The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, that there is no fear of God before his eyes.
Title. - To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David the servant of the Lord. "The servant of the Lord" occurs nowhere else in a title, except in Psalms 18:1-50: It relates to the subject of the psalm: the dignity of David as the divinely-commissioned "servant of the Lord" gives authority to his words, because he speaks them not as his own, but as God's words, whose Spirit moves him (2 Samuel 23:1). Psalms 36:1-12. The transgression of the wicked fills David's heart with pain (Psalms 36:1-4); his consolation in God's infinite mercy, faithfulness, righteousness, and loving-kindness; herein the children of men, by trusting, find shelter, satisfaction, light, and life (Psalms 36:5-9); consequent prayer for God's continued loving-kindness: its answer in the overthrow of the proud workers of iniquity (Psalms 36:10-12).
The transgression ... saith within my heart. "The transgression of the wicked" is personified. The Psalmist, in his inmost heart, painfully feels that "the transgression of the wicked" speaks as the wicked man's oracle. The Hebrew for "saith" х nª'um (H5002)] is always used of an inspired utterance (Proverbs 30:1; 2 Samuel 23:1; Numbers 24:3). Translate, therefore, 'speaketh as his oracle.' The wicked man does not say so by word of month; but his transgression, which he hugs to himself as his own [the Hebrew preposition lª- implies how entirely transgression belongs to him], palpably speaks as the only utterance which he regards as oracular.
Thus the contrast to the parallel second clause is, Transgression is their divine oracle, for the fear of God they have not before their eyes. "Within my heart" expresses the Psalmist's heartfelt emotion, in contrast to the wicked man's daring apathy, marked by the parallel "before his eyes." Not only has he no fear of God in his heart, but even in directing his conduct outwardly, he sets no fear of Him before his eyes. There is a contrast also to '(the inspired psalm) OF lª- David, the servant of the Lord.' The wicked is the servant of his own transgression, which is the only inspired utterance that he regards; but the inspiration is that of Satan, the spirit of evil (2 Thessalonians 2:9). The description applies to the man of sin, the final incarnation of 'the mystery of transgression' or 'iniquity,' which has been long at work (2 Thessalonians 2:3-10). He shall "sit in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God." Compare also 'the, mouth of the little horn speaking great things,' Daniel 7:8; the king who 'shall exalt and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvelous things against the God of gods' (Daniel 11:36). The wicked listen to the suggestions of sin as the Word of God. The Septuagint, Vulgate, Ethiopic, Arabic, Syriac, and one manuscript of Kennicott and two of DeRossi, read 'in HIS heart' х libow (H3820)], for 'in MY heart' х libiy (H3820)]. So Psalms 14:1, "The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God;" also Psalms 10:6; Psalms 10:11. Also, 'in his heart' here corresponds to "before his eyes," and "of his mouth" (Psalms 36:3). But the difficulty of the English version reading makes it less likely to be an interpolation. 'His heart' is a natural correction of transcribers.
(That there is) no fear ... Omit "that;" see the preceding note.