Psalm 1/Notes/Lexical.v. 2.414920

The verb meditates (יֶהְגֶּה) or "studies" refers to an "action by which humans speak softly for themselves as if thinking out loud." If the "instruction of YHWH" does indeed refer to the written Scriptures, then the verb "rehearses" may refer here to the act of reading aloud to oneself in a low undertone, a metonymy for intensive study. "Many languages make no distinction between reading and studying, and attempts to describe a mumbling kind of reading may distract from the essential force of reading diligently. Hence, "meditates" may often be rendered as 'reading and thinking about.' In cases where it is desirable to express the intensive aspect of reading, one may say 'they read it carefully day and night,' or 'they read and think about its teachings all the time,' or 'they are always reading and thinking about its teachings.'" The psalmist probably chose this particular word, at least in part, in order to allude to Joshua 1:8. "Only Josh. 1 and Ps. 1 use 'meditate' in reference to torah, making relationship likely."