Psalms 1:3 (WEB)

Passage

He will be like a tree planted by the streams of water, that produces its fruit in its season, whose leaf also does not wither. Whatever he does shall prosper.

Nearby Context

Psalms 1:1 Blessed is the man who doesn’t walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand on the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers;

Psalms 1:2 but his delight is in Yahweh’s law. On his law he meditates day and night.

Psalms 1:3 He will be like a tree planted by the streams of water, that produces its fruit in its season, whose leaf also does not wither. Whatever he does shall prosper.

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

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

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "like", "tree", "planted", "streams", "water", "produces", "fruit", and "season". 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 Yahweh s..." into verse 4's "The wicked are not so but are...", 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.