Psalm 36:1 kjv
The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, that there is no fear of God before his eyes.
Psalm 36:1 nkjv
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David the servant of the LORD. An oracle within my heart concerning the transgression of the wicked: There is no fear of God before his eyes.
Psalm 36:1 niv
For the director of music. Of David the servant of the LORD. I have a message from God in my heart concerning the sinfulness of the wicked: There is no fear of God before their eyes.
Psalm 36:1 esv
Transgression speaks to the wicked deep in his heart; there is no fear of God before his eyes.
Psalm 36:1 nlt
Sin whispers to the wicked, deep within their hearts.
They have no fear of God at all.
Psalm 36 1 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 6:5 | The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great...every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. | The corrupt human heart. |
| Jer 17:9 | The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? | Deep deception of the heart. |
| Matt 15:19 | For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. | Origin of evil from within. |
| Mk 7:21-23 | For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders... | Inner source of sin. |
| Rom 1:28-32 | And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind... | Abandoning God leads to depravity. |
| Rom 3:18 | There is no fear of God before their eyes. | Direct quote, absence of God's fear. |
| Eph 4:17-19 | ...futile in their thinking, darkened in their understanding...due to their ignorance...hardness of heart. | Spiritual blindness and hardheartedness. |
| Prov 1:7 | The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction. | Importance of God's fear for wisdom. |
| Prov 8:13 | The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil. | God's fear as a deterrent to sin. |
| Prov 9:10 | The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight. | Foundation of wisdom and understanding. |
| Psa 14:1 | The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds... | Denial of God and its consequences. |
| Psa 53:1 | The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, doing abominable iniquity... | Reiterates the fool's rejection of God. |
| Psa 111:10 | The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom... | Beginning of wisdom in God's fear. |
| Isa 5:18 | Woe to those who drag iniquity with cords of falsehood, who drag sin as with cart ropes... | Sin as an enticing force. |
| Hos 4:1-2 | ...no faithfulness or steadfast love, and no knowledge of God in the land; there is swearing, lying, murder... | Lack of knowledge of God leads to sin. |
| John 3:19-20 | And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil. | Preference for darkness and evil deeds. |
| Rom 7:23 | But I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. | Indwelling power of sin. |
| Jas 1:14-15 | But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin... | Desire as the root of sin. |
| 1 Jn 2:16 | For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. | Worldly desires are contrary to God. |
| Tit 1:15 | To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and unbelieving, nothing is pure...their mind and conscience are corrupted. | Corrupted mind and conscience. |
| Psa 10:4 | In the pride of his face the wicked does not seek him; all his thoughts are, "There is no God." | Pride leads to disregarding God. |
Psalm 36 verses
Psalm 36 1 Meaning
Psalm 36:1 describes the inherent spiritual state of the wicked. It reveals that transgression is not merely an outward act, but an inward dictate or oracle originating from deep within the heart of an ungodly individual. The fundamental reason for this internal drive towards evil is the complete absence of any reverence, awe, or accountability towards God.
Psalm 36 1 Context
Psalm 36 begins with a profound declaration concerning the wicked. This initial verse serves as the theological foundation for understanding the depravity detailed in verses 2-4, which describe the deceit, iniquity, and moral blindness of the ungodly. The psalmist attributes the wicked's destructive actions to their internal state and, critically, their complete lack of reverence for God. This contrasts sharply with verses 5-9, where the psalmist praises God's unfailing love, righteousness, and abundant goodness, offering a stark juxtaposition between human wickedness and divine perfection. Historically, this reflects Israel's wisdom tradition which emphasized the practical consequences of fearing or not fearing the Lord, distinguishing between the righteous (who acknowledge God) and the wicked (who do not).
Psalm 36 1 Word analysis
- Transgression (Hebrew: pesha - פֶּשַׁע): This term signifies rebellion, revolt, or a deliberate breaking of a covenant or boundary. It denotes a profound turning away from established moral and divine order, a bold act of defiance.
- speaks (Hebrew: ne'um - נְאֻם): Uniquely significant. Ne'um typically refers to a divine oracle or authoritative declaration from God. Here, it personifies "transgression" as having an inner voice or a ruling authority, an "oracle" that dictates terms to the wicked. It implies an internal, powerful, and controlling influence of sin, an inherent inclination that acts like an authoritative voice.
- to the wicked (Hebrew: larasha - לָרָשָׁע): Identifies the subject as someone inherently unrighteous, guilty, and often an oppressor. This individual is fundamentally characterized by a lack of justice and a rejection of God's ways.
- in his heart (Hebrew: beqerev libbo - בְּקֶרֶב לִבּוֹ): "Heart" (lev) in Hebrew thought is not just the seat of emotion but the core of one's being, including intellect, will, conscience, and inner motivation. The phrase "in his heart" signifies a deeply ingrained, private conviction and the inner disposition where evil counsel is nurtured, distinct from external actions alone.
- There is no (Hebrew: ein - אֵין): Indicates a complete absence, a nullity.
- fear of God (Hebrew: pachad Elohim - פַּחַד אֱלֹהִים): Pachad suggests dread, terror, but in the context of God, it denotes a reverential awe, profound respect for His holiness, authority, justice, and omnipresence. It implies moral accountability and submission to His divine will. Its absence means a total disregard for God's person and commands.
- before his eyes (Hebrew: l'neged einav - לְנֶגֶד עֵינָיו): This phrase emphasizes that the concept or reality of God's holy presence and the dread of His judgment are not acknowledged, considered, or kept in mind. They are completely out of view, indicating moral blindness and practical atheism in daily life.
Words-group analysis:
- "Transgression speaks to the wicked in his heart": This striking personification reveals the subjective and insidious nature of sin. Sin is not merely an external action; it has an internal voice, a controlling "oracle" or conviction that persuades and directs the ungodly from within their very being. It's a deep-seated bias towards evil.
- "There is no fear of God before his eyes": This phrase pinpoints the root cause of the wicked's internal corruption. The absence of a reverential awe and healthy dread of God's holiness, justice, and omnipresence removes the primary moral restraint. Without acknowledging God's watchful eye or ultimate judgment, the wicked individual is free to indulge their inner inclinations without constraint, leading to self-deception and complete moral depravity. This lack of fear explains the unchecked flow of evil thoughts and actions.
Psalm 36 1 Bonus section
- The use of ne'um is incredibly forceful, usually reserved for divine declarations, signifying that sin, for the wicked, operates with a quasi-divine authority, guiding and dominating their inner life.
- This verse provides a profound psychological insight into the human heart, aligning with later biblical theology (both Old and New Testaments) that identifies the heart as the wellspring of life's issues, either for good or for evil.
- The absence of the fear of God isn't simply an intellectual void but a fundamental practical and moral orientation, leading to an utterly self-centered and God-ignoring life. This distinguishes those whose lives are consumed by wickedness from those who err but still hold a reverence for God.
- The concept of sin 'speaking' foreshadows Paul's understanding of sin as an active power or 'law' dwelling within humanity (Rom 7).
Psalm 36 1 Commentary
Psalm 36:1 powerfully describes the inward state of the ungodly, positing that their evil deeds flow from a deeply corrupted inner core. It’s not just about what they do, but what their "heart" tells them to do. The metaphorical "oracle" of transgression within them means sin isn't a random occurrence but an ingrained principle that dictates their thinking and desires. This profound spiritual malady is rooted in the complete disregard for God—not merely a disbelief in His existence, but a practical dismissal of His holiness, authority, and ultimate judgment. Because they do not acknowledge God's presence or power "before their eyes," there are no internal boundaries to their wickedness. This fundamental lack of the fear of God empowers the inner voice of sin, leading to profound self-deception and overt evil, as further detailed in the subsequent verses. Practically, it highlights that genuine repentance often requires confronting the inner counsel of sin and developing a healthy, reverent fear of the Almighty.