The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, that there is no fear of God before his eyes.
Parallel translations
- WEB For the Chief Musician. By David, the servant of Yahweh. An inner sanctuary is within my heart about the disobedience of the wicked: “There is no fear of God before his eyes.”
- BSB For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David, the servant of the LORD. An oracle is in my heart regarding the transgression of the wicked man: There is no fear of God before his eyes.
- NKJV An oracle within my heart concerning the transgression of the wicked: There is no fear of God before his eyes.
- NASB Wrongdoing speaks to the ungodly within his heart; There is no fear of God before his eyes.
- NLT Sin whispers to the wicked, deep within their hearts. They have no fear of God at all.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
David receives an inner oracle exposing the heart of the wicked: there is no fear of God before their eyes. The root of all sin is irreverence toward God.
Overview
The psalm opens with a striking 'inner sanctuary' insight into wickedness, diagnosing its source as the absence of the fear of God. Paul quotes this verse in Romans 3:18 to summarize humanity's universal sinfulness apart from grace. Thus the verse exposes the heart-condition the gospel must remedy, for only in Christ are sinners given new hearts that fear and love God.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 21
- Rom 3:18There is no fear of God before their eyes.
- Prov 16:6By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil.
- Ps 112:1Praise ye the LORD. Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD, that delighteth greatly in his commandments.
- Ps 18:1I will love thee, O LORD, my strength.
- Ps 143:12And of thy mercy cut off mine enemies, and destroy all them that afflict my soul: for I am thy servant.
- Matt 12:33–34Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.
- 2 Tim 2:24And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient,
- Eccl 12:13Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
- Jude 1:1Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called:
- Matt 7:16–20Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
- Titus 1:1Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness;
- Ps 90:1Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations.
- Prov 20:11Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right.
- Deut 34:5So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD.
- Rev 1:1The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:
- Prov 8:13The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.
- Titus 1:16They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.
- 2 Pet 1:1Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:
- Gen 20:11And Abraham said, Because I thought, Surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will slay me for my wife’s sake.
- Jas 1:1James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.
- 1 Sam 15:13–14And Samuel came to Saul: and Saul said unto him, Blessed be thou of the LORD: I have performed the commandment of the LORD.
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Christ at the center
The Psalms are Christ's own prayer book and a gallery of his portraits — the suffering one of Psalm 22, the risen Lord of Psalm 16, the priest-king of Psalm 110, the Son to whom the nations are given.
How Psalms 36:1 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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