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Wisdom & Poetry · WORLD ENGLISH BIBLE

Psalm 36

Psalm 36 is read especially through the theme of wisdom, within Book I (Psalms 1–41). Its language invites attentive prayer before quick application.

WisdomMercy & ForgivenessCreation
Old Testament

Psalm 36

1For the Chief Musician. By David, the servant of the LORD. A revelation is within my heart about the disobedience of the wicked: There is no fear of God before his eyes.

2For he flatters himself in his own eyes, too much to detect and hate his sin.

3The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit. He has ceased to be wise and to do good.

4He plots iniquity on his bed. He sets himself in a way that is not good. He doesn’t abhor evil.

5Your loving kindness, LORD, is in the heavens. Your faithfulness reaches to the skies.

6Your righteousness is like the mountains of God. Your judgments are like a great deep. LORD, you preserve man and animal.

7How precious is your loving kindness, God! The children of men take refuge under the shadow of your wings.

8They shall be abundantly satisfied with the abundance of your house. You will make them drink of the river of your pleasures.

9For with you is the spring of life. In your light we will see light.

10Oh continue your loving kindness to those who know you, your righteousness to the upright in heart.

11Don’t let the foot of pride come against me. Don’t let the hand of the wicked drive me away.

12There the workers of iniquity are fallen. They are thrust down, and shall not be able to rise.

READ IN CONTEXT

Understanding Psalm 36

Psalm 36 is read especially through the theme of wisdom, within Book I (Psalms 1–41). Its language invites attentive prayer before quick application. Read it within the complete five-book Psalms collection, then compare its prayer language with the types of prayer found across Scripture. Classification is a reading aid rather than a replacement for the Psalm's own movement and tension.

Collection

Book I (Psalms 1–41). The five-book shape of the Psalter helps readers hear individual prayers within a deliberately arranged collection.

Themes detected

Wisdom, Mercy & Forgiveness, Creation. Read for these themes while remaining open to tension and secondary movements.

TEXT-DERIVED READING NOTES

What to notice in Psalm 36

Psalm 36 contains 12 verses and about 229 words in this translation. These observations come from the chapter itself; they are prompts for close reading, not claims about its only possible meaning.

The opening movement

Verse 1 begins: “For the Chief Musician. By David, the servant of the LORD. A revelation is within my heart about the disobedience of the wicked: There is no fear of God before his eyes.” Ask what situation, voice, image, or argument this opening establishes for everything that follows.

The closing movement

Verse 12 closes: “There the workers of iniquity are fallen. They are thrust down, and shall not be able to rise.” Compare the ending with the opening and note what changed, resolved, intensified, or remained open.

Vocabulary worth tracing

Recurring or prominent content words include iniquity, loving, kindness, heart, wicked, eyes. Follow where each word appears and whether its meaning shifts with the speaker or setting.

COMMON QUESTIONS

About Psalm 36

Which Bible translation is shown here?+

This page reproduces the World English Bible Protestant edition (WEBP), a modern-English translation dedicated to the public domain.

How should I cite a specific verse?+

Use the book, chapter, and verse—for example, Psalms 36:1—and name the World English Bible if the wording matters. Each verse number above is a direct anchor link.

Does the chapter number define the complete literary unit?+

Not always. Chapter and verse numbers were added for navigation. Check the paragraphs, scenes, poetic stanzas, or argument before and after this chapter.

What kind of Psalm is this?+

Our reading profile emphasizes wisdom, with related themes of Wisdom, Mercy & Forgiveness, Creation. Many Psalms blend genres or move between moods, so this label is a guide rather than a rigid classification.

A SMALL NEXT STEP

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