Psalm 36

The Pulpit Commentary - Psalms 36:4

The portrait of the godless man. "He abhorreth not evil." This dark trait is the crowning stroke in the portrait here drawn of the godless man. If a man does not hate evil, it is certain he loves not good. Those twin precepts are like stems from one root ( Romans 12:9 , "Abhor … cleave"). What a man loves and follows shows what he will be ; but what he hates shows what he is. I. HATRED OF SIN IS A MORE SEARCHING MORAL TEST THAN ADMIRATION OF GOODNESS .... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Psalms 36:5

Thy mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens . Instead of the usual contrast between the wicked man and the godly one ( Psalms 1:1-6 ; Psalms 4:2 , Psalms 4:3 ; Psalms 5:10 , Psalms 5:11 , etc.), the psalmist here makes the startling contrast between the wicked man and God! The character of the wicked man is given in four verses ( Psalms 36:1-4 ), the portrait of God in five ( Psalms 36:5-9 ). God's first and principal characteristic is "mercy"—or rather, "loving-kindness" ( חסר ).... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Psalms 36:5-12

God's revelation of himself to man. The reason for so sudden a transition in the theme of this psalm does not clearly appear. It is, indeed, possible that portions of two may be pieced together; but we have no proof of that. The remark of Calvin is very striking, "After having spoken of the great depravity of men, the prophet, afraid lest he should be infected by it, or be carried away by the example of the wicked, as by a flood, quits the subject, and recovers himself by reflecting on a... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Psalms 36:6

Thy righteousness is like the great mountains ; literally, like the mountains of God ; and so Luther, Rosenmuller, Hengstenberg, Kay, Cheyne, and the Revised Version. According to the Hebrew idiom, this means "the very greatest mountains"—those which seem to stand the strongest and the firmest. Thy judgments are a great deep; i.e. such as man cannot fathom—unsearchable—past finding out. O Lord, thou preservest man and beast. The providential care of God for his creatures is... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Psalms 36:6-7

Righteousness; judgment; loving-kindness. There are three great sayings here which deserve our deepest study. First, God's "righteousness," that perfection of his character which secures perfect justice in all his doings. It is like "the mountains," so high that it is always above us, so fixed and stable that it cannot be moved. Then God's "judgments"—his ways, his dealings with men—are called a "great deep," as being in many respects beyond our sounding or measuring, unfathomable and full... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Psalms 36:7

How excellent is thy loving-kindness, O God! The psalmist, having made mention of the "loving-kindness of God" as his most characteristic quality ( Psalms 36:5 ), and again brought it into notice as causing him to provide so carefully for all his creatures ( Psalms 36:6 ), cannot refrain from glorifying the quality whereto he has called attention . "How excellent"—or, how precious (Kay, Alexander, Cheyne, Revised Version)—" is thy loving-kindness!" How does it exceed all that we... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Psalms 36:8

They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house. God will satisfy all who trust in him with "blessings out of his holy seat," and will satisfy them abundantly. The blessings intended are spiritual blessings; and the "house" is, primarily, "the place where God set his name," which at this time was the tabernacle. Faithful Israelites were to expect spiritual blessings through faithful attendance on the tabernacle worship, so far as it was accessible to them. The "house"... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Psalms 36:9

For with thee is the fountain of life . The ultimate source of all life is God. Israel had been taught by Moses ( Deuteronomy 30:20 ) that God was their Life; but this was not all; he is equally the Origin of life to everything that lives—to angels, men, beasts, birds, fishes, zoophytes, plants (see Genesis 1:11 , Genesis 1:20 , Genesis 1:24 , Genesis 1:27 , etc.). And, as he is the sole Source of natural life, so is he also the one and only Origin of spiritual vitality ( ... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Psalms 36:9

The fountain of life. This short but sublime psalm opens in a minor key. With a few powerful strokes the psalmist paints the blindness, untruthfulness, blasphemous presumption of an ungodly life—a life void of godly fear, and of that hatred of evil without which there is no true love of goodness. Then as with a sudden recoil from this hateful spectacle, the psalmist turns to God, pouring forth a noble strain of praise. He contemplates God's mercy, truth, justice, bountiful providence, and... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Psalms 36:10

O continue thy loving-kindness unto them that know thee . Here begins the third strophe. Having finished his" instruction," the psalmist passes on to prayer; and is content to ask that God will be in the future such as he has been in the past—that he will "lengthen out," prolong, or "continue his loving-kindness" to his faithful servants, dealing with them as he has hitherto dealt with them ( Psalms 36:5 , Psalms 36:7 ), mercifully, graciously, and lovingly. His faithful servants are... read more

The Pulpit Commentary - Psalms 36:4

The Pulpit Commentary - Psalms 36:5

The Pulpit Commentary - Psalms 36:5-12

The Pulpit Commentary - Psalms 36:6

The Pulpit Commentary - Psalms 36:6-7

The Pulpit Commentary - Psalms 36:7

The Pulpit Commentary - Psalms 36:8

The Pulpit Commentary - Psalms 36:9

The Pulpit Commentary - Psalms 36:9

The Pulpit Commentary - Psalms 36:10

Verse of the Day

Daily Devotional

Group of Brands