Psalms 36King James Version
The wickedness of the wicked is laid bare. Then the famous turn: thy mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens; and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds. With thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light.
A psalm in two starkly contrasted halves. The first describes the wicked man from the inside out: no fear of God, self-flattery, words of iniquity, devising mischief on his bed. The second turns to God's lovingkindness reaching to the heavens, faithfulness to the clouds, the river of pleasures, the fountain of life, light in God's light. Then a brief prayer that this darkness not come near. The contrast is the entire point.
The wicked man is defined by his inward mirror; God's lovingkindness is defined by its scale: heavens, clouds, mountains, deep. The contrast is meant to reorient you.
verse: "For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light." Used as a doxological text across centuries of Christian worship and theology.
Superscription: 'To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David the servant of the LORD.' The LORD's servant designation is rare; used also in Psalm 18's superscription and Isaiah's servant songs. The meditation on the wicked person's self-talk (vv1-4) is one of the Psalter's most psychologically sophisticated passages.
The wicked man whose internal monologue the psalm narrates; David as observer and petitioner; God as the one whose lovingkindness runs to the heavens; children of men who trust under his wings; the proud whose foot should not come near.
Psalm 36's phrase 'in thy light shall we see light' (v9) became a central text for Christian epistemology and mystical theology. The psalm's structure, moving from the anatomy of wickedness to the excess of divine goodness, mirrors the move in Romans 1-5 from universal sin to exceeding grace. Augustine quotes v9 extensively.
For when you have spent too long studying the wrong things and your vision has contracted. This psalm is for expanding the frame back to the scale of what is actually true.
1[To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David the servant of the LORD.] The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, that there is no fear of God before his eyes.
2For he flattereth himself in his own eyes, until his iniquity be found to be hateful.
3The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit: he hath left off to be wise, and to do good.
4He deviseth mischief upon his bed; he setteth himself in a way that is not good; he abhorreth not evil.
5Thy mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens; and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds.
6Thy righteousness is like the great mountains; thy judgments are a great deep: O LORD, thou preservest man and beast.
7How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings.
8They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures.
9For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light.
10O continue thy lovingkindness unto them that know thee; and thy righteousness to the upright in heart.
11Let not the foot of pride come against me, and let not the hand of the wicked remove me.
12There are the workers of iniquity fallen: they are cast down, and shall not be able to rise.