Psalms 1:4 (GNV)

Passage

The wicked are not so, but as the chaffe, which the winde driueth away.

Nearby Context

Psalms 1:2 But his delite is in the Lawe of the Lord, and in his Lawe doeth he meditate day and night.

Psalms 1:3 For he shall be like a tree planted by the riuers of waters, that will bring foorth her fruite in due season: whose leafe shall not fade: so whatsoeuer he shall doe, shall prosper.

Psalms 1:4 The wicked are not so, but as the chaffe, which the winde driueth away.

Psalms 1:5 Therefore the wicked shall not stande in the iudgement, nor sinners in the assemblie of the righteous.

Psalms 1:6 For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous, and the way of the wicked shall perish.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "wicked", "chaffe", "winde", "driueth", and "away". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "wicked" and "chaffe", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 3's "For he shall be like a tree..." into verse 5's "Therefore the wicked shall not stande in...", so "wicked" and "chaffe" belong inside that flow. In Psalms context, the local focus is worship, trust, the LORD's kingship, and covenant mercy.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "wicked" and "chaffe" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.