King James Version
Psalms 36
12 verses with commentary
Your Steadfast Love Extends to the Heavens
To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David the servant of the LORD. The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, that there is no fear of God before his eyes.
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KJV Study Commentary
The Hebrew structure is complex: 'transgression speaks to the wicked within his heart.' Sin personified delivers its message, convincing the wicked that God is irrelevant. The phrase 'no fear of God before his eyes' is quoted in Romans 3:18 as descriptive of universal human depravity. Fear of God is foundational to wisdom (Proverbs 9:10); its absence produces moral chaos where sin's voice replaces...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(1) **The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart . . .**—The literal rendering of the present Hebrew text is, *An utterance of sin to the wicked within my heart. *The common phrase rendered in our version, “Thus saith Jehovah,” is here imitated, “Thus saith sin.” “To the wicked” cannot, as some explain, mean “concerning the wicked.” The only possible meaning of the text as it stands is ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 36
Chapter Outline
Elihu desires Job's attention.(1-4)
The methods in which God deals with men.(5-14)
Elihu counsels Job.(15-23)
The wonders in the works of creation.(24-33)
**Verses 1-4**
Elihu only maintained that the affliction was sent for his trial; and lengthened because Job was not yet thoroughly humbled under it. He sought to ascribe righteousness to his M...
Read full commentary →For he flattereth himself in his own eyes, until his iniquity be found to be hateful. until: Heb. to find his iniquity to hate
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KJV Study Commentary
Self-flattery (Hebrew 'chalaq,' to be smooth, slippery) describes the wicked smoothing over conscience's objections, rationalizing sin until conviction is silenced. 'Until his iniquity be found to be hateful' suggests eventual discovery and exposure—either by others or through consequences making sin's ugliness undeniable. This psychological insight reveals how sin requires ongoing self-deception;...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(2) **For he flattereth . . .**—Literally, *For he *(or, *it*)* makes smooth to him in his eyes to find out his evil to hate. *(See margin.) A sentence of great difficulty. We must seek for the key to the interpretation of these words in the balance of the two phrases, “before his eyes,” “in his own eyes,” and must take the two verses together. They form, in fact, an example of introverted paralle...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
INTRODUCTION
The Hebrew title of this book is Tehilim ("praises" or "hymns"), for a leading feature in its contents is praise, though the word occurs in the title of only one Psalm (the hundred forty-fifth). The Greek title (in the Septuagint, a translation made two hundred years before Christ) is psalmoi, whence our word "Psalms." This corresponds to the Hebrew word mizmoi by which sixty-five P...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 36
Chapter Outline
Elihu desires Job's attention.(1-4)
The methods in which God deals with men.(5-14)
Elihu counsels Job.(15-23)
The wonders in the works of creation.(24-33)
**Verses 1-4**
Elihu only maintained that the affliction was sent for his trial; and lengthened because Job was not yet thoroughly humbled under it. He sought to ascribe righteousness to his M...
Read full commentary →The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit: he hath left off to be wise, and to do good.
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KJV Study Commentary
Speech reveals heart condition—'iniquity and deceit' characterize the wicked's words because his inner life is corrupt (Matthew 12:34). The phrase 'left off to be wise' indicates apostasy, a deliberate turning from known truth. This isn't ignorance but willful rejection of wisdom previously possessed. Ceasing to 'do good' follows ceasing to 'be wise,' demonstrating that right thinking precedes rig...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(3, 4) From the secret promptings of sin, the description of the ungodly passes on to its issues in words and deeds. It is an awful picture of wickedness of a man abandoning himself without check or remorse to the inspiration of his own evil heart. He goes from bad to worse. In a great English tragedy, the murderer, though he has determined to wade farther in blood, yet prays against the horror of...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**2. law--**all of God's word then written, especially the books of Moses (compare Psa 119:1, 55, 97, &c.).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 36
Chapter Outline
Elihu desires Job's attention.(1-4)
The methods in which God deals with men.(5-14)
Elihu counsels Job.(15-23)
The wonders in the works of creation.(24-33)
**Verses 1-4**
Elihu only maintained that the affliction was sent for his trial; and lengthened because Job was not yet thoroughly humbled under it. He sought to ascribe righteousness to his M...
Read full commentary →He deviseth mischief upon his bed; he setteth himself in a way that is not good; he abhorreth not evil. mischief: or, vanity
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KJV Study Commentary
Plotting evil 'upon his bed' reveals premeditation—the wicked use rest times for scheming rather than reflection or prayer. 'He setteth himself in a way that is not good' indicates deliberate choice and persistence in evil direction. The climax 'he abhorreth not evil' shows complete moral inversion—not merely doing wrong but losing revulsion toward it. This describes total depravity where conscien...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**3. like a tree--**(Jr 17:7, 8).
**planted--**settled, fast.
**by--**or, "over."
**the rivers--**canals for irrigation.
**shall prosper--**literally, "make prosper," brings to perfection. The basis of this condition and character is given (Psa 32:1).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 36
Chapter Outline
Elihu desires Job's attention.(1-4)
The methods in which God deals with men.(5-14)
Elihu counsels Job.(15-23)
The wonders in the works of creation.(24-33)
**Verses 1-4**
Elihu only maintained that the affliction was sent for his trial; and lengthened because Job was not yet thoroughly humbled under it. He sought to ascribe righteousness to his M...
Read full commentary →Thy mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens; and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds.
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KJV Study Commentary
The dramatic shift from wickedness (vv. 1-4) to God's attributes provides deliberate contrast. God's mercy (Hebrew 'chesed,' covenant love, lovingkindness) reaches 'the heavens,' His faithfulness 'unto the clouds'—hyperbolic language expressing limitless extent. While the wicked's thoughts barely extend beyond their bed (v. 4), God's character fills the cosmos. This juxtaposition teaches that God'...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(5) **Thy mercy, O Lord, is in . . .**—Better,
Jehovah, to the heavens (reacheth) thy grace,
Thy faithfulness to the sky.
*i.e., *there are no narrower bounds of divine mercy and truth.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**4. not so--**either as to conduct or happiness.
**like the chaff--**which, by Eastern modes of winnowing against the wind, was utterly blown away.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 5-12**
Men may shut up their compassion, yet, with God we shall find mercy. This is great comfort to all believers, plainly to be seen, and not to be taken away. God does all wisely and well; but what he does we know not now, it is time enough to know hereafter. God's loving-kindness is precious to the saints. They put themselves under his protection, and then are safe and easy. Graci...
Read full commentary →Thy righteousness is like the great mountains; thy judgments are a great deep: O LORD, thou preservest man and beast. the: Heb. the mountains of God
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Thy righteousness is like the great mountains; thy judgments are a great deep.</strong> This verse uses two powerful nature metaphors to express the incomprehensible magnitude of God's attributes. The Hebrew word <em>tsedaqah</em> (צְדָקָה, "righteousness") refers to God's perfect moral character and His faithful adherence to covenant promises. Comparing it to "the great mountains" (<em>ha...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(6) **Great mountains.**—See margin, and compare Psalm 80:10, “cedars of God.” So too the rain is called “God’s brook.” The epithet not only implies greatness and dignity, but also has reference to God as Creator.
**A great deep.**—The reference, as usual, with the words *deep, depth, *is to the great abyss of waters, of which the seas were regarded as the surface.
The twofold comparison in this v...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**5. stand in the judgment--**be acquitted. They shall be driven from among the good (Mt 25:45, 46).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 5-12**
Men may shut up their compassion, yet, with God we shall find mercy. This is great comfort to all believers, plainly to be seen, and not to be taken away. God does all wisely and well; but what he does we know not now, it is time enough to know hereafter. God's loving-kindness is precious to the saints. They put themselves under his protection, and then are safe and easy. Graci...
Read full commentary →How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings. excellent: Heb. precious
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KJV Study Commentary
The exclamation 'How excellent!' (Hebrew 'yaqar,' precious, rare, valuable) expresses wonder at God's lovingkindness. The imagery 'shadow of thy wings' evokes both the cherubim's wings over the mercy seat (Exodus 25:20) and a mother bird protecting young (Psalm 91:4, Matthew 23:37). Trusting 'under' these wings indicates finding refuge in God's protective presence. This intimate imagery contrasts ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(7) **How excellent.**—Better, *how precious.*
**Therefore . . .**—Better, the simple conjunction, *and sons of men, they find shelter, *&c
**Shadow of thy wings.**—See Psalm 17:8, Note.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**6. knoweth the way--**attends to and provides for them (Psa 101:6; Pr 12:10; Ho 13:5).
**way of the wicked--**All their plans will end in disappointment and ruin (Psa 37:13; 146:8; Pr 4:19).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 5-12**
Men may shut up their compassion, yet, with God we shall find mercy. This is great comfort to all believers, plainly to be seen, and not to be taken away. God does all wisely and well; but what he does we know not now, it is time enough to know hereafter. God's loving-kindness is precious to the saints. They put themselves under his protection, and then are safe and easy. Graci...
Read full commentary →They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures. abundantly: Heb. watered
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KJV Study Commentary
Abundance satisfaction with 'the fatness of thy house' refers to temple worship where sacrificial portions provided celebratory meals. The 'river of thy pleasures' (Hebrew 'eden,' delight) may allude to Eden's rivers, suggesting that worship restores paradise lost. God doesn't merely provide necessity but lavish delight, abundance beyond need. This counters the wicked's self-centered pursuit of pl...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(8) **They shall be abundantly satisfied.**—Better, in order to preserve the parallelism, literally, *They shall drink to the full. *LXX. and Vulg., “They shall be intoxicated with,” &c
**Fatness, **therefore, is not here the fat of the sacrificial offerings, but the stream of grace flowing from above, to enrich men as the rain enriches the earth. (Comp. Psalm 65:11, where “fatness” means “fertili...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 5-12**
Men may shut up their compassion, yet, with God we shall find mercy. This is great comfort to all believers, plainly to be seen, and not to be taken away. God does all wisely and well; but what he does we know not now, it is time enough to know hereafter. God's loving-kindness is precious to the saints. They put themselves under his protection, and then are safe and easy. Graci...
Read full commentary →For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light.
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KJV Study Commentary
The metaphor shifts from eating (v. 8) to drinking from 'the fountain of life,' portraying God as the ultimate source of vitality. 'In thy light shall we see light' indicates that divine illumination enables true perception—without God's revelation, we remain in darkness, unable to discern reality. This verse is foundational to Reformed epistemology: all knowledge depends on God's self-disclosure....
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(9) **In thy light.**—Better, *by thy light. *This wonderful verse inspired Milton’s sublime invocation:
“The author of all being,
Fountain of light, thyself invisible
Amidst the glorious brightness where thou sitt’st.”
It contains the germ of that moral and spiritual teaching which had its highest development in the Epistles of St. John. But the original intention of the words seems to be that th...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
PSALM 2 Psa 2:1-12. The number and authorship of this Psalm are stated (Ac 4:25; 13:33). Though the warlike events of David's reign may have suggested its imagery, the scenes depicted and the subjects presented can only find a fulfilment in the history and character of Jesus Christ, to which, as above cited and in He 1:5; 5:5, the New Testament writers most distinctly testify. In a most animated a...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 5-12**
Men may shut up their compassion, yet, with God we shall find mercy. This is great comfort to all believers, plainly to be seen, and not to be taken away. God does all wisely and well; but what he does we know not now, it is time enough to know hereafter. God's loving-kindness is precious to the saints. They put themselves under his protection, and then are safe and easy. Graci...
Read full commentary →O continue thy lovingkindness unto them that know thee; and thy righteousness to the upright in heart. continue: Heb. draw out at length
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KJV Study Commentary
The prayer for continuance ('O continue') recognizes that God's past faithfulness doesn't guarantee presumptuous assumption but motivates petition for ongoing grace. The recipients—'them that know thee' and 'the upright in heart'—indicates covenant relationship and moral integrity. Knowing God isn't merely intellectual but experiential, relational knowledge ('yada'), while uprightness describes th...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
2. The kings and rulers lead on their subjects.
**set themselves--**take a stand.
**take counsel--**literally, "sit together," denoting their deliberation.
**anointed--**Hebrew, "Messiah"; Greek, "Christ" (Joh 1:41). Anointing, as an emblem of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, was conferred on prophets (Is 6:1); priests (Ex 30:30); and kings (1Sa 10:1; 16:13; 1Ki 1:39). Hence this title well sui...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 5-12**
Men may shut up their compassion, yet, with God we shall find mercy. This is great comfort to all believers, plainly to be seen, and not to be taken away. God does all wisely and well; but what he does we know not now, it is time enough to know hereafter. God's loving-kindness is precious to the saints. They put themselves under his protection, and then are safe and easy. Graci...
Read full commentary →Let not the foot of pride come against me, and let not the hand of the wicked remove me.
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KJV Study Commentary
The 'foot of pride' personifies arrogant opposition coming to trample the righteous. Pride was considered the foundational sin (Proverbs 16:18), producing all other evils. The parallel 'hand of the wicked' suggests active persecution—foot for approaching, hand for removing or harming. David's prayer acknowledges vulnerability and dependence on God's protection against forces that would displace hi...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(11) **The foot of pride . . . the hand of the wicked.**—The one tramples on the lowly; the other is full of violence.
**Remove.**—Better, *expel, *but we have no indication from where. Perhaps from the Temple.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
3. The rebellious purposes of men are more distinctly announced by this representation of their avowal in words, as well as actions.
**bands ... and ... cords--**denote the restraints of government.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 5-12**
Men may shut up their compassion, yet, with God we shall find mercy. This is great comfort to all believers, plainly to be seen, and not to be taken away. God does all wisely and well; but what he does we know not now, it is time enough to know hereafter. God's loving-kindness is precious to the saints. They put themselves under his protection, and then are safe and easy. Graci...
Read full commentary →There are the workers of iniquity fallen: they are cast down, and shall not be able to rise.
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KJV Study Commentary
The prophetic perfect tense 'are fallen... are cast down' describes future judgment with past tense certainty—what God decreed is accomplished regardless of timing. 'There' may indicate a specific place of judgment or simply 'behold!' The finality 'shall not be able to rise' emphasizes irreversible defeat. This conclusion answers the psalm's opening portrait of seemingly successful wickedness (vv....
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(12) **There . . .***—Of place. *The poet has some definite incident in his mind, but has not told enough for us to identify it.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
4. By a figure whose boldness is only allowable to an inspired writer, God's conduct and language in view of this opposition are now related.
**He that sitteth in the heavens--**enthroned in quiet dignities (compare Psa 29:10; Is 40:22).
**shall laugh--**in supreme contempt; their vain rage excites His derision. He is still the Lord, literally, "Sovereign," though they rebel.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 5-12**
Men may shut up their compassion, yet, with God we shall find mercy. This is great comfort to all believers, plainly to be seen, and not to be taken away. God does all wisely and well; but what he does we know not now, it is time enough to know hereafter. God's loving-kindness is precious to the saints. They put themselves under his protection, and then are safe and easy. Graci...
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