Verse Lens · Concise explanation
Psalms 1:6 Explained in Context
Use this verse as a doorway into the larger passage—not as an isolated saying.
Verse 6. 6For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.
King James Version — public domain in the United States · Bible text and permissions
Quick Meaning
Psalm 1:6: The reason or consequence in “For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous” supports the surrounding claim in “Two ways before the LORD.”
Two ways, not a slogan
This verse is one part of that explanation in Psalms 1:1–6. The complete section carries the connected meaning and how it should shape life.
Read It With
- Psalms 1:1–6
Read Psalms 1:6 with 1:1–6. Read alone, “For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous” could lose the individual voice, the parallel line or movement it develops, and the psalm's outcome. The complete movement establishes: Within Psalms 1:1–6, the individual voice carries the movement “Two ways before the LORD” as part of “Two ways before the LORD.” Its wisdom-torah form and poetic parallelism hold the petitions, images, memories, or praise together before any single line is applied.
Why This Verse Appears Here
Psalms 1:1–6 opens Psalm 1 with “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way…” and establishes the individual voice and “Two ways before the LORD” movement before later lines develop or answer it. Psalms 1 and 2 form the Psalter's paired gateway: Torah-shaped flourishing stands beside the nations, the LORD's anointed king, and the summons to accountable refuge. Within that relationship, Psalm 1:6 supplies a reason or consequence through “For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous” and must be read with the claim it supports.
What Remains True
The verse's role is specific—Psalm 1:6 supplies a reason or consequence through “For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous” and must be read with the claim it supports. Within that role, Praise and prayer become truthful when they attend to people harmed by predatory power and pursue protection, generosity, and fair judgment. The local movement is “Two ways before the LORD.” The unit's reviewed limit is: The tree image describes durable rootedness and fruitful timing; it does not promise effortless wealth, health, or success in every undertaking.
How It Can Shape Life
- Start with the line's work inside “Two ways before the LORD”—Psalm 1:6 supplies a reason or consequence through “For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous” and must be read with the claim it supports. Then let “For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous” test worship and public claims by their effect on vulnerable people; correct one practice that hides or compounds harm.
Continue in Context
Read the complete section for the connected explanation and how it should shape life. This verse is a doorway into that passage, not a saying that stands alone.
Read Psalms 1:1–6 — Two ways before the LORDSources used for this Verse Lens
How certain is this explanation? strong
These are the sources used directly for this lens. Language, grammar, disagreements, and the complete source shelf remain attached to the full thought-unit research record.
Biblical text
King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006
eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society
USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.
Supports: Exact displayed KJV wording, verse order, paragraph metadata, supplied-word markup, and complete thought-unit coverage.
Exact location: Psalms 1:1–6, pinned eng-kjv2006 USFM-derived repository corpus
Open source ↗hebrew text and morphology
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible: Psalms
Open Scriptures
Open Scriptures, release 2.2
Supports: Masoretic Hebrew wording and morphology checked at the exact unit without treating morphology as a complete apparatus or interpretation.
Exact location: Open Scriptures MorphHB v2.2, commit 6a5db284c715c18b239422e57bb89684e6a19f00, wlc/Ps.xml, OSIS 1:1–6
Open the fixed Hebrew Psalms file ↗translation and translator notes
NET Bible Notes: Psalms 1-150
Biblical Studies Press
Biblical Studies Press, current official online edition
Supports: Verse-level controls for poetic syntax, imagery, older KJV language, textual issues, headings, and alternatives in Psalms 1:1–6.
Exact location: Official NET Bible Psalm 1 HTML, translator, textual, and study notes attached to Psalms 1:1–6
Open the official NET Psalms notes ↗