Psalm 1

Psalm 1 · verse 1

אַ֥שְֽׁרֵי הָאִ֗ישׁ

Blessed is the man

1:1 · WORD 1

Noun · masc. · plural · construct

An exclamation: “Oh, how blessed!” The ending ־ֵי (-ei) is the masculine plural construct; the word appears only in this plural form. The Psalter opens with it.

1:1 · WORD 2

Article + noun · masc. · sing.

Article ha (הַ) + ish (אִישׁ) “man.” Alef cannot take a dagesh, so the article lengthens to הָ. Singular “the man”: the only One who walked this path perfectly — Yeshua.

אֲשֶׁ֤ר לֹ֥א הָלַךְ֮ בַּעֲצַ֪ת רְשָׁ֫עִ֥ים

who has not walked in the counsel of the wicked

1:1 · WORD 3

Relative particle

“Who.” It links “the man” to the description that follows.

1:1 · WORD 4

Negative + verb · Qal · perfect · 3ms

Halakh “walk.” The perfect 3ms is the bare form with no ending → “he walked.” With lo (לֹא) “not” in front: “he has not walked.” The first of three verbs: walk → stand → sit.

1:1 · WORD 5

Prep. בְּ + noun · fem. · sing. · construct

“In the counsel of.” The preposition בְּ becomes בַּ before a hateph patach (עֲ). The feminine noun etsah (עֵצָה) turns its final ה into ת in the construct: עֲצַת, “counsel of the wicked.”

1:1 · WORD 6

Adjective · masc. · plural (as a noun)

“The wicked.” Rasha (רָשָׁע) “wicked (one)” with the masculine plural ending ־ִים (-im).

וּבְדֶ֣רֶךְ חַ֭טָּאִים לֹ֥א עָמָ֑ד

and in the way of sinners has not stood

1:1 · WORD 7

Conj. + prep. + noun · sing. · construct

“And in the way of.” The conjunction וְ becomes וּ (u) before ב, מ, פ or a shewa; then the preposition בְ and derekh “way” (construct).

1:1 · WORD 8

Adjective · masc. · plural (as a noun)

“Sinners.” Chatta (חַטָּא) “sinner” + masculine plural ־ִים. The dot (dagesh) in ט doubles it: chat-ta-im.

1:1 · WORD 9

Negative + verb · Qal · perfect · 3ms

Amad “stand.” Bare perfect 3ms → “he stood”; with lo: “he has not stood.” At the main pause (atnach) עָמַד lengthens to עָמָד. The second verb.

וּבְמוֹשַׁ֥ב לֵ֝צִ֗ים לֹ֣א יָשָֽׁב

and in the seat of scorners has not sat

1:1 · WORD 10

Conj. + prep. + noun · masc. · sing. · construct

“And in the seat of.” וּ (before ב) + בְ + moshav (מוֹשָׁב) “seat” in its construct מוֹשַׁב, with a shortened vowel.

1:1 · WORD 11

Adjective · masc. · plural (as a noun)

“Scorners.” From the root ליץ, “to scorn”; some scholars view it as a Qal participle.

1:1 · WORD 12

Negative + verb · Qal · perfect · 3ms

Yashav “sit.” Bare perfect 3ms → “he sat”; with lo: “he has not sat.” At the verse end (silluq) יָשַׁב lengthens to יָשָׁב. The third verb: walk → stand → sit.

Psalm 1 · verse 2

כִּ֤י אִ֥ם בְּתוֹרַ֥ת יְהוָ֗ה חֶ֫פְצ֥וֹ

But his delight is in the Torah of the LORD

1:2 · WORD 1

Conjunction + conjunction

Together: “but rather.” It turns the three “nots” of verse 1 into what he does instead.

1:2 · WORD 2

Prep. בְּ + noun · fem. · sing. · construct

“In the Torah of.” Torah (תּוֹרָה) turns its final ה into ת in the construct: תּוֹרַת. Torah means “instruction, teaching” — the teaching God has given.

1:2 · WORD 3

Proper noun

The divine name YHWH. Bound to the construct before it: “the Torah of YHWH.”

1:2 · WORD 4

Noun · masc. · sing. · construct + 3ms suffix

Chefets (חֵפֶץ) “delight” with the suffix וֹ (-o) “his,” which reshapes its vowels: חֶפְצוֹ, “his delight.” Literally: “in the Torah of YHWH is his delight.”

וּֽבְתוֹרָת֥וֹ יֶהְגֶּ֗ה יוֹמָ֥ם וָלָֽיְלָה

and in his Torah he meditates day and night

1:2 · WORD 5

Conj. + prep. + noun · fem. · sing. · construct + 3ms suffix

“And in his Torah.” וּ + בְ + the construct תּוֹרַת + suffix וֹ “his”; “his” points back to YHWH.

1:2 · WORD 6

Verb · Qal · imperfect · 3ms

Hagah (הָגָה) “to murmur, recite under one’s breath.” The prefix yod (י) with no ending marks “he” — imperfect 3ms → “he meditates.” The imperfect shows an ongoing habit.

1:2 · WORD 7

Adverb

“By day.” Yom (יוֹם) “day” with the adverb ending ־ָם (-am).

1:2 · WORD 8

Conj. + noun · masc. · sing.

“And night.” In pairs like “day and night” the vav is often וָ (va). Laylah (לַיְלָה) is masculine despite its final ה. “Day and night” = continually.

Psalm 1 · verse 3

וְֽהָיָ֗ה כְּעֵץ֮ שָׁת֪וּל עַֽל־פַּלְגֵ֫י מָ֥יִם

And he shall be like a tree planted by streams of water

1:3 · WORD 1

Conj. + verb · Qal · consecutive perfect · 3ms

Hayah “to be.” The bare perfect 3ms is “he was”; joined to vav (וְ) it points forward → “and he shall be.”

1:3 · WORD 2

Prep. כְּ + noun · masc. · sing.

Ke- “like” + ets “tree” → “like a tree.”

1:3 · WORD 3

Verb · Qal · passive participle · masc. · sing.

Qal passive participle of shatal, “to plant, transplant.” Its pattern is “a–u,” with the “u” written by vav (וּ) as a vowel → “planted.” Not a wild tree, but one someone planted.

1:3 · WORD 4

Preposition

“Upon, beside” — here “by” the streams.

1:3 · WORD 5

Noun · masc. · plural · construct

Plural construct of peleg “channel”: the ending ־ֵי (-ei) is the masculine plural construct, as in ashrei → “channels of.”

1:3 · WORD 6

Noun · masc. · plural

“Water” — in Hebrew it is always plural in form.

אֲשֶׁ֤ר פִּרְי֨וֹ יִתֵּ֬ן בְּעִתּ֗וֹ

which gives its fruit in its season

1:3 · WORD 7

Relative particle

“Which.” Seen in verse 1; here it links back to “the tree.”

1:3 · WORD 8

Noun · masc. · sing. · construct + 3ms suffix

Peri (פְּרִי) “fruit” + suffix וֹ (-o) “its” → “its fruit.”

1:3 · WORD 9

Verb · Qal · imperfect · 3ms

Natan “to give.” Prefix yod (י) = “he” (imperfect 3ms). The root’s first letter נ drops out, leaving a dagesh in ת → “he gives, he yields.” “He” is the tree (masculine).

1:3 · WORD 10

Prep. בְּ + noun · sing. · construct + 3ms suffix

Et (עֵת) “time” + suffix וֹ “its.” With a suffix its doubled ת appears, marked by a dagesh → “in its time,” its season.

וְעָלֵ֥הוּ לֹֽא־יִבּ֑וֹל

and its leaf does not wither

1:3 · WORD 11

Conj. + noun · masc. · sing. · construct + 3ms suffix

Aleh (עָלֶה) “leaf” + suffix הוּ (-hu) “its” (another form of the 3ms suffix) → “and its leaf.”

1:3 · WORD 12

Negative + verb · Qal · imperfect · 3ms

Naval “to wither.” Prefix yod (י) = “he.” The root’s first נ drops, leaving a dagesh in ב; the “o” is written with vav (וֹ) → “he withers.” With lo: “it (the leaf, masculine) does not wither.”

וְכֹ֖ל אֲשֶׁר־יַעֲשֶׂ֣ה יַצְלִֽיחַ

and all that he does, he makes prosper

1:3 · WORD 13

Conj. + noun · masc. · sing.

Kol “all” → “and all.”

1:3 · WORD 14

Relative + verb · Qal · imperfect · 3ms

Asah “to do, make.” Prefix yod (י) = “he” (imperfect 3ms); the guttural ע makes the prefix vowel יַ (ya) → “that he does.”

1:3 · WORD 15

Verb · Hiphil · imperfect · 3ms

Tsalach “to prosper.” Prefix yod (י) = “he.” Hiphil “cause to,” marked by the prefix יַ (ya) and the “i” in לִי (li). The patach under final ח is read first: “-li-ach” → “he makes (it) prosper.”

Psalm 1 · verse 4

לֹא־כֵ֥ן הָרְשָׁעִ֑ים

Not so the wicked

1:4 · WORD 1

Negative + adverb

Ken “so” → “not so.”

1:4 · WORD 2

Article + adjective · masc. · plural (as a noun)

“The wicked” — verse 1’s reshaim with the article. ר cannot take a dagesh, so the article lengthens to הָ.

כִּ֥י אִם־כַּ֝מֹּ֗ץ אֲֽשֶׁר־תִּדְּפֶ֥נּוּ רֽוּחַ

but they are like the chaff which the wind drives away

1:4 · WORD 3

Conjunction + conjunction

“But rather,” as in verse 2.

1:4 · WORD 4

Prep. כְּ + article + noun · masc. · sing.

“Like the chaff.” כְּ merges with the article into כַּ, whose dagesh appears in מ. Mots is the husk the wind blows away at threshing.

1:4 · WORD 5

Relative particle

“Which,” linking back to “the chaff.”

1:4 · WORD 6

Verb · Qal · imperfect · 3fs + 3ms suffix

Nadaf “to drive away.” Prefix tav (ת) = “she” (imperfect 3fs): the wind is feminine. The root’s first נ drops, leaving a dagesh in ד. Ending -nnu (נּוּ) = “it” → “she drives it away.”

1:4 · WORD 7

Noun · sing.

“Wind.” The patach under the final ח is read before it: “ru-ach.” The same word also means “breath, spirit.”

Psalm 1 · verse 5

עַל־כֵּ֤ן לֹא־יָקֻ֣מוּ רְ֭שָׁעִים בַּמִּשְׁפָּ֑ט

Therefore the wicked shall not stand in the judgment

1:5 · WORD 1

Preposition + demonstrative particle

“Therefore” — literally “upon thus.”

1:5 · WORD 2

Negative + verb · Qal · imperfect · 3mp

Qum “to rise, stand” (a hollow verb). Prefix yod (י) + ending -u (וּ) = “they” (imperfect 3mp) → “they stand”; with lo: “they shall not stand” in the judgment.

1:5 · WORD 3

Adjective · masc. · plural (as a noun)

“The wicked,” seen in verse 1.

1:5 · WORD 4

Prep. בְּ + article + noun · masc. · sing.

“In the judgment.” בְּ merges with the article into בַּ, its dagesh in מ. Mishpat means “judgment, justice.”

וְ֝חַטָּאִ֗ים בַּעֲדַ֥ת צַדִּיקִֽים

nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous

1:5 · WORD 5

Conj. + adjective · masc. · plural (as a noun)

“And sinners,” seen in verse 1.

1:5 · WORD 6

Prep. בְּ + noun · fem. · sing. · construct

“In the congregation of.” בְּ becomes בַּ before a hateph patach; edah (עֵדָה) turns ה into ת in the construct: עֲדַת.

1:5 · WORD 7

Adjective · masc. · plural (as a noun)

“The righteous.” Tsaddik (צַדִּיק) “righteous (one)” + masculine plural ־ִים.

Psalm 1 · verse 6

כִּֽי־יוֹדֵ֣עַ יְ֭הוָה דֶּ֣רֶךְ צַדִּיקִ֑ים

For the LORD knows the way of the righteous

1:6 · WORD 1

Conjunction

“For,” giving the reason for the whole psalm.

1:6 · WORD 2

Verb · Qal · active participle · masc. · sing.

Yada “to know.” The Qal active participle has an “o” after the first root letter, written with vav (וֹ) — a vowel, not a root letter. The patach under final ayin (ע) is read first: “yode-a.” Masculine singular, no person: YHWH “knowing.”

1:6 · WORD 3

Proper noun

YHWH, as in verse 2.

1:6 · WORD 4

Noun · sing. · construct

“The way of,” seen in verse 1.

1:6 · WORD 5

Adjective · masc. · plural (as a noun)

“The righteous,” as in verse 5.

וְדֶ֖רֶךְ רְשָׁעִ֣ים תֹּאבֵֽד

but the way of the wicked shall perish

1:6 · WORD 6

Conj. + noun · sing. · construct

“But the way of” — here the vav sets up a contrast.

1:6 · WORD 7

Adjective · masc. · plural (as a noun)

“The wicked.”

1:6 · WORD 8

Verb · Qal · imperfect · 3fs

Avad “to perish.” Prefix tav (ת) = “she” (3fs): “way” is feminine here. The root’s first letter א is silent, giving the prefix an “o” (תֹּ) → “it shall perish.” Psalm 1 begins with aleph (א) and ends with tav (ת).