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36. Psalm 36

1 I have a message from God in my heart
   concerning the sinfulness of the wicked: Or A message from God: The transgression of the wicked / resides in their hearts.
There is no fear of God
   before their eyes.

    2 In their own eyes they flatter themselves
   too much to detect or hate their sin.

3 The words of their mouths are wicked and deceitful;
   they fail to act wisely or do good.

4 Even on their beds they plot evil;
   they commit themselves to a sinful course
   and do not reject what is wrong.

    5 Your love, LORD, reaches to the heavens,
   your faithfulness to the skies.

6 Your righteousness is like the highest mountains,
   your justice like the great deep.
   You, LORD, preserve both people and animals.

7 How priceless is your unfailing love, O God!
   People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.

8 They feast on the abundance of your house;
   you give them drink from your river of delights.

9 For with you is the fountain of life;
   in your light we see light.

    10 Continue your love to those who know you,
   your righteousness to the upright in heart.

11 May the foot of the proud not come against me,
   nor the hand of the wicked drive me away.

12 See how the evildoers lie fallen—
   thrown down, not able to rise!


11. Let not the foot of pride come upon me As I have observed a little before, the Psalmist here applies to his own circumstances the prayer which he had offered. But by including in his prayer in the preceding verse all the children of God, he designed to show that he asked nothing for himself apart from others, but only desired that as one of the godly and upright, who have their eyes directed to God, he might enjoy his favor. He has employed the expressions, the foot of pride, 1212     That is, the foot of the proud man, as the Chaldee translates it, the thing being put for the person in whom it is; a mode of expression of frequent occurrence in Scripture. Thus deceit, in Proverbs 12:27, is put for a deceitful man; poverty, in 2 Kings 24:14, for poor people, etc. There appears to be here an allusion to the ancient practice of tyrants in treading upon their enemies, or in spurning those who offended them from their presence with their feet. and the hand of the wicked, in the same sense. As the wicked rush boldly to the destruction of good men, lifting up their feet to tread upon them, and having their hands ready to do them wrong, David entreats God to restrain their hands and their feet; and thus he confesses that he is in danger of being exposed to their insolence, abuse, and violence, unless God come speedily to his aid.


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