Psalm 36:3 - Printer Friendly

ESV: The words of his mouth are trouble and deceit; he has ceased to act wisely and do good.

NIV: The words of their mouths are wicked and deceitful; they fail to act wisely or do good.

NASB: The words of his mouth are wickedness and deceit; He has ceased to be wise and to do good.

CSB: The words from his mouth are malicious and deceptive; he has stopped acting wisely and doing good.

NLT: Everything they say is crooked and deceitful. They refuse to act wisely or do good.

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

NKJV: The words of his mouth are wickedness and deceit; He has ceased to be wise and to do good.

David is depicting the attitude of a depraved person who rejects God and embraces sin (Psalm 36:1–2). Earlier verses suggested self-deception, as the wicked person assumes they will suffer no consequences for what they do. Here, the evil individual themselves is a source of lies and deceptions (Proverbs 6:16–19; Psalm 7:14).

This pattern follows the example of Satan. Ephesians 2:1–2 describes the life of believers before they trusted in Christ as their Savior. It says when they were "dead in the trespasses and sins," they "walked, following the [evil world system], following the prince of the power of the air [the Devil], the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience." Jesus spoke of the link that exists between a corrupt heart and corrupt words and deeds. He said, "You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speak…the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil" (Matthew 12:34–35).

This verse also notes that the wicked person acts foolishly. It is extremely unwise to disobey God by leading a sinful life (Proverbs 1:7; 3:1–6; 8:34–36).

Psalm 36:1–4 opens with an ugly but accurate picture of the immoral, evil person. Sin is lodged deep inside them, without respect for God or His will. Such a person lives as if there will never be consequences for their actions; as if no one will even know about their sin. David characterizes this depraved person as plotting sin, embracing evil, and ignoring godly wisdom.

David begins this psalm by reflecting on the deeply rooted sin which makes people rebel against God. This comes along with arrogance and an impulse to do evil all the time. In stark contrast, the Lord's character and conduct are flawless. His unfailing love is compared to the height of clouds and mountains and to the depth of the ocean. God's merciful love is praised. David concludes with a prayer that the Lord's unfailing love will continue to favor the upright in heart.

This psalm uses common themes from David's other writings which celebrate God's loyal love for those who honor Him (Psalm 3:3; 7:10; 40:9–10). The passage focuses on David's thoughts regarding evil in the world and the contrast such attitudes show to God's character. He concludes the psalm with a prayer that God would continue to extend love and righteousness to His people.

The book of Psalms is composed of individual songs, hymns, or poems, each of which is a ''Psalm'' in and of itself. These works contain a wide variety of themes. Some Psalms focus on praising and worshipping God. Others cry out in anguish over the pain of life. Still other Psalms look forward to the coming of the Messiah. While some Psalms are related, each has its own historical and biblical context.