John Calvin Commentary Psalms 36:7

"How precious is thy lovingkindness, O God! And the children of men take refuge under the shadow of thy wings." — Psalms 36:7 (ASV)

O God! How precious is your loving-kindness! Some explain these words in this sense: that God's mercy is precious, and that the children of men who put their trust in it are precious. However, this interpretation is too far removed from the words of the text.

Others understand them as meaning that God's mercy is very great to the "gods"—that is, to angels and the sons of men—but this is too speculative. I am also surprised that the Jewish Rabbis have wearied and bewildered themselves unnecessarily in seeking to find new and subtle interpretations, since the prophet's meaning is in itself perfectly evident. Namely, the children of men put their trust under the shadow of God's mercy because it is great and clearly manifested.

Since David has previously been speaking in praise of God's goodness, which extends to every creature, the opinion of other commentators—who consider that David is here discussing the special favor God shows to his children—is, in my judgment, very correct. The language seems to refer generally to all the sons of men, but what follows applies specifically to the faithful alone. To manifest more clearly the greatness of divine grace, he thus speaks in general terms, telling us that God condescends to gather the mortal offspring of Adam under his wings, as it is said in Psalm 8:4:

What is man, that you are mindful of him?
And the son of man, that you visit him?

The substance of the passage is this: The ungodly may run to every excess of wickedness, but this temptation does not prevent God's people from trusting in his goodness and casting themselves upon his fatherly care. Meanwhile, the ungodly, whose minds are degraded and whose hearts are polluted, never taste the sweetness of his goodness sufficiently to be led by it to faith, and thus to enjoy rest under the shadow of his wings.

The metaphorical expression of wings, as applied to God, is quite common in Scripture. By it, God teaches us that we are kept safe under his protecting care, just as a hen cherishes her chicks under her wings. Thus, he kindly and affectionately invites us to return to him.