Psalm 1:2
“But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Context
This verse forms the positive counterpart to verse 1, describing what the blessed person loves rather than what he avoids, and it sets up the image of the fruitful tree in verse 3.
What Does Psalm 1:2 Mean?
Psalm 1:2 shows that the blessed person is marked not only by what he avoids but by what he loves -- his "delight is in the law of the LORD." After describing the company the righteous turns away from, the psalm now turns to the one thing that captures his heart. The word "law" here means God's instruction, His teaching and revealed will, and the blessed person treats it not as a burden but as a joy.
Two things stand out in this verse. First, there is delight -- a genuine affection rather than grudging duty. The righteous person does not merely tolerate God's word; he takes pleasure in it the way one enjoys a treasure. Second, there is meditation "day and night," a continual turning over of God's instruction in the mind. The Hebrew picture of meditation includes a low murmuring, the quiet voicing of the text to oneself so that it sinks deep. This is not occasional reading but a steady, lifelong companionship with Scripture. The contrast with verse 1 is striking: the ungodly fill the mind with the counsel of others, but the blessed person fills his mind with the counsel of God. What we feed on shapes what we become, and the flourishing life grows from a heart that finds its joy in God's word.
In the Original Language
The word for "meditate" is hagah, which can mean to murmur, mutter, or speak in a low voice -- suggesting a quiet, repeated voicing of God's words rather than silent thought alone.
Cross References
“This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night.”
- Joshua 1:8
“O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day.”
- Psalm 119:97
“Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart.”
- Jeremiah 15:16
Application
Move from merely reading Scripture to delighting in it, returning to it across the rhythms of the whole day so that God's word becomes the steady companion of your thoughts.