Psalm 1:3

Psalm 1:3

And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

a. NLT: They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.

b. NIV: That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers.

c. Amplified Bible: And he shall be like a tree firmly planted [and tended] by the streams of water, ready to bring forth its fruit in its season; its leaf also shall not fade or wither; and everything he does shall prosper [and come to maturity].

d. Septuagint: And he shall be as a tree planted by the brooks of waters, which shall yield its fruit in its season, and its leaf shall not fall off; and whatsoever he shall do shall be prospered.

e. Stone Edition Torah/Writings/Prophets: He shall be like a tree deeply rooted alongside brooks of water, that yields its fruit in its season, and whose leaf never withers; and everything that he does will succeed.

1. “And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water…”

a. [And he] shall be[ Strong: 1961 hayah haw-yaw a primitive root (Compare 1933); to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary):--beacon, X altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, + follow, happen, X have, last, pertain, quit (one-)self, require, X use.]

b. [like a] tree [Strong: 6086 `ets ates from 6095; a tree (from its firmness); hence, wood (plural sticks):--+ carpenter, gallows, helve, + pine, plank, staff, stalk, stick, stock, timber, tree, wood.]

c. planted [Strong: 8362 shâthal, shaw-thal'; a primitive root; to transplant:—plant.]

d. by [Strong: 5921 `al al properly, the same as 5920 used as a preposition (in the singular or plural often with prefix, or as conjunction with a particle following); above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications (as follow):--above, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, X as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, X both and, by (reason of), X had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of, (from) (off), (up-)on, over, than, through(-out), to, touching, X with.]

e. [the] rivers [Strong: 6388 peleg peh'-leg from 6385; a rill (i.e. small channel of water, as in irrigation):--river, stream.  ] 

f. water [Strong: 4325 mayim mah'-yim dual of a primitive noun (but used in a singular sense); water; figuratively, juice; by euphemism, urine, semen:--+ piss, wasting, water(-ing, (-course, -flood, -spring)).]

1). Plants that do not have water die. We must have water.

a). Ezekiel 19:10-14 Thy mother is like a vine in thy blood, planted by the waters: she was fruitful and full of branches by reason of many waters.

19:11 And she had strong rods for the sceptres of them that bare rule, and her stature was exalted among the thick branches, and she appeared in her height with the multitude of her branches.

19:12 But she was plucked up in fury, she was cast down to the ground, and the east wind dried up her fruit: her strong rods were broken and withered; the fire consumed them.

19:13 And now she is planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty ground.

19:14 And fire is gone out of a rod of her branches, which hath devoured her fruit, so that she hath no strong rod to be a sceptre to rule. This is  a lamentation, and shall be for a lamentation.

2). Tehillim [Psalms] Jewish Commentary from Talmudic, Midrashic and Rabbinic Sources: “By streams of water. The root of this word is ‘split’. It describes the stream which branches off into small channels…Rashi renders [it] in old French vernacular, as reservoir, i.e., an independent, self-replenishing source of water that never fails.” 

3). We need the water of eternal life found only in Christ Jesus.

a). John 4:13, 14 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:

4:14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

4). After we drink of Christ Jesus then we can go on and be baptized in the Holy Ghost and the well becomes rivers. Hallelujah!

a). John 7:37-39 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. 

 7:38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

7:39 (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)

5). It is a spiritual principle that meditation is a necessary component that will produce the effect described as a tree planted by water. Notice the effect of the trust

a). Jeremiah 17:7, 8 Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is.

17:8 For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.

6). Now notice what Isaiah writes is the effect of trusting in the LORD.

a). Isaiah 26:3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.

7). Meditation will produce the nutrition necessary for us to endure and florish.

a). Psalm 104:16 The trees of the LORD are full of sap; the cedars of Lebanon, which he hath planted;

b). Psalm 92:13 Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God.

8). Spiritually speaking, not every plant or tree is planted by the LORD. We can see from the parables of Christ Jesus that in this world, there are trees planted by God and there are trees planted by the enemy.

a). Matthew 13:24, 25, 37-39 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:

13:25 But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.

13:37 He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;

13:38 The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;

13:39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.

b). Matthew 13:15 But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up.

9). It is the will of God that we flourish like a tree, that we prosper or grow spiritually. The way this is accomplished is through meditation, letting his words abide in us and walking in obedience to what we are meditating.

a). Ezekiel 47:9 And it shall come to pass, [that] every thing that liveth, which moveth, whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live: and there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters shall come thither: for they shall be healed; and every thing shall live whither the river cometh. 

b). Ezekiel 47:12 And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary: and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine.  

2. “…that bringeth forth his fruit in his season, his leaf also shall not wither; 

a. that [Strong: 834  'aher ash-er' a primitive relative pronoun (of every gender and number); who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.:--X after, X alike, as (soon as), because, X every, for, + forasmuch, + from whence, + how(-soever), X if, (so) that ((thing) which, wherein), X though, + until, + whatsoever, when, where (+ -as, -in, -of, -on, -soever, -with), which, whilst, + whither(- soever), who(-m, -soever, -se). As it is indeclinable, it is often accompanied by the personal pronoun expletively, used to show the connection.]

b. bringeth forth [Strong: 5414 nathan naw-than'  a primitive root; to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.):--add, apply, appoint, ascribe, assign, X avenge, X be ((healed)), bestow, bring (forth, hither), cast, cause, charge, come, commit, consider, count, + cry, deliver (up), direct, distribute, do, X doubtless, X without fail, fasten, frame, X get, give (forth, over, up), grant, hang (up), X have, X indeed, lay (unto charge, up), (give) leave, lend, let (out), + lie, lift up, make, + O that, occupy, offer, ordain, pay, perform, place, pour, print, X pull , put (forth), recompense, render, requite, restore, send (out), set (forth), shew, shoot forth (up), + sing, + slander, strike, (sub-)mit, suffer, X surely, X take, thrust, trade, turn, utter, + weep, + willingly, + withdraw, + would (to) God, yield.]

c. [his] fruit [Strong: 6529 priy per-ee' from 6509; fruit (literally or figuratively):--bough, ((first-)) fruit((-ful)), reward.]

d. [in his] season [Strong: 6256 * ‘eth] [Strong: from 5703; time, especially (adverb with preposition) now, when, etc.:--+ after, (al-)ways, X certain, + continually, + evening, long, (due) season, so (long) as, (even-, evening-, noon-)tide, ((meal-)), what) time, when.]

e. [his] leaf [also] [Strong: 5929 * `aleh aw-leh' from 2927; a leaf (as coming up on a tree); collectively, foliage:--branch, leaf.]

f. [shall] not [Strong: 3808 lo' lo or lowi {lo}; or loh (Deut. 3:11) {lo}; a primitive particle; not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles (as follows):--X before, + or else, ere, + except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), (X as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, + surely, + as truly as, + of a truth, + verily, for want, + whether, without.]

G.  wither [Strong: 5034 nabel naw-bale' a primitive root; to wilt; generally, to fall away, fail, faint; figuratively, to be foolish or (morally) wicked; causatively, to despise, disgrace:--disgrace, dishounour, lightly esteem, fade (away, - ing), fall (down, -ling, off), do foolishly, come to nought, X surely, make vile, wither.][Gesenius: to be senseless, be foolish, to be foolish, to regard or treat as foolish, to treat with contempt.] 

1). The choice of this word is very interesting. The word of course is nabel, but if we remember there was a character in Scripture whose name was “Nabel”, and he behaved very foolishly.

a). 1 Samuel 25:25 Let not my lord, I pray thee, regard this man of Belial, [even] Nabal: for as his name [is], so [is] he; Nabal [is] his name, and folly [is] with him: but I thine handmaid saw not the young men of my lord, whom thou didst send.

2). Along that same line of thought, there is a very familiar verse in the New Testament that warns against becoming foolish in our behavior and mirrors the Old Testament lesson.

a). Matthew 5:13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.

b). savour [3471 * moraine] [Thayer: to be foolish, to act foolishly, to make foolish, to prove a person or a thing foolish, to make flat and tasteless, of salt that has lost its strength and flavor.] [Zodhiates: to make dull, not acute, to cause something to lose its taste or the purpose for which it exists.] [The English word “moron” is a derivative of this word.]

3. “…and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.”

a. [Strong: 3605 kol kole or (Jer. 33:8) kowl {kole}; from 3634; properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense):--(in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any (manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as many as, (no-)thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole, whoso(-ever).]

b. whatsoever [Strong: 834 'aher ash-er' a primitive relative pronoun (of every gender and number); who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.:--X after, X alike, as (soon as), because, X every, for, + forasmuch, + from whence, + how(-soever), X if, (so) that ((thing) which, wherein), X though, + until, + whatsoever, when, where (+ -as, -in, -of, -on, -soever, -with), which, whilst, + whither(- soever), who(-m, -soever, -se). As it is indeclinable, it is often accompanied by the personal pronoun expletively, used to show the connection.]

c. [he] doeth [Strong: 6213 `asah aw-saw' a primitive root; to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application (as follows):--accomplish, advance, appoint, apt, be at, become, bear, bestow, bring forth, bruise, be busy, X certainly, have the charge of, commit, deal (with), deck, + displease, do, (ready) dress(-ed), (put in) execute(-ion), exercise, fashion, + feast, (fight-)ing man, + finish, fit, fly, follow, fulfill, furnish, gather, get, go about, govern, grant, great, + hinder, hold ((a feast)), X indeed, + be industrious, + journey, keep, labour, maintain, make, be meet, observe, be occupied, offer, + officer, pare, bring (come) to pass, perform, pracise, prepare, procure, provide, put, requite, X sacrifice, serve, set, shew, X sin, spend, X surely, take, X thoroughly, trim, X very, + vex, be (warr-)ior, work(-man), yield, use.]

b. [shall] prosper [Strong: 6743 tsalach tsaw-lakh' or tsaleach {tsaw-lay'-akh}; a primitive root; to push forward, in various senses (literal or figurative, transitive or intransitive):--break out, come (mightily), go over, be good, be meet, be profitable, (cause to, effect, make to, send) prosper(-ity, -ous, - ously).] [Gesenius: to rush, to advance, prosper, make progress, succeed, be profitable, to prosper, to make prosperous, bring to successful issue, cause to prosper, to show or experience prosperity, prosper.]

1). I personally believe that the primary meaning of this word in Psalm 1:3 is growing up spiritually. The Amplified says, “come to maturity”. Sometimes though it does mean gaining financially as in the case of Joseph.

a). Genesis 39:1-3 And Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him of the hands of the Ishmaelites, which had brought him down thither. 

39:2 And the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. 

39:3 And his master saw that the LORD was with him, and that the LORD made all that he did to prosper in his hand.    

2). The Hebrew word used in Genesis 39:3 is the same used in Psalm 1:3. The context in Genesis is obviously financial.

2). [The Complete Word Study Dictionary of the Old Testament, Baker & Carpenter: A verb meaning to rush, to break forth, to come mightily. It describes the Holy Spirit’s effect on persons, making them powerful] Judges 14:6; 1 Samuel 16:13.

a). Judges 14:6 And the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he rent him as he would have rent a kid, and he had nothing in his hand: but he told not his father or his mother what he had done.

b). 1 Samuel 16:13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.

3). Meditating the word of God will not only prepare our heart for the Spirit, it is also a channel for the Spirit of God to come mightily upon us, to rise up in us more frequently on a daily basis and for longer periods of time during the day and evening. Nothing on earth can compare with His presence, when He speaks to our heart giving us wisdom, revelation and understanding.

4). God’s word will prosper in the thing where He has sent it.

a). Isaiah 55:10, 11 For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:

55:11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.