Psalms 36:5

_THY MERCY, O LORD, IS IN THE HEAVENS; AND THY FAITHFULNESS REACHETH UNTO THE CLOUDS._ The second strophe. The consolation which the pious have in God's inexhaustible mercy, faithfulness, righteousness, and loving-kindness. THY MERCY ... THE HEAVENS - rising far above the haughty impiety of the wicked, who try, like the Babel-builders, to raise the edifice of their pride to "reach unto heaven" (Genesis 11:4; Psalms 73:9: cf. Psalms 57:10). Like the divine pillar of cloud and fire, the goodness of Yahweh so rises aloft above the earth as to be "in the heavens." God's goodness and faithfulness to His people are infinitely above the reach of human malice to counteract. Therefore the Lord's people ar

5._O Jehovah! thy mercy is unto the heavens. _Commentators think that David, after having described the great corruption and depravity which every where prevail in the world, takes occasion from thence to extol in rapturous praises the wonderful forbearance of God, in not ceasing to manifest his favor and good-will towards men, even though they are sunk in iniquity and crime. But, as I have already observed, I am of a somewhat different opinion. After having spoken of the very great depravity of men, the prophet, afraid lest he should become infected by it, or be carried away by the example of the wicked, as by a flood, quits the subject, and recovers himself by reflecting on a different theme. It usually happens, that in condemning the wicked, the contagion of their malice insinuates itself into our minds when we are not conscious of it; and there is scarcely one in a hundred who, after...

5-12 Men may shut up their compassion, yet, with God we shall find mercy. This is great comfort to all believers, plainly to be seen, and not to be taken away. God does all wisely and well; but what he does we know not now, it is time enough to know hereafter. God's loving-kindness is precious to the saints. They put themselves under his protection, and then are safe and easy. Gracious souls, though still desiring more of God, never desire more than God. The gifts of Providence so far satisfy them, that they are content with such things as they have. The benefit of holy ordinances is sweet to a sanctified soul, and strengthening to the spiritual and Divine life. But full satisfaction is reserved for the future state. Their joys shall be constant. God not only works in them a gracious desire for these pleasures, but by his Spirit fills their souls with joy and peace in believing. He quic...

Verse Psalms 36:5. _THY MERCY, O LORD_, IS _IN THE HEAVENS_] That is, thou art abundant, infinite in thy mercy; else such transgressors must be immediately cut off; but thy long-suffering is intended to lead them to repentance. _THY FAITHFULNESS_ REACHETH _UNTO THE CLOUDS_] עד שחקים _ad_ _shechakim_, to the eternal regions; above all visible space. God's _faithfulness_ binds him to fulfil the _promises_ and _covenants_ made by his mercy. Blessings from the _heavens_, from the _clouds_, from the _earth_, are promised by God to his followers; and his _faithfulness_ is in all those places, to distribute to his followers the mercies he has promised....

THY MERCY, O LORD, IS IN THE HEAVENS - This commences the second part of the psalm - the description of the character of God in contrast with the character of the wicked man. The meaning here is, evidently, that the mercy of God is very exalted; to the very heavens, as high as the highest object of which man can conceive. Thus, we speak of virtue as “exalted,” or virtue of the “highest kind.” The idea is not that the mercy of God is “manifested” in heaven, for, mercy being favor shown to the guilty, there is no occasion for it in heaven; nor is the idea that mercy, as shown to man, has its “origin” in heaven, which is indeed true in itself; but it is, as above explained, that it is of the most exalted nature; that it is as high as man can conceive. AND THY FAITHFULNESS - Thy “truthfulness;” thy fidelity to thy promises and to thy friends. Reacheth “unto the clouds.”

EXPOSITION THIS short psalm is mainly didactic. It places in contrast the extreme wickedness of the wicked and the inexhaustible fulness of love, faithfulness, and righteousness which characterizes the God whom the wicked dare to offend. It ends with a brief but earnest intercessory prayer, that God will favour the righteous and protect them from the assaults of the ungodly, followed by an expression of confidence that the prayer will be granted. The psalm divides itself into three strophes, corresponding to the division of the subject-matter. Strophe 1. (Psalms 36:1) gives the portrait of the wicked man. Strophe 2. (Psalms 36:5) paints the Divine goodness. Strophe 3. ...

THY MERCY, O LORD, [IS] IN THE HEAVENS,.... Meaning either the general mercy of God the earth is full of, and extends to all creatures; to which it is owing that wicked men before described are not consumed; and which reaches "up to the heavens" d, as the words are by some rendered, as their sins do; see Psalms 57:10; or the special mercy of God, and regards not the objects of it, creatures in heaven; for there at, none there proper objects of mercy; but the seat of it, the heart of God, who is in heaven; or the repository of it, the covenant of grace, which is full of the sure mercies of David; and of mercy there was a most glaring instance, when the son of God was sent down from heaven, to obtain salvation for sinful men; or it may denote the original of it, the heaven, being, as Aben Ezra observes some Jewish interpreters say, the fountain of mercy, and the spring of truth; or the gre...

Psalms 36 Contrasts _ 1. What the wicked is and does (Psalms 36:1)_ 2. What Jehovah is and does (Psalms 36:5) 3. Prayer and trust in His loving kindness (Psalms 36:10) The wicked are described in their wickedness, with sin in the heart, no fear of God; filled with pride and flattery, speaking evil and doing evil. “But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived” (2 Timothy 3:13). This is the divine forecast for the last days and these opening verses of this psalm show the wicked of the l

XXXVI. We have here two Pss. or fragments of two Pss.: A, Psalms 36:1 and possibly Psalms 36:12, and B, Psalms 36:5. XXXVI. A. PSALMS 36:1. A denunciation of wicked Jews, who might well be in terror of Yahweh but are not. The general sense seems to be that as God inspires His prophets, so wickedness personified inspires sinners with a false confidence. The sinner thinks that he has made everything smooth for his own interests and need not fear that God will discover and hate his iniquity. PSALMS 36:1 F. The text is very doubtful. W

MERCY. lovingkindness, or grace (as in Psalms 36:7). LORD. Hebrew. _Jehovah._ App-4. mountains: i.e. great and mighty. THY JUDGMENTS. And Thy just decrees. The "And" was cancelled by the Massorites (see the Babylonian Talmud _Nedarim,_ 37b-38a). Ginsburg _Int._ (pp. 307-8). LORD. Jehovah, because of _preservation,_ which is more than creation. See App-4. MAN. Hebrew. _'adam._ App-14....