The Bible

 

Psalms 36

Study

   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

   

Commentary

 

Exploring the Meaning of Psalms 36

By New Christian Bible Study Staff, Julian Duckworth

Psalm 36 has an interesting shape to it. It begins with an ‘oracle’, a declaration through a person - and spiritually, a revelation of truth from the Lord. This is about the nature of the person who is caught up in wickedness. Then, in contrast, the mercy and faithfulness of the Lord is fully described. At the end of the psalm, there are strong words affirming our wish not to be caught up in wickedness, but for all evil in us to be cast down and unable to rise up.

The theme of the first four verses has to do with hypocrisy, which is the pretence of appearing sincere or good while within being insincere, false and deceitful. Hypocrisy is a particularly terrible form of evil because of its pretence and dishonesty. Phrase after phrase brings this out: no fear of God, flatters himself, words of his mouth are deceit, devises wickedness, and sets himself in a way that is not good.

The speaker clearly understands the nature and attraction of hypocrisy because it begins with an oracle “within my heart”. It is often said that we can only speak or teach from our own experience. Spiritually, an awareness of the scope of hypocrisy to create an untrue appearance to the world, while its attraction comes from hell, arms us against it when we see it for what it is and resist it with all our being. (Refer to Heaven and Hell 359, near the end, and to Apocalypse Explained 1165)

The following words about the Lord’s mercy, faithfulness, righteousness, and judgments are given in the setting of their physical grandeur which expresses their spiritual and divine totality, for the Lord is the infinite and the eternal, and is the All in all, in whom we live, move and have our being. (Arcana Caelestia 8865)

From verse 7 onwards it moves into a full and heartfelt appreciation of the Lord’s goodness and our experience of this in so many different ways, ending with a cry for this to continue on. While the Lord’s care for us is unceasing, it is for us to sense and want this and to ask for it so that our experience of it may be full. (Apocalypse Revealed 376)

One example of the Lord’s goodness is “You give them drink from the river of your pleasures. A ‘river’ corresponds to the flow of the Lord’s unceasing providence.

Fittingly, the psalm closes with the fervent intention that we shall not be prey to the foot of pride nor the hand of what is wicked.