Why read Psalm 1? What is the interpretation of the Psalm of David and what do its verses mean? You can listen online or read the text of the prayer Psalm 1 in Russian on our website.
1 Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, and does not stand in the way of sinners, and does not sit in the seat of the wicked, 2 but his will is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night! 3 And he will be like a tree planted by streams of water, which brings forth its fruit in its season, and whose leaf does not wither; and in everything he does, he will succeed. 4 Not so are the wicked, [not so]: but they are like dust swept away by the wind [from the face of the earth]. 5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. 6 For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.
Psalm of David about what a husband (man) should be
Reading the first Psalm is necessary for those who want to know how God sees the behavior of a righteous person - a person who wants to please the will of the Almighty. From the Psalm you can learn what God promises to those who live in accordance with God's laws and commandments. The Psalm makes a comparison between the righteous and the sinner. At the end of the chapter, what awaits each of this category of people in the future is described. What should lead the reader to think about what to choose in life. Follow God's ways and commandments or choose your own, seemingly correct, path.
Detailed interpretation
The first Psalm of the Old Testament can be divided into 5 parts:
- A description of what a godly man is like and how he conducts himself in daily life (verses 1-2).
- The blessing that God promises to the person described in the first part (verse 3).
- Description of the wicked man and comparison of him to dust (verse 4).
- The punishment that awaits the sinner (verse 5).
- The fate of the righteous and the wicked (verse 6).
The division is conditional, made in order to better understand the meaning of the Psalm and its main idea.
Part 1 – Conduct of a Godly Husband
Verse 1
The word “blessed” means complete happiness, joy that knows no bounds. You can often hear people who have mental or mental disabilities being called “blessed.” That is why the understanding of this word has been distorted in the thinking of most people. Blissful doesn't mean stupid. The word implies a person who is truly happy.
The word “husband” does not mean a person who entered into a legal relationship with a woman and became her husband. This is a male person. Although the entire Psalm can safely be applied to women. Because further in the text there is a comparison of the sinner and the righteous in behavior. The first and second can be a woman, who is also capable of choosing her own path and line of behavior.
“Do not go into the meeting of the wicked” - do not confer with those who are sinners. A wicked person is a person who insults something sacred and pure. Those who consult such a person soon begin to do the same. Man always influences man. This also happens on a subconscious level. How spouses who have lived together for many years begin to copy each other’s facial expressions and gestures. So are people, friends, acquaintances who, without realizing it, first begin to repeat each other’s words, and then copy their behavior. Their thoughts begin to “converge”
“Do not sit in the congregation of a wicked person” - do not spend time with those who are corrupt. A corrupter is a dissolute person who violates the norms of public morality. This mainly concerns the area of sexual relations. When men sit and discuss either their wives or women in general, they talk about them in a lustful way. A righteous person does not participate in such conversations and does not support such conversations. For him this is disgusting.
There are no parallel verses of Scripture.
Verse 2
“In the law of the Lord is his will” - a person chooses to follow God’s commandments, and not what most people do. His will is to do what is written in the Bible. Despite the fact that his acquaintances and friends do not support him in this, but choose to consult with the wicked and spend time with the corrupters. Perhaps they themselves are such people. God has awarded every person with a will with which he has the right to choose how to live and act every day. On this basis, the righteous chooses God's path and agrees with His providence.
Parallel Scripture Verse:
- Joshua 1:8 – the Bible must be read day and night, so that it does not leave the eyes and lips of the one who studies it. This is necessary in order to accurately fulfill what is written in it. Only a person will be successful in his ways and all his actions will be prudent.
Part 2 – The Blessing That Awaits the Godly Man
Verse 3
The righteous person is compared to a tree that is “planted by streams of water,” that is, growing near a lake (river, sea), which is very important for its saturation. Without water, any plant dies. Such a tree is fruitful and its fruits ripen on time - not too early and not too late. The leaves of the plant are juicy and green and do not fade. The tree smells fragrant, enjoys the wind, sun and water. It is content and happy.
The one who listens to the Lord and follows His ways feels the same way. “In everything he does, he will succeed” - in any event he is accompanied by good luck and luck. Everything works out in his hands. There are no difficulties in any activity that does not contradict the commandments of the Lord. A good promise that promises success, both materially and in any other way.
Parallel Scripture Verse:
- Jeremiah 17:8 – a tree takes root near water and is not afraid of heat or drought. Its fruits ripen constantly.
Part 3 – Comparing the Wicked Man to Dust
Verse 4
If in the third verse the righteous man was compared to a tree that grows and does not know troubles and hardships, then here the sinner appears in the form of dust. Ashes are dust, something insignificant and of little value. A huge difference. “Dust blown away by the wind” is the wicked, who is blown to one side and then to the other. He knows no peace, has no roots like a tree, does not have time to enjoy life - he rises, falls, rushes from side to side.
Parallel Scriptures
- Job 21:18 – the sinner is compared to a straw that is carried away by the wind;
- Psalm 34:5 – The dust is blown up by the wind, and the Angel of the Lord drives it away from him;
- Isaiah 29:5 – The enemies of a righteous man are compared to fine dust that scatters instantly.
Part 4 – Punishment for Sinners
Verse 5
“Therefore they will not stand” - the wicked will not be able to stand firm and hold accountable for their actions. They had no root or foundation. They didn’t understand why they acted, how they acted. “They will not stand in judgment... in the assembly of the righteous” - they will not be able to be among sinless people. They will not have a lawyer at trial. Their lives themselves will testify against them.
There are no parallel scripture verses.
Part 5 – What awaits the sinner and the righteous
Verse 6
It is described that the sinner and the righteous have their own path. Everyone lived as they saw fit. However, the path of one who followed God's ways and commandments is known to God because everything he did was “before” Him. But the path of the wicked will “perish,” that is, it will not have success and no good result. Very often a person, rejecting God in his life, lives and does not suspect that after his death no one will appreciate everything that he has acquired. The heirs can quickly squander his savings and any material goods. And the result of the life of a righteous person will influence generations to come even after death, because God blesses him.
There are no parallel scripture verses.
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Psalm 1 Psalm to David. 1. Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, and does not stand in the way of sinners, and does not sit in the seats of destroyers: 2. But in the law of the Lord is his will, and in his law will he learn for the day and night. h. And it shall be like a tree planted by the going out of the waters, which shall yield its fruit in its season, and its leaf shall not fall off: and all that is yet created shall prosper. 4. Not like wickedness, not like that: but like dust, the wind will sweep it away from the face of the earth. 5. For this reason the wicked will not rise to judgment, lowering sinners into the council of the righteous. 6. For the Lord preaches the way of the righteous, and the way of the wicked will perish. 1. Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, and does not stand in the way of sinners, and does not sit in the seat of the wicked, 2. but his will is in the law of the Lord, and he meditates on His law day and night! 3. And he will be like a tree planted by streams of water, which brings forth its fruit in its season, and whose leaf does not wither; and in everything he does, he will succeed. 4. Not so - the wicked; but they are like dust blown by the wind. 5. Therefore the wicked will not stand in judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. 6. For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish. *If a guy leads a riotous lifestyle, drinks, cheats on his wife, then do the following: on a small strip of white paper, write the first three verses of the first psalm. On the reverse side write the name “JOSEPH”, and under it the name of the person being bewitched. Light a church candle. Read the first psalm forty times, dripping candle wax onto the paper after each reading. Afterwards, extinguish the candle, roll the paper into a roll and sew this roll into the pillow of the person being bewitched. Take the remaining candle either to church and light it “for health,” or burn it out at home for three days, while reading the first psalm 12 times. It’s good if during the main ritual there is an icon of Joseph of Arimathea nearby. * If you have moved to a new place of residence, then read the third verse 40 times for 9 or 12 days before going to bed. At the same time, they light a church candle, which is not extinguished, allowing it to burn out completely after reading the verse. This will help you succeed in your new place. * If one of the people is plotting intrigues and dirty tricks on you, then get his photograph. When there is wind, go outside, tear up the photograph and throw the pieces into the wind, while reading the last three verses. The enemy will stop bothering you. Anyone who wants to pull their husband, child or loved one out of such addictions as playing slot machines, cards, betting and other destructive hobbies should read this psalm on water 40 times and do so for three days. One and the same water. Then this water needs to be added a little at a time to the person’s food and drink, as well as sprinkled on his clothes and shoes. The person’s interest in these hobbies will begin to fade. If you rewrite the first psalm three times on one sheet of paper and then take it with you to negotiations with your superiors or an important meeting, then the outcome will be positive for you. The first psalm read at sunset in your home five times provides protection from ruin, poverty, need and other negativity, and also attracts prosperity and wealth to your home. The first psalm is read by those who want to complete any task successfully. To do this, this psalm is read at sunrise and sunset 4 times. Then everything will be resolved very successfully. If you want your enemy to lose or be defeated in some matter, then write his name 41 times on a piece of paper, then burn the sheet and mix the ashes with soil from three yards. Read this psalm 9 times for this mixture and pour the mixture at the crossroads. All the deeds of your enemy will go to waste and dust. He who reads this psalm 12 times on the first day of any month will have success in all his affairs and endeavors. If you put the rewritten psalm behind the icons in the house or place it in the house above the threshold, then evil and unkind people will not come to you. Harm will bypass your home. Psalm 2 Psalm to David. 1. Are the nations tottering everywhere, and people having learned in vain? 2. The king of the earth appeared, and the princes gathered together against the Lord and against his Christ. 3. Let us break their bonds and cast away their yoke from us. 4. He who lives in heaven will laugh at them, and the Lord will mock them. 5. Then I will cry out to them with my wrath and I will trample with my rage: 6. And I am the King appointed by him over Zion, his holy mountain, 7. The one who proclaimed led The Word of the Lord. The Lord spoke to me: You are my son, who today begat you: 8. Ask of me, and I will give these tongues your inheritance, and your possession over the ends of the earth: 9. Save my life with an iron crowbar, as if I had crushed the vessels of the meager. 10. And now, O king, understand, be punished, all you who judge the earth. 11. Work for the Lord with fear, and rejoice in it with trembling. 12. Accept punishment, lest the Lord become angry, and perish from the righteous path, when his wrath quickly flares up: blessed are all who hope for now. Psalm of David. 1. Why do peoples rebel, and nations plot vain things? 2. The kings of the earth rise up, and the princes take counsel together against the Lord and against His Anointed. 3. “Let us break their bonds, and cast off their fetters from us.” 4. He who lives in heaven will laugh; the Lord will mock him. 5. Then He will say to them in His anger and dismay them with His wrath: 6. “I have anointed My King over Zion, My holy mountain; 7. I will declare the decree: The Lord said to Me: You are My Son; Today I have given birth to You; 8. Ask of Me, and I will give the nations for Your inheritance and the ends of the earth for Your possession. 9. You will strike them with a rod of iron; You will break them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.” 10. Therefore, understand, O kings; learn, judges of the earth! 11. Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling. 12. Honor the Son, lest He be angry, and lest you perish on [your] journey, for His anger will soon kindle. Blessed are all who trust in Him. *Reading this psalm gives greatness among the people. *The psalm will also protect against the deceit of the enemies fighting against you. *If you engrave the third verse on the inside of the ring, and then rub the ring with the juice of the herbs yarrow and nettle, then when you wear it you will gain great power. *If you read the second psalm once and then the third verse another forty times, which is repeated 12 days in a row on the waning moon, you will be able to get out of the vicious circle of unfavorable life events. *If you become aware that your enemies have planned bad things against you, then use verses 4, 5 and 6 - this will prevent the enemy’s plans from coming true. *If you recite the twelfth verse forty times on a handful of salt, and then dissolve it in water and completely wash yourself in it, then you will be cleansed of the evil eye, mental torment and obsessive thoughts. *If you stick a needle into the doorframe of the house of your enemies, while reciting the ninth verse, you will thereby cast a spell on your household.
Brief interpretation
The first Psalm can be briefly interpreted as follows:
- A person who is truly happy does not sit with those who have corrupt conversations, does not consult with them or accept their point of view,
- He thinks only about God’s commandments and how to please the Lord, he thinks about this constantly - day and night,
- He is comparable to a tree that knows no need for water, sun, or nutrition, green, lush, in the very prime of its strength,
- The sinner is like dust - a substance that has no value.
- Therefore, the wicked cannot stand in judgment and cannot sit with righteous people.
- God knows how the righteous and the sinner lived. But the path of a person who tried to live according to God’s laws is known to Him. And the path that the sinner has chosen will not be successful. The end of such a life always leads a person to disappointment and the understanding that all the days have passed before his eyes aimlessly.
The first Psalm consists of 6 verses and 6 sentences. Found on page 569 of the Bible. King David performed the first Psalm.
