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

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. He deviseth mischief upon his bed; he setteth himself in a way that is not good; he abhorreth not evil. 5Thy mercy, O Yhwh, 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 Yhwh, thou preservest man and beast.

Psalms 36:4 word by word

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

• 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 38:12They also that seek after my life lay snares for me: and they that seek my hurt speak mischievous things, and imagine deceits all the day long.
• 1 Samuel 19:11Saul also sent messengers unto David’s house, to watch him, and to slay him in the morning: and Michal David’s wife told him, saying, If thou save not thy life to night, to morrow thou shalt be slain.
• Esther 5:14Then said Zeresh his wife and all his friends unto him, Let a gallows be made of fifty cubits high, and to morrow speak thou unto the king that Mordecai may be hanged thereon: then go thou in merrily with the king unto the banquet. And the thing pleased Haman; and he caused the gallows to be made.
• Esther 6:4And the king said, Who is in the court? Now Haman was come into the outward court of the king’s house, to speak unto the king to hang Mordecai on the gallows that he had prepared for him.
• Proverbs 4:16For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall.
• Hosea 7:6For they have made ready their heart like an oven, whiles they lie in wait: their baker sleepeth all the night; in the morning it burneth as a flaming fire.
• Micah 2:1Woe to them that devise iniquity, and work evil upon their beds! when the morning is light, they practise it, because it is in the power of their hand.
• Matthew 27:1When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death:
• Acts 23:12And when it was day, certain of the Jews banded together, and bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul.
• Proverbs 24:23These things also belong to the wise. It is not good to have respect of persons in judgment.
• Isaiah 65:2I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people, which walketh in a way that was not good, after their own thoughts;
• Jeremiah 6:16Thus saith Yhwh, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.
• Jeremiah 8:6I hearkened and heard, but they spake not aright: no man repented him of his wickedness, saying, What have I done? every one turned to his course, as the horse rusheth into the battle.
• Jeremiah 9:2Oh that I had in the wilderness a lodging place of wayfaring men; that I might leave my people, and go from them! for they be all adulterers, an assembly of treacherous men.
• Micah 6:8He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth Yhwh require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?
• Psalms 97:10Ye that love Yhwh, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked.

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