Psalms 1:4 (KJV)

Passage

The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.

Nearby Context

Psalms 1:2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.

Psalms 1:3 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.

Psalms 1:4 The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.

Psalms 1:5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

Psalms 1:6 For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "ungodly", "like", "chaff", "wind", "driveth", and "away". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "ungodly" and "like", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 3's "And he shall be like a tree..." into verse 5's "Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in...", so "ungodly" and "like" 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 "ungodly" and "like" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.