Psalm 1:2
ESV
but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.
NIV
but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night.
NASB
But his delight is in the Law of the Lord, And on His Law he meditates day and night.
CSB
Instead, his delight is in the Lord’s instruction, and he meditates on it day and night.
NLT
But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night.
KJV
But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
NKJV
But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night.
What does Psalm 1:2 mean?
This verse continues to describe the blessed man. Whereas verse 1 takes a negative tone (Psalm 1:1), this strikes a positive tone. Verse 1 describes what the blessed man does not do, verse 2 describes what he does. As in verse 1, the context here applies to all people, not only males or men.The blessed person delights in the law of the Lord. The Hebrew word translated "delight" is related to a word that can mean "to bend." The blessed person "bends" towards God. His or her inclination is to meditate on God's Word. Instead of letting the words of the ungodly influence one's thinking, a blessed person wants God's words to influence his or her life. Reading and obeying the Scripture is extremely important to the blessed person. Such a person doesn't merely give God's Word a cursory reading or an occasional reading—he or she digs into it, whether it is daytime or nighttime.
Worthwhile meditation does not require a person to empty his or her mind. Scripture does not support the idea of self-emptying in meditation—godly meditation means filling the mind with Scripture. To meditate on Scripture involves pondering what the Bible teaches about God's character. It involves thinking deeply about what His Word teaches about ourselves and others. As we meditate, we cherish the promises and precepts we find in the Bible, we heed its commands, we confront our sins and confess them, and we conform our thoughts to God's thoughts.
The blessed person is not influenced by the words of the ungodly, but is deeply influenced by God's words.
Psalm 1:1–3 teaches that those who properly respect God's Word will enjoy spiritual prosperity and spiritual success. This first half of Psalm 1 stands in stark contrast to the second half. These words echo what God promised Joshua, if he would meditate upon God's Word and obey it (Joshua 1:6–9). Psalm 119 also teaches the importance of devoting oneself to God's Word and the blessings that accompany that obedience.
This psalm begins by describing the man who is blessed. He doesn't keep company with a bad crowd. Furthermore, the Word of God governs his thought life. Both day and night he thinks about what God has disclosed in His Word. He thoroughly enjoys spending time in reading and pondering God's Word. His devotion to Scripture produces fruit in his life. In a spiritual sense, he is like a tree whose roots are nourished by a stream. He enjoys vitality and success. His life of blessing and productivity stands in stark contrast to the lives of the wicked. What their lives produce is as worthless as the chaff that the wind blows away. When God separates His people from the wicked, the wicked will fall in the judgment. The Lord is fully aware of the lifestyle of His righteous people as well as the lifestyle of the wicked, so His judgment will be just. The Lord will sentence the wicked to eternal perdition.
