Psalm 1
Psalm 1 is the gateway to the Psalter, contrasting two ways to live: the blessed person who delights in God's law and the wicked who are like chaff. It frames the whole book as a choice between two paths.
The Book of Psalms · Old Testament · chapter 1 of 150.
Where this chapter sits
Grouped with the wisdom psalms rather than psalms of prayer or praise, Psalm 1 carries no musical notation or author's name, one of the few left anonymous by tradition, and its position looks deliberate, a preface placed to frame the whole collection. Its concern is formation, not crisis: instead of narrating a single event, it sorts every reader in advance into one of two trajectories, judged by what occupies the mind day and night.
Key verses (KJV)
“Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly.” — Psalm 1:1 (KJV)
What to notice as you read
Watch the word way, singular for the righteous and plural for the wicked, framing the poem from its first line to its last. The tree planted by water and the chaff the wind drives apart are opposite pictures of what has roots and what does not.
Read Psalm 1 on your iPhone
Read the full text of Psalm 1 in Quiethaven — choose your translation, read offline, and pick up where you left off. Pair it with a daily verse and a prayer timer.
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Frequently asked questions
Where does Psalm 1 come in Psalms?
It is chapter 1 of 150 in Psalms, a book of Wisdom in the Old Testament. The other widely-read chapters of Psalms are linked further down this page.
Where can I read Psalm 1?
Read the full text of Psalm 1 — and the whole Bible, offline, in your preferred translation — free in the Quiethaven app for iPhone.