Psalm 36 Summary - 5 Minute Bible Study

Psalm 36 Short Summary:

In Psalm 36, David contrasts the righteousness and goodness of God up against the lifestyle of a wicked man. God is full of kindness, love, and patience. The evil man is full of lies, trouble, and self-flattery.

Psalm 36 Summary

AUTHOR:

• David wrote Psalm 36.

NEW TESTAMENT REFERENCES:

• Romans 3:18 is a quote of Psalm 36:1b.

THEMES:

• The righteousness of God contrasted against the life of a wicked man.

DEFINITIONS:

• Shadow of His Wings (36:7) – When baby chicks sense a threat, they’ll run to their mother hen, and she’ll cover them with her wings to protect them. In the Bible, God is described as doing the same thing for His saints, He protects them by figuratively gathering them under His wings.

OUTLINE:

• THE WICKED MAN (36:1-4):

  • Psalm 36 is a contrast between an evil man and a righteous God. The evil man is described first.

  • The wicked person fills his heart with sinful thoughts, convincing himself God won’t judge him, and his evil actions will never be found out.

  • He has a mouth full of deceit and trouble.

  • He guards himself against wisdom but embraces all forms of evil.

  • When he rests from doing wicked things, he plots more evil while lying on his bed.

• THE RIGHTEOUS GOD (36:5-12):

  • God’s love is so great it fills the earth and extends to the heavens.

  • Unlike the wicked man, God doesn’t oppress people, rather people run to God for refuge under the shadow of His wings.

  • David describes God’s people as feasting in the house of the Lord and drinking from the river of His delights.

  • God is the giver of light and life.

  • David asked the Lord to continue giving His love and righteousness to the people who loved Him.

  • He asked God to defeat the wicked man, to thrust him down, until he is “unable to rise” (36:12).
    

APPLICATION:

• One thing that has stood out to me in reading the Psalms is the generosity of God when it comes to His blessings.

• God is never described as stingy.

• His children “feast on the abundance” of His house and drink from the river of God’s delights (36:8).

• God is pictured as overflowing with love for anyone who will accept it.

• He is this gushing fountain of everything good, and its incredible that we are invited by Him to share in the flood of His blessings.