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

2An oracle of Transgression— within my heart, to the wicked one: “There is no fear of God before his eyes. 3For he flatters himself in his own eyes, too much to notice his iniquity —or hate it. His mouth’s words are iniquity and deceit. He has ceased to be wise and do good. 5Even on his bed he plans sin. He puts himself on a path that is no good, never refusing evil.” 6Your love, Adonai, is in the heavens, Your faithfulness up to the skies.

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 38:12My friends and my companions stay away from my wound, and my kinsmen stand far off.
• 1 Samuel 19:11Then Saul sent agents to David’s house to watch him, in order to kill him in the morning. But David’s wife Michal warned him saying, “If you don’t escape for your life tonight, tomorrow you will be dead!”
• Esther 5:14Then Zeresh his wife and all his friends said to him, “Let them set up a gallows 50 cubits high, and in the morning ask the king to have Mordecai hanged on it. Then go happily with the king to the banquet.” This idea delighted Haman and he ordered the gallows to be built.
• Esther 6:4The king said, “Who is in the courtyard?” Now Haman had just come into the outer court of the king’s palace to speak to the king about hanging Mordecai on the gallows that he had prepared for him.
• Proverbs 4:16For they cannot sleep until they do evil. They are robbed of sleep until they make someone fall.
• Hosea 7:6For their hearts are like an oven, as they wait in ambush. All night their anger smolders. In the morning it burns like a blazing fire.
• Micah 2:1Oy to them who scheme wickedness, who work out evil upon their beds! In the light of the morning, they do it, for the power is in their hands.
• Matthew 27:1When daybreak came, the ruling kohanim and elders of the people conspired against Yeshua to put Him to death.
• Acts 23:12When it was day, the Judean leaders formed a conspiracy. They bound themselves by an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul.
• Proverbs 24:23These sayings are also from the wise: Partiality in judgment is not good.
• Isaiah 65:2I have stretched out My hands all day to a rebellious people, who walk in a way that is not good, following their own thoughts.
• Jeremiah 6:16Thus says Adonai: “Stand in the roads and look. Ask for the ancient paths— where the good way is— and walk in it. Then you will find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We won’t walk in it.’
• Jeremiah 8:6I listened attentively, but they have not spoken what is right. No one repents of his wickedness, saying, ‘What have I done?’ Each one turns in his own direction, like a horse charging into battle.
• Jeremiah 9:2They bend their tongue like a bow. Lies, not faithfulness, prevail in the land. “For they go from evil to evil and do not know Me,” says Adonai.
• Micah 6:8He has told you, humanity, what is good, and what Adonai is seeking from you: Only to practice justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
• Psalms 97:10You who love Adonai, hate evil! He watches over the souls of His godly ones. He delivers 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