Psalms 1:3 (LSB)

Passage

And he will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers.

Nearby Context

Psalms 1:1 How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the way of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!

Psalms 1:2 But his delight is in the law of Yahweh, And in His law he meditates day and night.

Psalms 1:3 And he will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers.

Psalms 1:4 The wicked are not so, But they are like chaff which the wind drives away.

Psalms 1:5 Therefore the wicked will not rise in the judgment, Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "like", "tree", "firmly", "planted", "streams", "water", "yields", and "fruit". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "like" and "tree", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 2's "But his delight is in the law..." into verse 4's "The wicked are not so But they...", so "like" and "tree" 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 "like" and "tree" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.