Blessed is the Man אַשְׁרֵי־הָאִ֗ישׁ

(Psalm 1:1-6) / Ezra Kim, Ph.D.

The first word of Psalm 1 is ‘Blessed’, in Hebrew ‘ashrey’ (אַשְׁרֵי). This Hebrew word basically means ‘blessed, happy’, and appears 45 times in the Old Testament, among them 26 times in Psalms alone. This word signifies ‘true blessedness’ and relates to all areas of human life. If you want to enjoy true blessedness or true happiness, you should pay attention to the Word of God that will guide you to the goal. Interestingly, the last word of this Psalm is תֹּאבֵד toved ‘will perish’. If a person fails to be a blessed one, he or she will perish. To be a blessed person is a ‘must’, not a ‘choice’.