For you are not a God who has pleasure in wickedness. Evil can’t live with you.
Parallel translations
- KJV For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee.
- BSB For You are not a God who delights in wickedness; no evil can dwell with You.
- NKJV For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness, Nor shall evil dwell with You.
- NASB ¶For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness; No evil can dwell with You.
- NLT O God, you take no pleasure in wickedness; you cannot tolerate the sins of the wicked.
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
God takes no pleasure in wickedness, and evil cannot dwell with Him. His perfect holiness excludes all sin from His presence.
Overview
David grounds his prayer in God's character: the Lord delights in no wrongdoing and evil can find no home in His presence. This holiness is both comfort to the oppressed and warning to the wicked. It also exposes humanity's need, for none can dwell with the holy God except through the cleansing provided in Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 14
- Ps 11:5Yahweh examines the righteous, but the wicked and him who loves violence his soul hates.
- Heb 12:14Follow after peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no man will see the Lord,
- Mal 2:17You have wearied Yahweh with your words. Yet you say, ‘How have we wearied him?’ In that you say, ‘Everyone who does evil is good in Yahweh’s sight, and he delights in them;’ or ‘Where is the God of justice?’
- Rev 21:27There will in no way enter into it anything profane, or one who causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
- Ps 50:21You have done these things, and I kept silent. You thought that I was just like you. I will rebuke you, and accuse you in front of your eyes.
- Ps 101:7He who practices deceit won’t dwell within my house. He who speaks falsehood won’t be established before my eyes.
- Ps 140:13Surely the righteous will give thanks to your name. The upright will dwell in your presence.
- Ps 92:15to show that Yahweh is upright. He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.
- Hab 1:13You who have purer eyes than to see evil, and who cannot look on perversity, why do you tolerate those who deal treacherously, and keep silent when the wicked swallows up the man who is more righteous than he,
- 2 Pet 3:13But, according to his promise, we look for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.
- Ps 94:20Shall the throne of wickedness have fellowship with you, which brings about mischief by statute?
- John 14:23Jesus answered him, “If a man loves me, he will keep my word. My Father will love him, and we will come to him, and make our home with him.
- Rev 21:23The city has no need for the sun, neither of the moon, to shine, for the very glory of God illuminated it, and its lamp is the Lamb.
- 1 Chr 29:17I know also, my God, that you try the heart, and have pleasure in uprightness. As for me, in the uprightness of my heart I have willingly offered all these things. Now I have seen with joy your people, who are present here, offer willingly to you.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Commentaries & study tools
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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 5:4 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
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.