Psalms — Chapter 36

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1For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David, the servant of the LORD. An oracle is in my heart regarding the transgression of the wicked man: There is no fear of God before his eyes.

2For his eyes are too full of conceit to detect or hate his own sin.

3The words of his mouth are wicked and deceitful; he has ceased to be wise and well-doing.

4Even on his bed he plots wickedness; he sets himself on a path that is not good; he fails to reject evil.

5Your loving devotion, O LORD, reaches to the heavens, Your faithfulness to the clouds.

6Your righteousness is like the highest mountains; Your judgments are like the deepest sea. O LORD, You preserve man and beast.

7How precious is Your loving devotion, O God, that the children of men take refuge in the shadow of Your wings!

8They feast on the abundance of Your house, and You give them drink from Your river of delights.

9For with You is the fountain of life; in Your light we see light.

10Extend Your loving devotion to those who know You, and Your righteousness to the upright in heart.

11Let not the foot of the proud come against me, nor the hand of the wicked drive me away.

12There the evildoers lie fallen, thrown down and unable to rise.

1The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, that there is no fear of God before his eyes.

2For he flattereth himself in his own eyes, until his iniquity be found to be hateful.

3The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit: he hath left off to be wise, and to do good.

4He deviseth mischief upon his bed; he setteth himself in a way that is not good; he abhorreth not evil.

5Thy mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens; and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds.

6Thy righteousness is like the great mountains; thy judgments are a great deep: O LORD, thou preservest man and beast.

7How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings.

8They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures.

9For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light.

10O continue thy lovingkindness unto them that know thee; and thy righteousness to the upright in heart.

11Let not the foot of pride come against me, and let not the hand of the wicked remove me.

12There are the workers of iniquity fallen: they are cast down, and shall not be able to rise.

1The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, There is no fear of God before his eyes.

2For he flattereth himself in his own eyes, That his iniquity will not be found out and be hated.

3The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit: He hath ceased to be wise [and] to do good.

4He deviseth iniquity upon his bed; He setteth himself in a way that is not good; He abhorreth not evil.

5Thy lovingkindness, O Jehovah, is in the heavens; Thy faithfulness [reacheth] unto the skies.

6Thy righteousness is like the mountains of God; Thy judgments are a great deep: O Jehovah, thou preservest man and beast.

7How precious is thy lovingkindness, O God! And the children of men take refuge under the shadow of thy wings.

8They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; And thou wilt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures.

9For with thee is the fountain of life: In thy light shall we see light.

10Oh continue thy lovingkindness unto them that know thee, And thy righteousness to the upright in heart.

11Let not the foot of pride come against me, And let not the hand of the wicked drive me away.

12There are the workers of iniquity fallen: They are thrust down, and shall not be able to rise. Psalm 37 [A Psalm] of David.

1For the music director, an oracle, written by the Lord’s servant David. An evil man is rebellious to the core. He does not fear God,

2for he is too proud to recognize and give up his sin.

3The words he speaks are sinful and deceitful; he does not care about doing what is wise and right.

4While he lies in bed he plans ways to sin. He is committed to a sinful lifestyle; he does not reject what is evil.

5O Lord, your loyal love reaches to the sky, your faithfulness to the clouds.

6Your justice is like the highest mountains, your fairness like the deepest sea; you, Lord, preserve mankind and the animal kingdom.

7How precious is your loyal love, O God! The human race finds shelter under your wings.

8They are filled with food from your house, and you allow them to drink from the river of your delicacies.

9For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.

10Extend your loyal love to your faithful followers, and vindicate the morally upright.

11Do not let arrogant men overtake me, or let evil men make me homeless.

12I can see the evildoers! They have fallen. They have been knocked down and are unable to get up.

1An inner sanctuary is within my heart about the disobedience of the wicked: “There is no fear of God before his eyes.”

2For he flatters himself in his own eyes, too much to detect and hate his sin.

3The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit. He has ceased to be wise and to do good.

4He plots iniquity on his bed. He sets himself in a way that is not good. He doesn’t abhor evil.

5Your loving kindness, Yahweh, is in the heavens. Your faithfulness reaches to the skies.

6Your righteousness is like the mountains of God. Your judgments are like a great deep. Yahweh, you preserve man and animal.

7How precious is your loving kindness, God! The children of men take refuge under the shadow of your wings.

8They shall be abundantly satisfied with the abundance of your house. You will make them drink of the river of your pleasures.

9For with you is the spring of life. In your light shall we see light.

10Oh continue your loving kindness to those who know you, your righteousness to the upright in heart.

11Don’t let the foot of pride come against me. Don’t let the hand of the wicked drive me away.

12There the workers of iniquity are fallen. They are thrust down, and shall not be able to rise.

Summary
Authorship & Background
Commentary
Videos
Articles
Reflection

Summary

A psalm contrasting human wickedness with God's boundless goodness. It opens describing the mindset of the wicked, who have no fear of God before their eyes, flatter themselves too much to detect or hate their own sin, and plot evil even while lying in bed (vv. 1-4). In sharp contrast, God's steadfast love and faithfulness are described as reaching to the heavens and skies, his righteousness like mighty mountains and his judgments like the deep sea, sustaining both people and animals (vv. 5-6). David marvels at the preciousness of God's steadfast love, under which people take refuge and feast abundantly, drinking from the river of his delights and seeing light in his light (vv. 7-9). The psalm closes with a prayer for God's love to continue toward those who know him, and confidence that evildoers will ultimately fall and not rise again (vv. 10-12).

Authorship & Background

Author: Multiple authors — primarily David (73 psalms attributed), plus Asaph (12), Sons of Korah (11), Solomon (2), Moses (1), Heman (1), Ethan (1), and anonymous. The Psalter was compiled over approximately 1000 years and served as Israel's hymnal and prayer book. The book is divided into five 'books' (1-41, 42-72, 73-89, 90-106, 107-150), paralleling the five books of Moses.
Classification: Wisdom Psalm / Hymn of Praise (combination)
Attributed Author: David ("To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David the servant of the LORD")
Key Themes: The wickedness of the wicked (no fear of God), God's steadfast love reaching to the heavens, the river of God's delights, the fountain of life, seeing light in God's light
Historical Context: Psalm 36 is unique in combining a wisdom meditation on wickedness (vv.1-4) with a soaring hymn to God's lovingkindness (vv.5-9), followed by a brief prayer (vv.10-12). The superscription identifies David as "the servant of the LORD" — a title of special honor (also given to Moses, Joshua, and the prophets), emphasizing David's role as God's covenant servant.
The Transgression of the Wicked (vv.1-4): The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, that there is no fear of God before his eyes. The diagnosis is the same as Psalm 10:4 and it locates the fault in an absence rather than in an act. Then the mechanism of self-deception, for he flattereth himself in his own eyes, until his iniquity be found to be hateful, and Paul quotes the opening clause in Romans 3:18. The last verse tracks it through a day, he deviseth mischief upon his bed, so the planning happens where Psalm 4:4 recommends reflection.
Thy Mercy Is in the Heavens (vv.5-9): Thy mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens, and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds. The change of subject is total and the measurements are all vertical or unfathomable, thy righteousness is like the great mountains, thy judgments are a great deep. Then a clause that widens further than most readers notice, O LORD, thou preservest man and beast. And the imagery becomes hospitality and then supply, they shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house, for with thee is the fountain of life, in thy light shall we see light.
Let Not the Foot of Pride Come Against Me (vv.10-12): O continue thy lovingkindness unto them that know thee, and thy righteousness to the upright in heart. The petition is for continuation rather than for a new act. Then the specific danger named, let not the foot of pride come against me, and let not the hand of the wicked remove me, which returns to the man described in the first four verses. And the psalm closes on him in the perfect tense, there are the workers of iniquity fallen, they are cast down, and shall not be able to rise.

Commentary

  • Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com Verse-by-verse commentary on this chapter, written for the everyday reader and freely available online.
  • Jamieson-Fausset-Brown (1871): blueletterbible.org A critical and explanatory commentary on the whole Bible, more concise than Matthew Henry and closer to the Hebrew and Greek, with attention to historical and geographical detail. Public domain.
  • Matthew Henry's Exposition (1710): blueletterbible.org A devotional verse-by-verse commentary in the Puritan tradition, still among the most widely read three centuries on. Public domain.

Videos

Psalm 36 | Your Love Reaches to the Heavens | Bible Study
Spoken Gospel

Psalm 36 - Mercy to the Heavens
David Guzik

Articles

  • GotQuestions.org: gotquestions.org On the whole book: an overview of Psalms -- who wrote it, when, why, and how it fits the rest of Scripture.

Links open on the publisher's own site. Nothing here is reproduced on this page.

Reflection

  • No Fear of God (v.1) — The psalm traces the root of wickedness to a heart that has stopped fearing God, and everything else — self-deception, corrupt speech, calculated evil — follows from that one loss. Where has losing sight of God's holiness let other compromises creep in?
  • Love and Faithfulness Beyond Measure (vv.5-6) — David measures God's steadfast love and faithfulness against the sky, the mountains, and the ocean depths — nothing in creation is vast enough to contain them. When your circumstances feel bigger than God's care, what would it look like to trust a love this immense instead?
  • Refuge Under His Wings (v.7) — Because God's love is so precious, people take shelter in it the way a chick huddles under a mother bird's wings. Are you actually running to God for shelter when trouble comes, or trying to weather it alone first?
  • The Fountain of Life and Light (v.9) — David declares that life itself flows from God and that His light is what lets us truly see anything clearly, including ourselves. Are you trying to find meaning and clarity apart from the very source that provides them?
  • A Prayer Against Pride (v.11) — David closes by asking God to keep him from being overtaken by the arrogant. What guardrails do you keep in place so pride doesn't quietly take hold of your own heart?