The Meaning of Psalms 36:3 Explained

Psalms 36:3

KJV: The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit: he hath left off to be wise, and to do good.

YLT: The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit, He ceased to act prudently -- to do good.

Darby: The words of his mouth are wickedness and deceit: he hath left off to be wise, to do good.

ASV: The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit: He hath ceased to be wise and to do good.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

The words  of his mouth  [are] iniquity  and deceit:  he hath left off  to be wise,  [and] to do good. 

What does Psalms 36:3 Mean?

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 36:3 mean?

The words of his mouth [are] wickedness and deceit He has ceased to be wise [and] to do good
דִּבְרֵי־ פִ֭יו אָ֣וֶן וּמִרְמָ֑ה חָדַ֖ל לְהַשְׂכִּ֣יל לְהֵיטִֽיב

דִּבְרֵי־  The  words 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
פִ֭יו  of  his  mouth 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: פֶּה  
Sense: mouth.
אָ֣וֶן  [are]  wickedness 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָוֶן 
Sense: trouble, wickedness, sorrow.
וּמִרְמָ֑ה  and  deceit 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִרְמָה  
Sense: deceit, treachery.
חָדַ֖ל  He  has  ceased 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: חָדַל 
Sense: to stop, cease, desist, forego, cease to be, leave undone, forbear.
לְהַשְׂכִּ֣יל  to  be  wise 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Hifil, Infinitive construct
Root: שָׂכַל 
Sense: to be prudent, be circumspect, wisely understand, prosper.
לְהֵיטִֽיב  [and]  to  do  good 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Hifil, Infinitive construct
Root: יָטַב  
Sense: to be good, be pleasing, be well, be glad.