Psalms 1:6 (KJV)

What does Psalms 1:6 mean?

Psalms 1:6 says that the LORD watches over the course of life taken by those who do what is right, while the course taken by the ungodly ends in ruin. The verse gives the reason for the different outcomes described just before it.

The “way” pictures a person’s manner of living as a path. After verse 5 describes who can stand in the judgment, verse 6 looks at where each path leads. The psalm’s speaker presents that contrast to the hearer as the closing thought of the psalm.

The Hebrew behind Psalms 1:6

• “knoweth” — יָדַע (yadaʿ): This word often means “knows.” Here, it is often understood as more than having information: the LORD’s knowledge involves attention and care for the way of the righteous.
• “way” — דֶּרֶךְ (derekh): This word can mean a road or path. In Psalms 1:6, it gives a picture of the direction and course of a person’s life.
• “perish” — אָבַד (avad): This word can mean to be lost or destroyed. The sentence applies it to the way of the ungodly, showing that their course comes to ruin.

Why Psalms 1:6 matters

• The contrast concerns people’s conduct as well as their destination. Earlier in the psalm, the righteous person delights in the LORD’s law, while the ungodly are compared to chaff blown away by the wind (verses 2 and 4).
• The LORD’s knowing is directed toward “the way of the righteous.” The wording joins his care to the whole course of their lives, rather than mentioning only the moment of judgment in verse 5.