Psalms 36:3-12

3 The words of his mouth are mischief and deceit; he has ceased to act wisely and do good.

4 He plots mischief while on his bed; he sets himself in a way that is not good; he spurns not evil.

5 Thy steadfast love, O LORD, extends to the heavens, thy faithfulness to the clouds.

6 Thy righteousness is like the mountains of God, thy judgments are like the great deep; man and beast thou savest, O LORD.

7 How precious is thy steadfast love, O God! The children of men take refuge in the shadow of thy wings.

8 They feast on the abundance of thy house, and thou givest them drink from the river of thy delights.

9 For with thee is the fountain of life; in thy light do we see light.

10 O continue thy steadfast love to those who know thee, and thy salvation to the upright of heart!

11 Let not the foot of arrogance come upon me, nor the hand of the wicked drive me away.

12 There the evildoers lie prostrate, they are thrust down, unable to rise.

Psalms 36:3-12 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.