Psalms 36:4

Psalms 36:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)He deviseth mischief upon his bed; he setteth himself in a way that is not good; he abhorreth not evil.
• New International Version (NIV)Even on their beds they plot evil; they commit themselves to a sinful course and do not reject what is wrong.
• English Standard Version (ESV)He plots trouble while on his bed; he sets himself in a way that is not good; he does not reject evil.
• New King James Version (NKJV)He devises wickedness on his bed; He sets himself in a way that is not good; He does not abhor evil.

Context of Psalms 36:4

2He flatters himself and does not hate or ⌞even⌟ recognize his guilt. 3The words from his mouth are ⌞nothing but⌟ trouble and deception. He has stopped doing what is wise and good. He invents trouble while lying on his bed and chooses to go the wrong direction. He does not reject evil. 5O Lord, your mercy reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. 6Your righteousness is like the mountains of God, your judgments like the deep ocean. You save people and animals, O Lord.

Psalms 36:4 word by word

אָ֤וֶן׀ יַחְשֹׁ֗ב עַֽל־מִשְׁכָּ֫ב֥וֹ יִ֭תְיַצֵּב עַל־דֶּ֣רֶךְ לֹא־ט֑וֹב רָ֝֗ע לֹ֣א יִמְאָֽס׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• He devisethחָשַׁבchâshab · to devise: deviseH2803
• mischiefאָ֫וֶן'âven · evil: wickednessH205
• upon his bedמִשְׁכָּבmishkâb · bedH4904
• he settethיָצַבyâtsab · to standH3320
• himself in a wayדֶּ֫רֶךְderek · way: conductH1870
• not goodטוֹבţôb · pleasantH2896
• he abhorrethמָאַסmâ'as · to rejectH3988
• not evilרַעra‛ râ‛âh · bad: evilH7451

Cross-references for Psalms 36:4

• Psalms 38:12Those who seek my life lay traps for me. Those who are out to harm me talk about ruining me. All day long they think of ways to deceive me.
• 1 Samuel 19:11Saul sent messengers to watch David’s house and kill him in the morning. But Michal, David’s wife, advised him, “If you don’t save yourself tonight, you’ll be dead tomorrow!”
• Esther 5:14Then his wife Zeresh and all his friends said to him, “Have a pole set up, 75 feet high, and in the morning ask the king to have Mordecai’s ⌞dead body⌟ hung on it. Then go with the king to the dinner in good spirits.” Haman liked the idea, so he had the pole set up.
• Esther 6:4The king asked, “Who is in the courtyard?” At that moment, Haman came through the courtyard to the king’s palace to ask the king about hanging Mordecai on the pole he had prepared for him.
• Proverbs 4:16Wicked people cannot sleep unless they do wrong, and they are robbed of their sleep unless they make someone stumble.
• Hosea 7:6They become hot like an oven while they lie in ambush. All night long their anger smolders, but in the morning it burns like a raging fire.
• Micah 2:1How horrible it will be for those who invent trouble and work out plans for disaster while in bed. When the morning dawns, they carry out their plans because they are able to.
• Matthew 27:1Early in the morning all the chief priests and the leaders of the people decided to execute Jesus.
• Acts 23:12In the morning the Jews formed a conspiracy. They asked God to curse them if they ate or drank anything before they had killed Paul.
• Proverbs 24:23These also are the sayings of wise people: Showing partiality as a judge is not good.
• Isaiah 65:2I stretched out my hands all day long to stubborn people. They chose to go the wrong direction. They followed their own plans.
• Jeremiah 6:16This is what the Lord says: Stand at the crossroads and look. Ask which paths are the old, reliable paths. Ask which way leads to blessings. Live that way, and find a resting place for yourselves. But you said that you wouldn’t live that way.
• Jeremiah 8:6I have paid attention and listened, but they weren’t honest. They don’t turn away from their wickedness and ask, “What have we done?” They go their own ways like horses charging into battle.
• Jeremiah 9:2I wish I had a place to stay in the desert. I would abandon my people and go away from them. They are all adulterers, a mob of traitors.
• Micah 6:8You mortals, the Lord has told you what is good. This is what the Lord requires from you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to live humbly with your God.
• Psalms 97:10Let those who love the Lord hate evil. The one who guards the lives of his godly ones will rescue them from the power of wicked people.

Commentaries on Psalms 36:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4He deviseth mischief upon his bed - He seeks the silent and undisturbed watches of the night, in order to fix his plans of wickedness. He setteth himself - Having laid his plans he fixes his purpose to do what is bad; and he does it without any checks of conscience or abhorrence of evil. He is bent only on mischief, and lost to all sense of God and goodness. A finished character of a perfect sinner.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4He deviseth mischief upon his bed - Margin, as in Hebrew: “vanity.” That is, when he lies down; when he is wakeful at night; he plots some scheme of iniquity - some vain, wicked enterprise. So in Proverbs 4:16, “For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall.” He setteth himself - That is, he takes his stand or his position; he assumes this attitude. See Psalm 2:2, “The kings of the earth…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-4Foolish people reject wisdom and goodness while they chase after evil.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2-42-4. This reflection detailed. until his iniquity--literally, "for finding his iniquity for hating"; that is, he persuades himself God will not so find it--"for hating" involving the idea of punishing. Hence his words of iniquity and deceit, and his bold rejection of all right principles of conduct. The climax is that he deliberately adopts and patronizes evil. The negative forms affirm more emphatically their contraries.Read the comment

Topics related to Psalms 36:4

• Vanity
• Wicked (People)

In the dictionaries

• Continue
• Deep
• Preserve
• Pride
• Tell
• Pentateuch
• Psalms, Book of

Commentaries on Psalms 36

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• The Treasury of David
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings