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.
Parallel translations
- WEB He will be like a tree planted by the streams of water, that produces its fruit in its season, whose leaf also does not wither. Whatever he does shall prosper.
- BSB He is like a tree planted by streams of water, yielding its fruit in season, whose leaf does not wither, and who prospers in all he does.
- NKJV He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.
- NASB He will be like a tree planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season, And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers.
- NLT They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The one who delights in God's word is like a fruitful, well-watered tree that thrives and endures. A life rooted in God bears lasting fruit.
Overview
The image of a tree planted by streams promises stability, nourishment, and seasonal fruitfulness for the godly. 'Whatever he does shall prosper' speaks of true and lasting flourishing under God's blessing, not a guarantee of worldly success. Jesus develops the same picture of abiding fruitfulness in John 15, where union with Christ is the source of all fruit that lasts.
Cross-references & the web
Theme
- Living WaterThe tree planted by streams of water.
Cross-references · 24
- Jer 17:8For 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.
- Ezek 47:12And 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.
- Ps 92:14They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing;
- John 15:6If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
- Ezek 19:10Thy mother is like a vine in thy blood, planted by the waters: she was fruitful and full of branches by reason of many waters.
- Gen 39:23The keeper of the prison looked not to any thing that was under his hand; because the LORD was with him, and that which he did, the LORD made it to prosper.
- Josh 1:7–8Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.
- Ezek 17:8It was planted in a good soil by great waters, that it might bring forth branches, and that it might bear fruit, that it might be a goodly vine.
- Rev 22:2In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
- Matt 13:6And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.
- Ps 128:2For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands: happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee.
- 2 Chr 31:21And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, and in the law, and in the commandments, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart, and prospered.
- Gen 39:3And his master saw that the LORD was with him, and that the LORD made all that he did to prosper in his hand.
- Isa 3:10Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings.
- Isa 44:4And they shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the water courses.
- Job 14:9Yet through the scent of water it will bud, and bring forth boughs like a plant.
- Matt 21:34And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it.
- Jude 1:12These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;
- Isa 27:11When the boughs thereof are withered, they shall be broken off: the women come, and set them on fire: for it is a people of no understanding: therefore he that made them will not have mercy on them, and he that formed them will shew them no favour.
- Matt 21:19And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away.
- Matt 21:41They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons.
- Ps 129:8Neither do they which go by say, The blessing of the LORD be upon you: we bless you in the name of the LORD.
- 1 Chr 22:11Now, my son, the LORD be with thee; and prosper thou, and build the house of the LORD thy God, as he hath said of thee.
- 2 Chr 32:23And many brought gifts unto the LORD to Jerusalem, and presents to Hezekiah king of Judah: so that he was magnified in the sight of all nations from thenceforth.
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Christ at the center
The Psalms are Christ's own prayer book and a gallery of his portraits — the suffering one of Psalm 22, the risen Lord of Psalm 16, the priest-king of Psalm 110, the Son to whom the nations are given.
How Psalms 1:3 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.