the next article!