Psalms 36:3

3 The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit; he has left off to be wise and to do good.

Psalms 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.

Psalms 36:3 In-Context

1 The rebellion of the wicked saith to my heart that there is no fear of God before his eyes.
2 For he flatters himself in his own eyes until his iniquity is found to be hateful.
3 The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit; he has left off to be wise and to do good.
4 He devises iniquity upon his bed; he sets himself in a way that is not good; he does not abhor evil.
5 Thy mercy, O LORD, reaches unto the heavens, and thy truth reaches unto the clouds.
The Jubilee Bible (from the Scriptures of the Reformation), edited by Russell M. Stendal, Copyright © 2000, 2001, 2010