Psalms 36
36
Human Wickedness and Divine Providence
1For the leader. Of David, the servant of the Lord.
I
2Sin directs the heart of the wicked man;
his eyes are closed to the fear of God.#Rom 3:18.
3For he lives with the delusion:
his guilt will not be known and hated.#Hated: punished by God.
4Empty and false are the words of his mouth;
he has ceased to be wise and do good.
5On his bed he hatches plots;
he sets out on a wicked way;
he does not reject evil.#Mi 2:1.
II
6#God actively controls the entire world.Lord, your mercy reaches to heaven;
your fidelity, to the clouds.#Ps 57:11; 71:19.
7Your justice is like the highest mountains;
your judgments, like the mighty deep;
human being and beast you sustain, Lord.
8How precious is your mercy, O God!
The children of Adam take refuge in the shadow of your wings.#The shadow of your wings: metaphor for divine protection. It probably refers to the winged cherubim in the holy of holies in the Temple, cf. 1 Kgs 6:23–28, 32; 2 Chr 3:10–13; Ez 1:4–9.#Ps 17:8.
9They feast on the rich food of your house;
from your delightful stream#Gn 2:8, 10. you give them drink.
10For with you is the fountain of life,#Is 55:1; Jn 4:14.
and in your light we see light.#Ps 80:4, 8, 20.
11Show mercy on those who know you,
your just defense to the upright of heart.
12Do not let the foot of the proud overtake me,
nor the hand of the wicked disturb me.
13There make the evildoers fall;
thrust them down, unable to rise.
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Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc
Psalms 36
36
For the music director. A psalm of David, servant of the Lord.
1Evil#36:1 The word used here to personify evil is that normally used when God is speaking. speaks to the wicked, deep down in their minds, for in their eyes they have no need to respect God.
2In their own eyes they're so wonderful that they can't even see their sin and do something about it.#36:2. The Hebrew of this verse is unclear.
3Whatever they say is deceptive and deceitful. They no longer do anything wisely or for good.
4Even when they're lying in bed they think up evil schemes. They commit themselves to a way of life that is no good. They choose evil, and don't reject it.
5Lord, your faithful love reaches to the heavens, your trustworthiness to the clouds.
6Your goodness is like the highest mountains, your fairness is like the deepest oceans. Lord, you save both the people and the animals.
7God, how priceless is your trustworthy love! Everyone can find protection under the shelter of your wings.
8They gain strength from the wonderful food you provide in your house; you give them drink from your refreshing river.
9You are the source of life; you are the light by which we see.
10Extend your trustworthy love to those who know you, and your goodness to those who truly live right.
11Don't let the arrogant trample me down; don't let the wicked drive me out.
12Now look! See how those who do evil have fallen—thrown down, unable to get up.
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Dr. Jonathan Gallagher. Released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Unported License. Version 4.3. For corrections send email to jonathangallagherfbv@gmail.com