Psalm 36:7 - Printer Friendly

ESV: How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings.

NIV: How priceless is your unfailing love, O God! People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.

NASB: How precious is Your mercy, God! And the sons of mankind take refuge in the shadow of Your wings.

CSB: How priceless your faithful love is, God! People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.

NLT: How precious is your unfailing love, O God! All humanity finds shelter in the shadow of your wings.

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

NKJV: How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings.

As he did in earlier statements (Psalm 36:5), David extols God's loyal love. Just as a mother hen gathers her chicks under her wings to protect them (Deuteronomy 32:11; Matthew 23:37), David sees God providing protection for His children (Psalm 17:8). All people are called on to take advantage of God's offer of salvation (Psalm 145:18). Other parts of the psalms connect God's protective "wings" with the idea of the "tabernacle," a tent used for worshipping God (Psalm 61:4).

An image which may have been in David's mind was the Most Holy Place in the tabernacle. The Most Holy Place (Exodus 26:33–34) was the sacred place where God's presence settled. A distinctive feature of that location was the ark of the covenant. This object included angelic figures whose wings spread over the "mercy seat" on the ark (Exodus 25:17–22). The ark of the covenant held copies of commandments (Exodus 25:16), and the mercy seat was where the high priest sprinkled blood to atone for Israel's sins (Leviticus 16:14). The cherubim looked upon the mercy seat as if to wonder about the mystery of God's love for sinners which permitted blood to come between God's presence and man's sin (1 Peter 1:12).

Psalm 36:5–9 comes after a scathing description of the wicked person. David now focuses on the excellent characteristics of the Lord God. This positive focus on God's character offers deep peace and assurance. He knows he can trust the Lord to keep him safe from the evil schemes of the wicked.

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.