1 {To the chief Musician. [A Psalm] of the servant of Jehovah; of David.} The transgression of the wicked uttereth within my heart, There is no fear of God before his eyes.
{To the chief Musician. [A Psalm] of David, the servant of Jehovah, who spoke to Jehovah the words of this song in the day that Jehovah had delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies and out of the hand of Saul. And he said,} I will love thee, O Jehovah, my strength.
Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave to him, to shew to his bondmen what must shortly take place; and he signified [it], sending by his angel, to his bondman John,
Jude, bondman of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to the called ones beloved in God [the] Father and preserved in Jesus Christ:
They profess to know God, but in works deny [him], being abominable, and disobedient, and found worthless as to every good work.
Paul, bondman of God, and apostle of Jesus Christ according to [the] faith of God's elect, and knowledge of [the] truth which [is] according to piety;
Either make the tree good, and its fruit good; or make the tree corrupt, and its fruit corrupt. For from the fruit the tree is known. Offspring of vipers! how can ye speak good things, being wicked? For of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.
By their fruits ye shall know them. Do [men] gather a bunch of grapes from thorns, or from thistles figs? So every good tree produces good fruits, but the worthless tree produces bad fruits. A good tree cannot produce bad fruits, nor a worthless tree produce good fruits. Every tree not producing good fruit is cut down and cast into the fire. By their fruits then surely ye shall know them.
By loving-kindness and truth iniquity is atoned for; and by the fear of Jehovah [men] depart from evil.
The fear of Jehovah is to hate evil; pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth do I hate.
Hallelujah! Blessed is the man that feareth Jehovah, that delighteth greatly in his commandments.
{A Prayer of Moses, the man of God.} Lord, *thou* hast been our dwelling-place in all generations.
And Moses the servant of Jehovah died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of Jehovah.
And Abraham said, Because I said, Surely the fear of God is not in this place, and they will kill me for my wife's sake.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Psalms 36
Commentary on Psalms 36 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
PSALM 36
Ps 36:1-12. On servant of the Lord, see on Ps 18:1, title. The wickedness of man contrasted with the excellency of God's perfections and dispensations; and the benefit of the latter sought, and the evils of the former deprecated.
1. The general sense of this difficult verse is, "that the wicked have no fear of God." The first clause may be rendered, "Saith transgression in my heart, in respect to the wicked, there is no fear," &c., that is, such is my reflection on men's transgressions.
2-4. This reflection detailed.
until his iniquity—literally, "for finding his iniquity for hating"; that is, he persuades himself God will not so find it—"for hating" involving the idea of punishing. Hence his words of iniquity and deceit, and his bold rejection of all right principles of conduct. The climax is that he deliberately adopts and patronizes evil. The negative forms affirm more emphatically their contraries.
5, 6. mercy … and … faithfulness—as mercy and truth (Ps 25:10).
6. righteousness [and] judgments—qualities of a good government (Ps 5:8; 31:1). These all are set forth, by the figures used, as unbounded.
7. shadow of thy wings—(Compare De 32:11; Ps 91:1).
8. fatness—richness.
thy house—residence—for the privileges and blessings of communion with God (Ps 23:6; 27:4).
river of thy pleasures—plenteous supply; may allude to Eden.
9. Light is an emblem of all blessings, given of God as a means to gain more.
10. that know thee—right knowledge of God is the source of right affections and conduct.
11. foot of … hand … wicked—all kinds of violent dealing.
12. There—in the acting of violence, they are overthrown. A signal defeat.