IiNdumiso 36:1

Izhibhalo Ezingcwele

1 Kumongameli. Eyomkhonzi kaYehova. EkaDavide. Ongendawo unezihlabo zokreqo entliziyweni yakhe ngaphakathi, ezithi, Akukho koyika Thixo emehlweni akhe,

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

servant: Psalms 18:1, Psalms 90:1, *titles Psalms 143:12, Deuteronomy 34:5, 2 Timothy 2:24, Titus 1:1, James 1:1, 2 Peter 1:1, Jude 1:1, Revelation 1:1

The transgression: Or, rather, "The speech of transgression to the wicked is within his heart: there is no fear of God before his eyes;" for instead of libbi, "my heart," four manuscripts, have libbo, "his heart," which is also the reading of the LXX, Vulgate, Syriac, Arabic, Ethiopic, and Anglo-Saxon. 1 Samuel 15:13, 1 Samuel 15:14, Proverbs 20:11, Matthew 7:16-20, Matthew 12:33, Matthew 12:34, Titus 1:16

no: Psalms 112:1, Genesis 20:11, Proverbs 8:13, Proverbs 16:6, Ecclesiastes 12:13, Romans 3:18

Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 25:18 - feared 1 Samuel 18:22 - commanded Job 1:8 - one Job 6:14 - he forsaketh Job 15:4 - castest off Psalms 5:9 - For Psalms 14:1 - They are Psalms 19:9 - The fear Psalms 54:3 - they have Psalms 86:14 - and have Jeremiah 2:19 - and that my Jeremiah 36:24 - they Hosea 5:4 - They will not frame their doings Malachi 3:5 - fear Luke 23:40 - Dost Acts 8:21 - for Revelation 14:7 - Fear

Gill's Notes on the Bible

The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart,.... Which is represented as a person speaking within him; not that the transgression of the wicked was really in him; sin was in him, and sin of the same kind and nature with the wicked man's; but he taking notice of and considering the wicked man's sinful course of life, and his daring impieties, conceived in his own mind, and concluded from hence,

[that there is] no fear of God before his eyes; no reverential affection for him, but enmity to him; no godly filial fear, but at most only a slavish fear, a fear of punishment; no holy and humble fear of him, but pride and wickedness; no fiducial and obediential fear, but all the reverse; true worship of him, either internally or externally: there can be no fear of God in any unregenerate man's, heart, because it is not of nature, but of grace, and is, what is implanted at first conversion; there is in some an appearance of it, where it is not really, whose fear is taught by the precept of men; and in others there may be some awe of the divine Being, and trembling at the thought of a future judgment, arising from the dictates of nature, the light of revelation, and the enjoyment of a religious education; but in some there is no fear of God at all, and they are bold and daring enough to assert it themselves, as the unjust judge did, Luke 18:4. Such as the atheist, the common swearer, the debauchee and epicure, who give up themselves to all manner of wickedness, contemn revelation, despise the word of God, and regard no day nor manner of worship; and this notwithstanding the majesty of God, at whose presence they tremble not, and notwithstanding the goodness of God, which should induce them to fear him, and notwithstanding the judgment of God on others, and even on themselves; see Jeremiah 3:8; and notwithstanding the future awful judgment, which they put far away or disbelieve. The Targum is, "transgression saith to the wicked within my heart"; and Jarchi's note upon the text is this,

"this text is to be transposed thus, it is in my heart, that transgression, which is the evil imagination, says to the wicked man, that there should be no fear of God before his eyes; and the phrase, "in the midst of my heart", is as if a man should say, so it seems to me.''

The Septuagint version, and those that follow it, render the words thus, "the transgressor said, that he might sin in himself, there is no fear of God before his eyes". Gussetius b interprets "before his eyes", before the eyes of God himself, who is so good a Being, that the sinner fears no punishment from him, but will pardon all his sins.

b Ebr. Comment. p. 488.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The transgression of the wicked - There is considerable difficulty in respect to the grammatical construction of the Hebrew in this verse, though the general sense is plain. The main idea undoubtedly is, that the fair explanation of the conduct of the wicked, or the fair inference to be derived from that conduct was, that they had no fear of God before them; that they did in no proper way regard or fear God. The psalmist introduces himself as looking at the conduct or the acts of the wicked, and he says that their conduct can be explained, in his judgment, or “in his heart,” in no other way than on this supposition. The word “transgression” here refers to some open and public act. What the particular act was the psalmist does not state, though probably it had reference to something which had been done to himself. What is here said, however, with particular reference to his enemies, may be regarded as a general truth in regard to the wicked, to wit, that their conduct is such that the fair interpretation of what they do is, that there is no “fear of God before their eyes,” or that they have no regard for his will.

Saith - This word - נאם n^e'ûm - is a participle from a verb, נאם nâ'am, meaning to mutter; to murmur; to speak in a low voice; and is employed especially with reference to the divine voice in which the oracles of God were revealed to the prophets. Compare 1 Kings 19:12. It is found most commonly in connection with the word “Lord” or “Yahweh,” expressed by the phrase “Saith the Lord,” as if the oracle were the voice of Yahweh. Genesis 22:16; Numbers 14:28; Isaiah 1:24; Isaiah 3:15, “et saepe.” It is correctly rendered here “saith;” or, the “saying” of the transgression of the wicked is, etc. That is, this is what their conduct “says;” or, this is the fair interpretation of their conduct.

Within my heart - Hebrew: “in the midst of my heart.” Evidently this means in my judgment; in my apprehension; or, as we should say, “So it seems or appears to me.” My heart, or my judgment, puts this construction on their conduct, and can put no other on it.

That there is “no fear of God - No reverence for God; no regard for his will. The sinner acts without any restraint derived from the law or the will of God.

Before his eyes - He does not see or apprehend God; he acts as if there were no God. This is the fair interpretation to be put upon the conduct of the wicked “everywhere” - that they have no regard for God or his law.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

PSALM XXXVI

The miserable state of the wicked, 1-4.

The excellence of God's mercy in itself, and to his followers,

5-9.

He prays for the upright, 10;

for himself that he may be saved from pride and violence, 11;

and shows the end of the workers of iniquity, 12.

NOTES ON PSALM XXXVI

The title in the Hebrew is, To the conqueror, to the servant of Jehovah, to David. The Syriac and Arabic suppose it to have been composed on occasion of Saul's persecution of David. Calmet supposes, on good grounds, that it was written during the Babylonish captivity. It is one of the finest Psalms in the whole collection.

Verse Psalms 36:1. The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart — It is difficult to make any sense of this line as it now stands. How can the transgression of the wicked speak within my heart? But instead of לבי libbi, MY heart, four of Kennicott's and De Rossi's MSS. have לבו libbo, HIS heart. "The speech of transgression to the wicked is in the midst of his heart." "There is no fear of God before his eyes." It is not by example that such a person sins; the fountain that sends forth the impure streams is in his own heart. There the spirit of transgression lives and reigns; and, as he has no knowledge of God, so he has no fear of God; therefore, there is no check to his wicked propensities: all come to full effect. Lust is conceived, sin is brought forth vigorously, and transgression is multiplied. The reading above proposed, and which should be adopted, is supported by the Vulgate, Septuagint, Syriac, AEthiopic, Arabic, and Anglo-Saxon. This latter reads the sentence thus: [Anglo-Saxon]; which I shall give as nearly as possible in the order of the original. "Quoth the unrightwise, that he do guilt in himself: is not fear God's at fore eyes his." That is, The unrighteous man saith in himself that he will sin: God's fear is not before his eyes. The old Psalter, in language as well as meaning, comes very near to the Anglo-Saxon: The unrightwis saide that he trespas in hym self: the drede of God es noght before his een. And thus it paraphrases the passage: The unryghtwis, that es the kynde [the whole generation] of wyked men; saide in hym self, qwar man sees noght; that he trespas, that es, he synne at his wil, als [as if] God roght noght [did not care] qwat he did; and so it es sene, that the drede of God es noght by fore his een; for if he dred God, he durst noght so say."

I believe these versions give the true sense of the passage. The psalmist here paints the true state of the Babylonians: they were idolaters of the grossest kind, and worked iniquity with greediness. The account we have in the book of Daniel of this people, exhibits them in the worst light; and profane history confirms the account. Bishop Horsley thinks that the word פשע pesha, which we render transgression, signifies the apostate or devil. The devil says to the wicked, within his heart, There is no fear; i.e., no cause of fear: "God is not before his eyes." Placing the colon after fear takes away all ambiguity in connection with the reading HIS heart, already contended for. The principle of transgression, sin in the heart, says, or suggests to every sinner, there is no cause for fear: go on, do not fear, for there is no danger. He obeys this suggestion, goes on, and acts wickedly, as "God is not before his eyes."