Psalms 36:2 · Bible study
Psalms 36:2 Commentary: The Blinding Power of Self-Flattery
Hebrew · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Does self-flattery blind sinners to their sin or make it openly hateful? This study explores interpretive options and the gospel hope.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The wicked person speaks smooth words to himself, either blinding himself to his sin or emboldening it until it becomes publicly detestable.
- Key words: Flatters (Hebrew chalaq, to be smooth, to flatter); iniquity; detect/find; hate; own eyes.
- Main debate: Does self-flattery prevent the sinner from seeing his sin, or does it make his sin so obvious that it is hated?
- Theological theme: Self-deception rooted in the absence of the fear of God; human blindness to sin contrasted with God's faithful mercy.
- Best use: A starting point for teaching on sin, self-awareness, and the need for God's revelation to see ourselves truly.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
For his eyes are too full of conceit to detect or hate his own sin.
WEB World English Bible 2000
For he flatters himself in his own eyes, too much to detect and hate his sin.
KJV King James Version 1769
For he flattereth himself in his own eyes, until his iniquity be found to be hateful.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
For he flattereth himself in his own eyes, That his iniquity will not be found out and be hated.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
For he made it smooth to himself in his eyes, To find his iniquity to be hated.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
For he flattereth himself in his own eyes, [even] when his iniquity is found to be hateful.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
For they shall shortly wither away as grass, and as the green herbs shall quickly fall.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Lisonjéase, por tanto, en sus propios ojos, hasta que su iniquidad sea hallada aborrecible.
Porque ele é tão orgulhoso diante de seus olhos que não achar nem odiar sua própria maldade.
La parole impie du méchant est au fond de son cœur;
Sie schmücken sich untereinander selbst, daß sie ihre böse Sache fördern und andere verunglimpfem.
De overtreding des goddelozen spreekt in het binnenste van mijn hart: Er is geen vreze Gods voor zijn ogen.
Essa lo lusinga che la sua empietà non sarà scoperta né presa in odio.
Przewrotność niepobożnego świadczy w sercu mojem: Niemasz bojaźni Bożej przed oczyma jego.
ибо они, как трава, скоро будут подкошены и, как зеленеющий злак, увянут.
他自 誇 自媚，以為他的罪孽 終不顯露，不被恨惡。
For he takes comfort in the thought that his sin will not be uncovered and hated.
Verse in Context
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that Psalm 36:2 identifies self-flattery as the root mechanism of the wicked person's moral blindness. The Hebrew verb chalaq (to be smooth, then to flatter) describes a person who speaks soothingly to himself, commending his own judgment and dismissing the consequences of his actions. Barnes, Clarke, and Wesley all emphasize that the wicked person persuades himself that God does not see his sin or will not punish it.
Yet the verse's outcome is debated. The Hebrew phrase "for finding his iniquity to hate" is ambiguous. One reading, reflected in the WEB and BSB, holds that the flattery prevents the sinner from detecting and hating his own sin, he is blind to it. Another reading, in the KJV and ASV, suggests the flattery emboldens him so that his sin becomes publicly hateful, exposed and detested by others. A third view, offered by Cambridge and Keil & Delitzsch, personifies Transgression as the one who flatters the wicked man.
All traditions affirm the core point: self-deception, rooted in the absence of the fear of God, leads the wicked into a state where they cannot rightly see themselves or their actions.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: High
Main views:
- Blinding reading: Self-flattery prevents the sinner from detecting and hating his own sin (WEB, BSB, Clarke, Wesley).
- Embodiment reading: Self-flattery emboldens the sinner until his sin becomes openly hateful to others (KJV, Barnes, Targum).
- Personification reading: Transgression itself is the subject that flatters the wicked man (Cambridge, Keil & Delitzsch).
- Divine detection reading: God finds the iniquity and hates it, exposing the sinner (Jarchi, Aben Ezra, Gill's alternate).
What is clear: The verse describes the wicked person's self-deception as the core mechanism that prevents proper recognition and rejection of sin.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| The meaning of 'flatters himself' | The wicked person speaks soothingly to himself, overestimating his own judgment and minimizing his sin. | Some (Barnes, Clarke) see it as active self-deception; others (Gill) emphasize the sinner's false sense of security regarding punishment. |
| Outcome of self-flattery | The self-flattery leads to moral blindness and rebellion. | The WEB and BSB read it as blinding the sinner so he cannot detect his sin; the KJV and ASV read it as emboldening him so his sin becomes openly hateful. |
| Subject of the verb 'flatters' | The verse refers to the wicked person described in verse 1. | Cambridge and Keil & Delitzsch propose that 'Transgression' is personified as the one flattering the wicked man, rather than the man flattering himself. |
| The phrase 'to find his iniquity to hate' | The Hebrew syntax is difficult and yields multiple possible interpretations. | Options: God finding and hating the sin (Gill, Jarchi), the sinner failing to find and hate his sin (DeWette, Alexander), or the sinner's sin being found and hated by others (Barnes). |
Historical & Cultural Context
Psalm 36 is attributed to David, who is given the title "servant of Yahweh", a designation shared only with Psalm 18. This title highlights David's unique role as God's appointed king and servant, one who speaks from experience of both the wicked opposition and God's steadfast love. The psalm follows a structure common to lament and didactic psalms: an opening oracle-like description of the wicked (verses 1, 4), a hymn-like celebration of God's attributes (verses 5, 9), and a concluding prayer for protection (verses 10, 12).
The historical setting is uncertain, but commentators like Calvin and Poole suggest David wrote it during persecution, possibly under Saul, when slander and false accusations were rampant. The wicked are not generic enemies but those who "speak iniquity and deceit" (v. 3) and "plot mischief on their beds" (v. 4). Their defining mark is the absence of "the fear of God before his eyes" (v. 1), a phrase that echoes the Book of Proverbs on the foundation of wisdom.
The culture of ancient Israelite wisdom literature consistently portrays self-deception as the path to moral ruin. In Deuteronomy 29:19, Moses warns against those who "bless themselves in their heart" saying, "I shall have peace, though I walk in the stubbornness of my heart." That same self-soothing logic appears here. The wicked person has become a law unto himself, and the result is a complete moral inversion: what should be hateful is either invisible or embraced.
Against this dark portrait, the psalm pivots dramatically in verse 5 to the boundless lovingkindness of God, a mercy that reaches the heavens and a righteousness like the mountains. The contrast is not theoretical; it is the ground of David's hope in the face of evil both around him and within him.
Textual Notes
The Hebrew text of Psalm 36:2 is stable with no significant manuscript variants reported by the consulted sources. The difficulty lies in the syntax of the phrase limtso avono lisno ("to find his iniquity to hate"). The preposition lamed can indicate purpose or result, and the two infinitives can be read as a verbal hendiadys or as separate actions. The surrounding verses show a textual variation in verse 1: the MT reads "in the midst of my heart" (bekerev libbi), but several ancient witnesses (LXX, Syriac, Jerome) read "in the midst of his heart" (libbo), which would change who speaks the oracle. This variant affects how verse 2 connects, but does not alter the core meaning of self-flattery.
Reception History
Early Christian interpreters, including Augustine, used Psalm 36:2 to illustrate the deceitfulness of sin and the nature of self-love that blinds humans to their own faults. The verse became a locus for discussions on self-deception and the need for divine grace to truly know oneself. Reformation commentators such as Calvin and the Geneva Bible emphasized that the wicked person's flattery amounts to a practical atheism, a denial of God's moral government. In modern scholarship, the verse has been studied for its psychological insights into cognitive dissonance and moral blindness. Across traditions, the psalm's turn from human sin to divine mercy in verses 5, 9 has made it a favorite for meditation, often read in Lenten and penitential contexts as a call to honest self-examination grounded in God's steadfast love.
Preaching This Verse
Three-Point Outline
- The Root of Self-Flattery: The wicked person lacks the fear of God (v. 1), so he becomes his own standard. He speaks smooth words to himself, praising his own choices and dismissing warning signs.
- The Resulting Blindness: Whether the flattery prevents detection of sin or emboldens public display of it, the core effect is the same: the sinner no longer sees his sin as God sees it. He cannot hate what God hates.
- The Only Cure: The psalm's turn to God's mercy in verses 5, 9 shows the remedy. True sight comes not from self-examination alone but from beholding God's character, His faithfulness, righteousness, and life-giving light.
Five-Point Outline
- Sin's Inner Voice: The wicked do not suddenly appear bad. They first listen to an internal voice that flatters and reassures (v. 2).
- The Deceptive Gloss: The Hebrew word for flatter means to make smooth. The sinner applies a veneer of respectability to ugly actions.
- Undetected Corruption: Self-flattery makes the sinner unable to "find" his own iniquity, he misses what should be obvious to him and to others.
- The Exposed Outcome: Alternatively, the very boldness of the sin makes it hateful to everyone else. Either way, the sinner is isolated from truth.
- God's Counter-Weight: The psalm immediately lifts our eyes from human blindness to divine mercy. Only the revelation of God's character can break the spell of self-deception.
Illustration Hooks
- The Rear-View Mirror: A driver who never checks his mirror may feel confident, but he is blind to danger closing in. Self-flattery removes the mirror that would show us our need.
- The Unpaid Credit Card: Someone may keep spending while ignoring the growing balance, believing they will deal with it later. The flattery silences the warning until the debt is undeniable.
Questions Your Congregation Is Asking
- How do I know if I am flattering myself about a sin I am tolerating?
- What is the difference between healthy self-esteem and self-flattery?
- How can I learn to hate my sin the way God does, without falling into despair?
Leading a Discussion
Psalm 36:2 exposes a universal human tendency: we prefer to think well of ourselves, even when our choices contradict God's ways. This passage invites us to consider how self-deception works and what it means to see our sin truthfully, not with crushing guilt, but with the light of God's mercy.
Discussion Questions
- Read Psalm 36:1, 2. What does "no fear of God before his eyes" mean in practical terms? How does that absence make self-flattery possible?
- The Hebrew verb for flatter means "to make smooth." In what situations do people "smooth over" their actions to themselves? Share an example that does not require personal confession.
- Two readings of verse 2 emerge: self-flattery blinds the sinner to his sin, or it emboldens him so much that his sin becomes openly hateful. Which reading fits your own observation of human behavior, and why?
- Why is it so difficult for a person to "detect and hate" their own sin? What inner voices compete with the truth?
- How does the rest of the psalm (verses 5, 9) correct the picture of the wicked? What does God's character have to do with our ability to see ourselves honestly?
- David wrote this psalm as a servant of God, someone who knew both his own failures and God's forgiveness. How does that perspective shape the way we should discuss sin in community?
- What practical steps can you take this week to invite honest self-examination without falling into either self-flattery or self-condemnation?
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Deuteronomy 29:19 | and it happen, when he hears the words of this curse, that he bless himself in his heart, saying, “I shall have peace, though I walk in the stubbornness of my heart,” to destroy the moist with the dry. |
| I Samuel 15:18 | and Yahweh sent you on a journey, and said, ‘Go, and utterly destroy the sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are consumed.’ |
| I Samuel 15:24 | Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned; for I have transgressed the commandment of Yahweh and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice. |
| I Chronicles 10:13 | So Saul died for his trespass which he committed against Yahweh, because of Yahweh’s word, which he didn’t keep, and also because he asked counsel of one who had a familiar spirit, to inquire, |
| I Chronicles 10:14 | and didn’t inquire of Yahweh. Therefore he killed him, and turned the kingdom over to David the son of Jesse. |
| Psalms 10:3 | For the wicked boasts of his heart’s cravings. He blesses the greedy and condemns Yahweh. |
| Psalms 49:18 | Though while he lived he blessed his soul— and men praise you when you do well for yourself— |
| Jeremiah 2:23 | “How can you say, ‘I am not defiled. I have not gone after the Baals’? See your way in the valley. Know what you have done. You are a swift dromedary traversing her ways, |
Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke notes that the wicked person deceives himself into thinking he can sin safely, and this self-flattery continues until his sin becomes obviously detestable. Alternatively, he may constantly polish his actions in his own eyes, never seeing their true hatefulness.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes explains that the wicked person flatters himself by overestimating his own judgment and strength. This self-deception leads him to pursue a course that God eventually allows to develop fully, so his true character becomes openly hateful and undeniable to everyone.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin reads the psalm differently from most interpreters. He believes David first laments the depravity of the wicked, then seeks refuge in God's abundant goodness that extends in a special way to his own children. For Calvin, this is David's way of strengthening his faith against the assaults of the ungodly.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
This commentary examines three possible subjects for the opening phrase. The preferred interpretation takes Transgression itself as the speaker, flattering the wicked man into believing his sin will never be detected or exposed for punishment. This reading best connects with the psalmist's preceding declaration.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note highlights a self-deception: the wicked person flatters himself in his own eyes, finding his sin tolerable, even though his iniquity is actually worthy of hatred. He contradicts God's true judgment by thinking well of what deserves condemnation.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill catalogues the many ways people flatter themselves about sin—calling it small, common, unseen by God, or denying future judgment altogether. He then highlights two interpretations of the verse: either the sinner flatters himself to indulge his lusts and hate what is good, or God finds and exposes his iniquity and hates him for it.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB traces the wicked person's self-deception: he convinces himself God will not find or punish his sin. This false security leads to bold rejection of moral principles and active promotion of evil. The psalm's negative statements actually affirm their opposites with greater force.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil and Delitzsch personify transgression itself as an oracular voice speaking within the wicked person. Sin addresses flattering words directly to his heart, deceiving him into hating God and others while silencing the fear of God. This inner oracle of iniquity is what alienates a person from God.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Matthew Henry traces all wickedness to its root: the absence of the fear of God. He observes that the wicked person's self-flattery, deceitful speech, and deliberate plotting prove he has no awe of God's majesty or dread of His wrath. This lack of holy fear is the foundation of every transgression.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley points out that the flatterer deceives himself with vain persuasions, believing God either does not notice his sins or will not punish them. The word "found" in this context carries the sense of punishment, just as sin is said to be "found" in a previous passage.