The Meaning of Psalms 36:1 Explained

Psalms 36:1

KJV: {To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David the servant of the LORD.} The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, that there is no fear of God before his eyes.

YLT: To the Overseer. -- By a servant of Jehovah, by David. The transgression of the wicked Is affirming within my heart, 'Fear of God is not before his eyes,

Darby: {To the chief Musician. A Psalm of the servant of Jehovah; of David.} The transgression of the wicked uttereth within my heart, There is no fear of God before his eyes.

ASV: The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, There is no fear of God before his eyes.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

{{To the chief Musician,  [A Psalm] of David  the servant  of the LORD.  }} The transgression  of the wicked  saith  within  my heart,  [that there is] no fear  of God  before his eyes. 

What does Psalms 36:1 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The NIV translation, "An oracle is within my heart concerning the sinfulness of the wicked," is preferable. That of Leupold is even clearer: "A divine oracle about transgression has been heard in my heart with reference to the wicked." [1] An oracle is a message from God. The Lord had given His prophet special revelation concerning how the wicked look at life and how they live. They do not dread (Heb. pahad, rather than yirah, the usual word for "fear") the Lord. That Isaiah , they feel no uneasiness as they should since God will judge them for their sins. This is the climactic characteristic of sin in Romans 3:18.

Context Summary

Psalms 36:1-12 - God The Fountain Of Life
The servant of the Lord, as the superscription tells us, is speaking here. He is horror-stricken at the ways and thoughts of the ungodly. By a bold image, Psalms 36:1, r.v., margin; Transgression is personified as speaking in the heart of the ungodly, as the Delphic oracle in her dark cave; and the answer from that secret oracle is full of smooth but beguiling words. So our first parents found it.
What a blessed thing it is to turn from man to God! Notice God's attributes as here enumerated: "thy lovingkindness" (r.v.), "thy faithfulness," "thy righteousness," "thy judgments." The golden bracelet begins and ends with love. All nature speaks, to the heart that loves, of the love of God. But they who fly to God find Him even better than nature can proclaim. He is better than banquets for hungry men. Let His life arise in thee as a fountain, and ask for the illumination of His light. Serenely sheltered under the wing, or in the house, of God, the soul may look out, unmoved, on "the wrecks of matter, and the crush of worlds." [source]

Chapter Summary: Psalms 36

1  The grievous state of the wicked
8  The excellence of God's mercy
10  David prays for favor to God's children

What do the individual words in Psalms 36:1 mean?

To the Chief Musician a Psalm of the servant of Yahweh David An oracle concerning the transgression of the wicked within my heart [There is] no fear of God before his eyes
לַמְנַצֵּ֬חַ ׀ לְעֶֽבֶד־ יְהוָ֬ה לְדָוִֽד נְאֻֽם־ פֶּ֣שַׁע לָ֭רָשָׁע בְּקֶ֣רֶב לִבִּ֑י אֵֽין־ פַּ֥חַד אֱ֝לֹהִ֗ים לְנֶ֣גֶד עֵינָֽיו

לַמְנַצֵּ֬חַ ׀  To  the  Chief  Musician 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Verb, Piel, Participle, masculine singular
Root: נָצַח  
Sense: to excel, be bright, be preeminent, be perpetual, be overseer, be enduring.
לְעֶֽבֶד־  a  Psalm  of  the  servant 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: עֶבֶד  
Sense: slave, servant.
יְהוָ֬ה  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
לְדָוִֽד  David 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּוִד  
Sense: youngest son of Jesse and second king of Israel.
נְאֻֽם־  An  oracle  concerning 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: נְאֻם  
Sense: (Qal) utterance, declaration (of prophet).
פֶּ֣שַׁע  the  transgression 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: פֶּשַׁע  
Sense: transgression, rebellion.
לָ֭רָשָׁע  of  the  wicked 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: רָשָׁע  
Sense: wicked, criminal.
בְּקֶ֣רֶב  within 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: קֶרֶב  
Sense: midst, among, inner part, middle.
לִבִּ֑י  my  heart 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: לֵב 
Sense: inner man, mind, will, heart, understanding.
אֵֽין־  [There  is]  no 
Parse: Adverb
Root: אַיִן 
Sense: nothing, not, nought n.
פַּ֥חַד  fear 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: פַּחַד  
Sense: terror, dread.
אֱ֝לֹהִ֗ים  of  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
לְנֶ֣גֶד  before 
Parse: Preposition-l
Root: נֶגֶד  
Sense: what is conspicuous, what is in front of adv.
עֵינָֽיו  his  eyes 
Parse: Noun, cdc, third person masculine singular
Root: עֹונָה 
Sense: eye.