Psalm 36:3

3 His words are wrong and deceitful; he has stopped being wise and doing good.

Psalm 36:3 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 36:3

The words of his mouth [are] iniquity and deceit
Not only sinful, but sin itself; his mouth is full of cursing and bitterness, of filthy and unchaste words, of corrupt communication, lying, deceit, and flattery; out of the abundance of the wickedness of his heart his mouth speaketh; and which shows the badness of it, and proves all that is said before of him;

he hath left off to be wise, [and] to do good;
by which the psalmist seems to intend one that had been a professor of religion, who, besides the light of nature he had acted contrary to, had had the advantage of a divine revelation, and had been enlightened into the knowledge of divine things, and had done many things externally good, particularly acts of beneficence; but now had dropped his profession of religion, denied the truths he had been enlightened into, and ceased from doing good; otherwise a natural man understandeth not; and, though he is wise to do evil, to do good he has no knowledge.

Psalm 36:3 In-Context

1 For the leader. By David, the servant of ADONAI: Crime speaks to the wicked. I perceive this in my heart; before his eyes there is no fear of God.

2 For, the way he sees it, crime makes his life easy that is, until his wrongs are discovered; then, he is hated.

3 His words are wrong and deceitful; he has stopped being wise and doing good.

4 He devises trouble as he lies in bed; so set is he on his own bad way that he doesn't hate evil.

5 ADONAI, in the heavens is your grace; your faithfulness reaches to the skies.