Psalms 36:4-12

4 He gives thought to evil on his bed; he takes a way which is not good; he is not a hater of evil.

5 Your mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens, and your strong purpose is as high as the clouds.

6 Your righteousness is like the mountains of God; your judging is like the great deep; O Lord, you give life to man and beast.

7 How good is your loving mercy, O God! the children of men take cover under the shade of your wings.

8 The delights of your house will be showered on them; you will give them drink from the river of your pleasures.

9 For with you is the fountain of life: in your light we will see light.

10 O let there be no end to your loving mercy to those who have knowledge of you, or of your righteousness to the upright in heart.

11 Let not the foot of pride come against me, or the hand of the evil-doers put me out of my place.

12 There the workers of evil have come down: they have been made low, and will not be lifted up.

Psalms 36:4-12 Meaning and Commentary

To the chief Musician, [a Psalm] of David, the servant of the Lord. This title, which the psalmist takes to himself, regards him not only as a creature, every man being the servant of the Lord as such, of right, though not in fact; but as a king, he being a minister of God for good to good men, and for evil to evil men; and also may respect him as a renewed man; and it is here used in opposition to and distinction from the wicked, who are the servants of sin and Satan, of whom he speaks in this psalm. The Syriac and Arabic versions in their titles suggest that this psalm was written when David was persecuted by Saul, and which is the sense of some interpreters; but R. Obadiah thinks Ahithophel is designed by the wicked man in it; and so it was penned on account of Absalom's rebellion.