John Calvin Commentary Psalms 36:2

"For he flattereth himself in his own eyes, That his iniquity will not be found out and be hated." — Psalms 36:2 (ASV)

For he flattereth himself in his own eyes. Here the Psalmist shows by their fruits, or the marks of their character, that there is no fear of God among the wicked, since they take such pleasure in committing deeds of wickedness that, although hateful in the sight of all other people, they still cherish the natural obstinacy of their hearts and willfully harden themselves in their evil course.

First, he says that they nourish their vices by flatteries, so that they may not be dissatisfied with themselves in sinning. But when he adds, until their iniquity be found to be hateful, by these words he is to be understood as referring to their determined obstinacy; for the meaning is that while they falsely flatter themselves, they proceed to such an extent in their evil course that their iniquity becomes hateful to all people.

Some translate the words this way: So that he himself finds his own iniquity to be hateful; and understand them as meaning that the wicked persist in rushing headlong into sin without restraint until, satiated or glutted with the indulgence of their depraved desires, they begin to loathe it: for even the most depraved are sometimes dissatisfied with themselves on account of their sinful conduct.

The first interpretation is, however, the more natural: namely, that the wicked, though they are hateful to all people on account of their iniquity (which, when once discovered and revealed, excites a general feeling of displeasure), are not affected by any displeasure against themselves. On the contrary, they applaud themselves, while other people despise them and abhor the wickedness of their lives.

The prophet, therefore, condemns them for their infatuation in this: while all others are offended at their disgraceful conduct, they themselves are not at all affected by it. As far as it is in their power, they abolish all distinction between good and evil and lull their conscience into a state of insensibility, so that it will not pain them and urge them to repentance.

Certainly, the infatuation described here should be the subject of our serious consideration. This infatuation is manifested in this: that people who are given up to a reprobate mind, while they make themselves hateful in the sight of all other people, are nevertheless destitute of all sense of their own sins.