Psalms 1:1–3

In its context

Its words in the original

• אַשְׁרֵיashre· happy, blessed

  Happy, blessed: an exclamation for the good that someone has.

• אִישׁish· man, husband, each

  Man, male; with a possessive, husband. Also "each one", "anyone". It is "ish", distinct from "adam" (human being); it is used for the man in contrast with the woman ("ishah").

• הָלַךְhalach· go, walk

  Go, walk, come. Figuratively, the way one lives ("walk with God").

• עֲצַתatsat· counsel

  Counsel: good judgment for deciding; also a plan.

• רְשָׁעִיםreshaim· wicked

  Wicked: one who does evil and is guilty before God and before others.

• דֶרֶךְderech· way

  Way, road, journey. Figuratively, the way one lives or acts.

• חַטָּאִיםchataim· sinner

  Sinner: one who habitually fails God; also one counted guilty.

• עָמָדamad· stand

  Stand; stay, remain, endure. "Stand before" someone is to serve him or be in his presence. In another form of the verb, set up, place, appoint.

• מוֹשַׁבmoshav· dwelling, seat

  The place where someone lives or sits; dwelling, seat; also the time of living there.

• לֵצִיםletsim· interpreter; scoff

  Interpreter: one who translates between two languages; also envoy. Elsewhere, scoff, mock.

• יָשָׁבyashav· sit, dwell

  Sit, sit down; from there stay in a place, live, dwell. In the causative form, settle someone, make to dwell. Also sit as judge or as king.

• תוֹרַתtorat· instruction, law

  "Torah": instruction, teaching that gives direction; hence "law". Later it is the name of the five books of Moses. This translation uses "instruction", and "law" when the body of laws is meant.

• יְהוָהyehva· YHWH

  The personal name of the God of Israel, written in Hebrew with four letters, Y-H-W-H, without vowels. Out of reverence Jews stopped pronouncing it and read "Adonai" (Lord), so many Bibles put "the LORD" or "Jehovah". This translation keeps the four letters. The name is related to the verb "to be" (Exodus 3:14-15). He is not a god other than Elohim: "YHWH Elohim" is the same Creator God, called by his name.

• חֶפְצchefts· delight, desire, matter

  Delight, pleasure, desire: what pleases someone. It can also be a valuable thing or a matter, an affair.

• יֶהְגֶּהyehge· meditate, murmur

  Meditate: repeat something in a low voice, turn it over again and again. The same word is used for the murmur of someone reading to himself.

• יוֹמָםyomam· by day

  By day, in the daytime.

• לָיְלָהlayla· night

  Night.

• הָיָהhaya· be, become, happen

  Be, exist; also "become" or "happen". It is the verb of "there was", "it was" and "it came to pass".

• עֵץets· tree, wood

  Tree; also wood and what is made of it (a stick, a pole).

• שָׁתוּלshatul· plant, transplant

  To plant, to transplant: to set a tree in a good place so that it grows.

• פַּלְגֵיpalge· channel, stream

  A small stream or channel of water, like those used for irrigation.

• מָיִםmayim· water

  Water. In Hebrew it is always plural ("waters").

• פִּרְיpiry· fruit

  Fruit: what a tree or a plant bears. Figuratively, the result of something, or children ("fruit of the womb").

• יִתֵּןyiten· give, put, set

  Give, in a very wide sense: hand over, put, place, grant, allow, make something be.

• עִתּit· time

  Time, moment, season; "now".

• עָלֵale· leaf

  Leaf; foliage.

• יִבּוֹלyibol· wither; act foolishly

  Wither like a leaf; from there wear out, fail. In other passages, act foolishly or treat with contempt (Deuteronomy 32:15).

• יַעֲשֶׂהyaase· do, make

  Do, make, in the widest sense: build, produce, carry out, keep (a command), prepare.

• יַצְלִיחַyatsliach· prosper, succeed

  Go well, succeed; in the causative form, make something succeed. Also rush upon someone (of the Spirit).