Albert Barnes Commentary Psalms 36

The transgression of the wicked - There is considerable difficulty regarding the grammatical construction of the Hebrew in this verse, though the general sense is plain. The main idea is undoubtedly that the fair explanation of the wicked's conduct, or the fair inference to be drawn from it, was that they had no fear of God before them; they did not properly regard or fear God.

The psalmist introduces himself as looking at the conduct or the acts of the wicked, and he says that their conduct can be explained, in his judgment, or in his heart, in no other way than on this supposition. The word “transgression” here refers to some open and public act. The psalmist does not state what the particular act was, though it probably related to something done to himself.

What is said here, however, with particular reference to his enemies, may be regarded as a general truth regarding the wicked. Namely, their conduct is such that the fair interpretation of what they do is that there is no fear of God before their eyes, or that they have no regard for His will.

Saith - This word—נאם n^e'ûm—is a participle from a verb, נאם nâ'am, meaning to mutter, to murmur, or to speak in a low voice, and is used especially with reference to the divine voice in which the oracles of God were revealed to the prophets (Compare to 1 Kings 19:12). It is found most commonly in connection with the word “Lord” or “Yahweh,” expressed by the phrase “Saith the Lord,” as if the oracle were the voice of Yahweh (Genesis 22:16; Numbers 14:28; Isaiah 1:24; Isaiah 3:15, and often). It is correctly rendered here “saith;” or, the “saying” of the transgression of the wicked is, etc. That is, this is what their conduct “says;” or, this is the fair interpretation of their conduct.

Within my heart - Hebrew: “in the midst of my heart.” Evidently this means in my judgment; in my apprehension; or, as we should say, “So it seems or appears to me.” My heart, or my judgment, puts this construction on their conduct, and can put no other on it.

That there is no fear of God - No reverence for God; no regard for His will. The sinner acts without any restraint derived from the law or the will of God.

Before his eyes - He does not see or apprehend God; he acts as if there were no God. This is the fair interpretation to be put upon the conduct of the wicked “everywhere”—that they have no regard for God or His law.

For he flattereth himself in his own eyes - He places such an exalted estimate on himself; he so overrates himself and his own ability in judging what is right and proper, that he is allowed to pursue a course which ultimately makes his conduct odious to all people. The result is so apparent and so abominable that no one can doubt what he himself is.

The foundation or basis of all this is an overweening confidence “in himself”—in his own importance, in his own judgment, in his own ability to direct his course regardless of God. The result is such a development of character that it cannot but be regarded as hateful or odious.

There is, indeed, considerable obscurity in the original. A literal translation would be, “For he has made smooth to him in his eyes to find his iniquity to hate.” The ancient interpretations throw no light on the passage.

The word rendered “flattereth”—חלק châlaq—means to be smooth, then to be smooth in the sense of being bland or flattering (Hosea 10:2; Psalms 5:9; Proverbs 28:23; Proverbs 2:16; Proverbs 7:5). Here the meaning is that he commends himself to himself; he overestimates himself; he ascribes to himself qualities which he does not possess—either:

1. by supposing that what he does must be right and proper, or
2. by overestimating his strength of virtue and his power to resist temptation.

He does this until God allows him to act out his own nature and to show what he is, so that his course of life is seen by himself and by others to be odious.

In his own eyes - As if his eyes were looking upon himself, or his own conduct. We act so as to be seen by others; thus he is represented as acting as if he himself were looking on and sought to commend himself to himself.

Until his iniquity be found to be hateful - Margin, as in Hebrew: “to find his iniquity to hate.” Professor Alexander renders this, “As to (God’s) finding his iniquity (and) hating (it)”; that is (as he supposes the meaning to be), that he flatters himself that God will not find out his iniquity and hate it, or punish it.

DeWette renders it, “that he does not find and hate his guilt”; that is, he so flatters himself in what he does that he does not see the guilt of what he is doing and hate it. He is blind to the real nature of what he is doing.

But it seems to me that the true construction is that which is given by our translators.

The real difficulty rests on the interpretation of the preposition in the word למצא lim^etsâ'—“until he find.” If the interpretation proposed by DeWette were the true one, the preposition should have been the Hebrew letter מ (m) instead of the Hebrew letter ל (l)—ממצא mim^etsâ' instead of למצא lim^etsâ'. The preposition used here often has the sense of “even to, until.” Compare Ezekiel 39:19 and Isaiah 7:15. This idea seems best to fit with the connection.

The idea, according to this, is that he overestimates himself. He prides himself on his own strength and goodness; he confides in his own wisdom and power; he pursues his course of conduct trusting in himself, until he is allowed to act out what is really in his heart. His conduct then becomes hateful and abominable, until he can no longer conceal what he really is.

God allows him to act out what he had tried to cover over by his own flattery. People who pride themselves on their own cunning and strength—people who attempt to conceal their plans from the world—are often thus allowed to develop their character so that the mask is taken off, and the world is permitted to see how vile they are at heart.

The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit - Are false and wicked. See the notes at Psalms 12:2. His words do not fairly represent or express what is in his heart.

He hath left off to be wise - To act wisely; to do right.

And to do good - To act benevolently and kindly. This would seem to imply that there had been a change in his conduct, or that he was not what he once professed to be and appeared to be. This language would be applicable to the change in the conduct of Saul toward David after he became envious and jealous of him (1 Samuel 18:0); and it is possible, as Amyraldus supposed, that this may have had particular reference to him. But such instances of a change of feeling and conduct are not very uncommon in the world, and it may doubtless have happened that David experienced this more than once in his life.

He deviseth mischief upon his bed - Margin, as in Hebrew: “vanity.” That is, when he lies down, when he is wakeful at night, he plots some scheme of iniquity—some vain, wicked enterprise. So in Proverbs 4:16, “For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall.”

He setteth himself - That is, he takes his stand or his position; he assumes this attitude. See Psalm 2:2, “The kings of the earth “set themselves,”” where the same word occurs. The meaning is that what is done by him is the result of a calm and deliberate purpose. It is not the effect of passion or temporary excitement, but it is a deliberate act in which the mind is made up to do the thing. The conduct here referred to is thus distinguished from rash and hasty acts, showing that this is the settled character of the man.

In a way that is not good - In a bad or wicked way; in a way in which no good can be found; in conduct which allows for no redeeming or mitigating circumstances, and for which there can be no apology.

He abhorreth not evil - He has no aversion to evil. He is not in any way deterred from doing anything because it is wrong. The fact that it is sinful is not allowed to be a consideration affecting his mind in determining what he will do.

In other words, the moral quality of an action does not influence him at all in making up his mind as to how he will act. If it is right, it is by accident, and not because he prefers the right; if it is wrong, that fact does not in any way hinder him from carrying his purpose into execution. This is, of course, the very essence of depravity.

Your mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens — This commences the second part of the psalm: the description of the character of God in contrast with the character of the wicked man.

The meaning here is evidently that the mercy of God is very exalted; it reaches to the very heavens, as high as the highest object that one can conceive.

Thus, we speak of virtue as “exalted,” or virtue of the “highest kind.”

The idea is not that the mercy of God is “manifested” in heaven, for mercy, being favor shown to the guilty, has no occasion there. Nor is the idea that mercy, as shown to humankind, has its “origin” in heaven (which is indeed true in itself). Instead, as explained above, it is of the most exalted nature, as high as one can conceive.

And Your faithfulness — Your “truthfulness;” Your fidelity to Your promises and to Your friends.

Reaches “to the clouds.” The clouds are among the highest objects. They rise above the loftiest trees, ascend above the mountains, and seem to lie or roll along the sky. The idea here, therefore, as in the first part of the verse, is that it is elevated or exalted.