Psalm 1 in the Context of the Bible, Pt 1

The purpose of these notes is to explain briefly in a few points why I believe that the Psalm 1 man is a specific man, as well as to show connections in Psalm 1 to Genesis 3:15 and the development of the Seed promise as first revealed in Genesis 3:15.

An Israelite King

First, there are indications in Psalm 1:2 that this man is a king; not just any king, but an Israelite king. That he has obeyed the commands in Deuteronomy 17:14-20 to write his own copy of the law/instruction/torah, that it is definitely with him and that he is surely reading it all the days of his life. So there are the connections with the words “תוֹרָה/instruction/teaching” (wrongly translated as “law”) and “יוֹמ/day” between Psalm 1:2 and Deuteronomy 17. He reads the torah/instruction all the days of his life, he meditates on this instruction by day and night. Both texts emphasize the adherence of an individual to be personally saturating himself with YHWH’s instruction/torah all the time.

The term תוֹרָה/instruction is often used to refer to the first five books of the Bible (Joshua 8:31, 32; 23:6; 1 Kings 2:3; 2 Kings 23:25; Ezra 7:6; Nehemiah 8:1; Daniel 9:11; Malachi 4:4; also in the New Testament: Luke 24:44, Acts 28:23, 1 Corinthians 9:9). The first five books reveal YHWH’s person, His plan, and Israel’s place in that plan; in which are the instructions, commands, judgments, statutes for the nation of Israel which the king of Israel must know by heart in order to be faithful to obey YHWH his God and submit to the commands in Deuteronomy 17 for the king.

Another thing is that not everyone in ancient Israel had their own copy of the instruction of YHWH. Psalm 1:2 strongly implies that the man has his own copy of the Scriptures, or at the very least that he has constant access to one. Which would fit perfectly if this man were a king of Israel who has obeyed/is obeying the commands for the king in Deuteronomy 17.

Not only this, but Psalm 1:2 is referencing Joshua 1:8; David is using very similar language from Joshua 1:8, and in one place even quoting it. In Joshua 1:8 YHWH is instructing Joshua and commissioning him for what he is to do as essentially the new Moses. Joshua’s function was like a king. Joshua wasn’t a king, wasn’t called a king, but his function in the Israelite nation was as a king. YHWH is preparing him to do the work that YHWH has appointed for him. And one of the requirements is this: “‘This book of the law/instruction/torah shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way successful, and then you will be prosperous” (v. 8).

There are several links here between Joshua 1:8 and Psalm 1:2-3. Obviously תורה/torah/instruction, the verb meditate/הגה, the preposition meditating on/ב torah, the whole phrase by day and night/יוֹמָם וָלָיְלָה, and lastly the connection to Psalm 1:3 in the term “prosper”, translated in Joshua as successful/צלח. And also the noun דרך/way appears in Joshua 1:8 and Psalm 1:1, 6.

The purpose of meditating on YHWH’s torah/instruction by day and night to succeed/prosper is (according to Dt 17 and Jsh 1:8) to keep it fully so that the king/Joshua will do their duty according as YHWH wants them to do it. Namely: to be the king of Israel, or to lead Israel through the conquest. So it seems that by referencing these two texts, the psalmist is implying that this man is ready, is prepared, is actively doing the work of the king of Israel according to the word and will of YHWH. Also from this we can conclude that this man of Psalm 1 either is Joshua, or rather is one like Joshua who is submitting to YHWH’s will in meditating on His instruction by day and night in order to lead Israel in another conquest.

The reason why this man being an Israelite king is significant is based on 1) the Scriptures developing the Seed promise of Genesis 3:15, which reveal that this Seed will be a king from Israel, and 2) verse 3 of Psalm 1 has very significant language in it reminiscent of the Garden of Eden in Genesis 2-3. Which corresponds with the terminology of “seed”/זֶרַע, the promised “Seed” of the woman who will be the Israelite King having dominion over the earth.

The Promise of the Seed who will be King

The promise in Genesis 3:15 of a Seed was already set within a kingdom context; I wrote a paper in 2025 explaining that (God’s Promise of a Savior). But here’s a brief tracing of the line of the Seed: this one shall be a king because this one will have dominion, he will succeed where Adam failed (Genesis 1:26, 28)—the Hebrew verb translated “rule” or “have dominion” (רדה) isn’t used very often, and it’s used several times in very Messianic, kingly contexts (Numbers 24:19; Psalm 72:8; 110:2). This One shall come through Noah and his sons (Genesis 6:17-18; 7:1; 9:8-9), through Noah’s son Shem (Genesis 9:25-27; 11:10-26); this One shall come through Abraham (12:1-3; 15:18; 17:19; 28:14). YHWH continued the promise of this seed line through Abraham in Genesis 12:7. Abraham’s line is a promised royal line (“kings will go forth from you”—Gn 17:6). This One shall come through Isaac not Ishmael, through Jacob/Israel not Esau. This one will come through Judah and will be a king: “‘The scepter shall not depart from Judah, / Nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, / Until Shiloh comes, / And to him shall be the obedience of the peoples’” (Genesis 49:10). This One shall be a king who comes through David (2 Samuel 7:12-16). This One is the Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:1-17). The theology of YHWH’s Anointed/Messiah/Christ also is a huge part of this.

Then there’s Moses. Moses is a huge theological figure in the Scriptures. Among many of the ways that Moses set precedents and pointed forward to Christ, one of them was in that he was a prophet. Deuteronomy 18:15 promises that God will raise up for Israel a prophet like Moses from among them, and it also promises that they shall listen to him. Deuteronomy ends saying that although Joshua is essentially taking the place of Moses, and Israel listened to him (Dt 34:9), “there has not yet arisen a prophet in Israel like Moses, whom YHWH knew face to face” (Dt 34:10, and it continues to the end of the book, very significant language at the end of Deuteronomy). This also helps our understanding of Joshua 1:8; Joshua was a very significant figure in Israel’s history and the Scriptures as well, his name is even the same name as “Jesus”, there’s only differences because it went across a few languages. But Joshua isn’t THE man. He isn’t the prophet like Moses, he isn’t the king from Judah.

Take note of the last two discourses/proverbs of Balaam in Numbers 24:3-9 and 24:15-25. The first one has very similar and significant language in 24:6-7 as Psalm 1:3; first in reference to Jacob/Israel collectively (24:6), then in reference to “his seed”, “his king”, “his kingdom” (24:7)—the seed of Jacob who is the king of Jacob/Israel who will have an exalted kingdom. Balaam here—prophesying by the Spirit of God (24:2)—is tying together the nation and his king. The Hebrew language connections are “beside the waters” (Nm 24:6), and “by streams of waters” (Ps 1:3), although there is a lot of similar imagery going on. And significant language with the terms “seed by many waters”, “king” being lifted up, and “kingdom” being exalted.

The second discourse/proverb, Balaam’s last/fourth proverb, has very specific references to this developing theology of the promised Seed of the woman, specifically in 24:17-19. The term “scepter”/שֵׁבֶט is the same Hebrew noun as in Genesis 49:10 and Psalm 2:9 (translated as “rod”). The term “have dominion” in 24:19 is the same Hebrew term as in Genesis 1:26, 28 translated as “rule” or “have dominion”. Also notice the verb “perish”/אבד in 24:19, the same Hebrew verb as in Psalm 1:6, 2:12. Also, it’s interesting that the last two proverbs of Balaam are referred to as “oracles” (24:3-4, 15-16, distinguished from the first two discourses/proverbs), and Psalm 1 is built on the first one and Psalm 2 is built on the second one. That’s another thing that furthers the idea that this man is a specific man and a king: Psalm 1 and Psalm 2 are strongly linked.

As we’re beginning to see in Numbers 24:6-7 and as we’re going to see, the nation and its king go hand-in-hand; there is corporate solidarity between the king and his kingdom. This corresponds to the similar language in Balaam’s prophecy in Numbers 24:6 referring to the nation of Israel and Psalm 1:3 referring to the man.

The Man is like a Tree

The second reason why it’s significant that Psalm 1:2 is pointing to this man as being an Israelite king is because of the language used in verse 3. Combined with this and with the language of “the man” from verse 1 (briefly explained at the end of these notes), this indicates that this man is not only a specific man, but the author is painting a picture of THE Seed of the woman, based on all that has been revealed up to the time of the writing of this psalm. David has been meditating on Torah (Genesis-Deuteronomy), on Joshua, on Judges, on Ruth, and definitely on the covenant that YHWH cut with him in 2 Samuel 7. And David is meditating on Job. And David is wrapping this all up together in this very brief psalm, painting this picture of the man.

The language in v. 3 by itself is very interesting, very specific, and actually quite lengthy in the scheme of the psalm. On that note, it’s interesting that David (whom I believe is the author for several reasons) spills so much ink commending and describing and picturing this man: there is no doubt about what this man does and is like. And David says so with very specific language.

Verse 3 first states the comparison: “And he is like a tree”. Then come four statements revealing how he is like a tree. First he is planted/שׁתל; this is a passive participle in the Hebrew. Somebody else is planting this tree, this man. Not only that, he is planted by/on canals/channels of water. That term “streams” refers to agricultural water channels/canals. We have a tree purposefully planted on agricultural canals (plural) of waters. This is a garden.

“Which yields its fruit in its season”. This is a fruit tree; this man is described in the context of a garden as a fruit tree that gives fruit, and we know YHWH created fruit trees for mankind to eat their fruit (Genesis 1:29). This man, being set apart from the wicked and saturated on YHWH’s torah/instruction, is actually beneficial to other people. This tree functions as YHWH originally designed trees to function when He created them (Genesis 1:11-12). Not only this, but this tree is not affected by the curse: “and its leaf does not wither”. There is no death, no decay, no curse. This is not just a tree in a garden, but it is in a perfect and blessed state; a perfectly functioning and flourishing tree in a garden, and it is not affected by the curse (also the man is separate from sin and sinners in v. 1; the curse came as the result of sin).

There’s a reference to Leviticus 26:3-4 here in verse 3. Leviticus 26 is huge. This chapter has tremendous impact on the rest of Scripture. This is the first major blessings/cursings text for the nation of Israel in YHWH’s instruction to Israel. The point being: YHWH is blessing this man; it is only because of this that the man can be described as a tree that gives its fruit, and in verse 3 it does so abundantly, flourishing, without the judgment of the curse. This man is in a right relationship with YHWH because YHWH favors him and he is obedient/faithful to the covenant that YHWH has placed him under.

Psalm 1 was written by an Israelite (I strongly believe David), under the Mosaic/Old Covenant. Therefore, this man is written with that covenant in mind; thus the reference to Deuteronomy 17, the man is faithful to YHWH's covenant imperatives. Jesus fulfilled the law, He faithfully obeyed all of the Father’s instruction. I believe David is painting a picture of the promised Seed in the future Kingdom because of the language in v. 2 (indicating that he is reigning as the king of Israel), and because of the garden language in v. 3. But this would seem to present a conflict: I thought the Old Covenant (in which were all those commands in Exodus-Deuteronomy) was over and done with. How can this be Messiah in the Kingdom if he is obeying the commandments of the Old Covenant? There was nothing wrong with the commandments in the Old Covenant, with the law (Romans 7:7-12), but Israel didn’t have a heart to know, nor eyes to see, nor ears to hear (Deuteronomy 29:4; Hebrews 4:2); they didn’t have the New Covenant heart. Therefore they couldn’t keep the law. But one day YHWH will give them that heart, He will circumcise their heart (Deuteronomy 30:6), and in that day Israel will “do all His commandments which I am commanding you today” (Deuteronomy 30:8). YHWH has said: “‘I will put My law/instruction/torah within them, and on their heart I will write it’” (Jeremiah 31:33). They will do His instruction because it will be written on their heart, not on tablets of stone. They will do so led by their King, and YHWH will bless them.

“And all which he does he prospers”. The verb “prospers”/צלח means to succeed, to prosper; a very general description of this verb is to be in a good condition. There are references to Genesis 39:2, 3, 23 here. Connections are (from the Hebrew): “and he was a prospering/succeeding/צלח man/אישׁ” (Gn 39:2), “and all/כל which/אשׁר he was doing/עשׂה, YHWH was prospering/succeeding/צלח” (39:3), “and which/אשׁר he was doing/עשׂה YHWH was prospering/succeeding/צלח” (39:23). The reason why Joseph was succeeding in all that he did was because YHWH was with him; in all three verses it says that YHWH was with Joseph. This was observable fact, even Joseph’s master Potiphar saw that (39:3). Because of the strong connections between these two texts we can conclude that this man is succeeding/prospering because YHWH is with him to make him succeed. The term “blessed!” in Psalm 1:1 even indicates that this man is a man whom YHWH favors. This man succeeds like Joseph. Joseph is a very Christological figure in Scripture, he pointed forward to Christ in numerous ways.

This man is completely, faithfully obeying YHWH, submitting to His covenant, doing His commandments, statutes, judgments, instruction. And YHWH favors this man, YHWH blesses this man, this man is certainly blessed.