Psalms 5:4 · Bible study
Psalms 5:4 Commentary: God's Holiness and the Fate of Evil
Hebrew · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Study of Psalms 5:4 on God's holiness: He does not delight in wickedness, and evil cannot dwell with Him. Grounds for confident prayer.
Research Summary
- Meaning: God's holy nature excludes any pleasure in wickedness, and evil cannot be His guest.
- Key words: pleasure, wickedness, dwell, evil; the Hebrew uses El for God (emphasizing power linked to goodness).
- Main debate: How to reconcile God's sovereignty over all events with His having no pleasure in wickedness (permission vs. causation).
- Theological theme: Divine holiness as the foundation of justice and the basis for confident prayer.
- Best use: A cornerstone for teaching on God's character and for praying with moral confidence.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
For You are not a God who delights in wickedness; no evil can dwell with You.
WEB World English Bible 2000
For you are not a God who has pleasure in wickedness. Evil can’t live with you.
KJV King James Version 1769
For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: Evil shall not sojourn with thee.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
For not a God desiring wickedness art Thou, Evil inhabiteth Thee not.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness; evil shall not sojourn with thee.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
For to thee will I pray: O Lord, in the morning thou shalt hear my voice.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Porque tú no eres un Dios que ame la maldad: el malo no habitará junto á ti.
Porque tu não és Deus que tens prazer na maldade; contigo não habitará o mau.
Éternel! Le matin tu entends ma voix;
Denn du bist nicht ein Gott, dem gottloses Wesen gefällt; wer böse ist, bleibt nicht vor dir.
Des morgens, HEERE, zult Gij mijn stem horen; des morgens zal ik mij tot U schikken, en wacht houden.
poiché tu non sei un Dio che prenda piacere nell’empietà; il malvagio non sarà tuo ospite.
Panie! rano usłysz głos mój; ranoć przedłożę modlitwę moję, i będę wyglądał pomocy.
Господи! рано услышь голос мой, - рано предстану пред Тобою, и буду ожидать,
因為 你 不是 喜悅 惡事的 神，惡人 不能 與你同居。
For you are not a God who takes pleasure in wrongdoing; there is no evil with you.
Verse in Context
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree on the core affirmation: God is holy and cannot take pleasure in wickedness. Barnes notes that this reflects a 'well-understood characteristic of the Divine Being' and serves as a basis for prayer, those who know their cause is right can look to God for help. Gill emphasizes that sin is contrary to God's nature and will, yet he distinguishes between God's delight in His people (in Christ) and His hatred of their sins. The Cambridge Bible points out that the Hebrew word for God here is El, stressing power, power that is not arbitrary but joined to goodness. Calvin, while not commenting directly on this verse in the excerpts, grounds the surrounding prayer in God's holiness and justice. The shared conclusion: the verse gives the righteous deep confidence that God will not side with evil.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Augustinian/Calvinist: God does not delight in sin but permits it for His greater purposes (e.g., to display His mercy and justice); His holiness is not compromised by His sovereignty.
- Arminian emphasis: God's nature excludes any pleasure in sin; He cannot even look upon it with favor, so the wicked are automatically excluded from His presence unless they repent.
- Contextual/prayer-based: The verse is primarily about confidence in prayer: because God is holy, the righteous know He will not side with their wicked enemies. The broader philosophical question is secondary.
What is clear: God is holy and does not take pleasure in wickedness; evil cannot dwell in His presence.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| God's attitude toward wickedness | God does not take pleasure in wickedness; sin is contrary to His holy nature. | How this relates to God's sovereign decree of all things: some emphasize His permissive will (God allows sin but does not delight in it), while others stress that God's foreordination of all events does not make Him the author of sin. |
| Meaning of 'dwell with you' | Evil cannot reside in God's presence or enjoy His protection. | Whether 'evil' here refers to abstract wickedness or to wicked people personified (the Septuagint and Vulgate read 'the evil man'). |
| Implications for prayer | This verse grounds the psalmist's confidence that God will act justly. | Whether this confidence is limited to personal righteousness (as Barnes suggests) or is based on the psalmist's role as God's anointed king (as some Reformed interpreters argue). |
Historical & Cultural Context
Psalm 5 is a morning prayer (v.3). David sets himself to pray at dawn, laying his requests before God and watching expectantly for an answer. The surrounding context shows David surrounded by enemies who are deceitful and violent (v.5-6, 9). Verse 4 then states a fundamental truth about God: He does not take pleasure in wickedness, and evil cannot dwell with Him.
The phrase 'dwell with you' uses a Hebrew verb (gur) that means to sojourn, to stay as a guest. In ancient Near Eastern culture, offering hospitality and protection to a guest was a sacred duty. The psalmist is saying that the wicked cannot even be temporary guests in God's presence. They have no claim on His protection or favor. The Cambridge Bible connects this to Psalm 15, where the one who may dwell with God is the blameless.
The name for God here is El (not Elohim), which emphasizes power and might. This is significant: God's power is not a raw force but is governed by His moral character. He does not use His power to favor evil. As Keil and Delitzsch note, if God did not hate evil, His love would not be holy. The verse thus grounds David's plea for deliverance in the very nature of God.
This morning prayer became a model for personal devotion, reminding believers that they can approach God with confidence when their cause is right, and that God's holiness is a refuge for the righteous.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants in the Hebrew Masoretic text of Psalm 5:4. The Cambridge Bible observes that the Septuagint, Vulgate, and Jerome read 'the evil man shall not sojourn with thee,' personalizing the abstract 'evil.' This interpretive variation does not affect the essential meaning: the wicked are excluded from God's presence.
Reception History
Psalm 5:4 has been treasured in both Jewish and Christian traditions as a declaration of God's holiness. In the early church, it was often used in morning prayer, as the psalm itself is a morning petition. Reformers like Calvin and Luther saw in it a ground for assurance that God will not fail to judge the wicked and defend the righteous. The verse has also featured in discussions of theodicy, reminding readers that God's permission of evil does not imply His approval. It continues to be sung and prayed by believers as a confession of God's pure character and a plea for justice.
Preaching This Verse
Three-Point Outline
- God's essential character: He has no pleasure in wickedness. This is not a temporary mood but His unchangeable nature.
- The consequence for evil: Evil cannot dwell with Him. The wicked are excluded from His presence and protection.
- Confidence for prayer: Because God is holy, the righteous can pray with assurance that He will act justly on their behalf.
Five-Point Outline
- Who God is not: Not a God who delights in evil.
- Who God is: Holy, pure, and just.
- What this means for the wicked: They cannot stand in His presence or enjoy His favor.
- What this means for the righteous: They can come to Him boldly, knowing their cause aligns with His character.
- How this shapes prayer: Morning by morning, we lay our requests before Him and watch expectantly for His holy response.
Illustration Hooks
- The honest judge: A judge who loves justice cannot favor a guilty party, even if that party is powerful. God's nature is the ultimate standard of justice.
- The unsafe guest: You would not welcome into your home someone intent on harming your family. God's holiness means He does not welcome evil into His dwelling.
- The morning routine: David prays at dawn, as if resetting his focus on God's character before facing the day's challenges.
Questions Your Congregation Is Asking
- If God hates wickedness, why does He allow so much evil in the world? This verse doesn't answer directly, but it assures us that God will ultimately judge evil. His patience gives room for repentance.
- How can I be sure God hears my prayer when I am not perfect? The verse distinguishes between those who persist in evil and those who come to God in faith, even though they still struggle with sin.
- Does God take pleasure in punishing the wicked? The verse says He takes no pleasure in wickedness itself; judgment is a necessary expression of His holiness, not a delight in destruction.
Leading a Discussion
Psalm 5:4 is set within a morning prayer where David expresses confidence that God will hear him because God is holy. This verse challenges us to think about God's character and what it means for our lives. Use these questions in your small group to explore the text together.
Discussion Questions
- Observation: What does this verse say about God's attitude toward wickedness and evil?
- Interpretation: Why does David mention this here, in the middle of asking for God to hear his prayer? How does it support his request?
- Application: Think of a time when you were tempted to think God might be indifferent to injustice. How does this verse speak to that doubt?
- Reflection: The verse says evil cannot 'dwell' with God. What does that suggest about the ultimate destiny of evil?
- Personal: If God does not delight in wickedness, how should that affect our own desires and actions?
- Contrast: Read Psalm 5:7-8. How does David's confidence in God's lovingkindness and his request for guidance relate to the strong statements in verse 4?
- Prayer: How might this verse shape the way you pray about difficult situations or people who oppose you?
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| I Chronicles 29:17 | I know also, my God, that you try the heart and have pleasure in uprightness. As for me, in the uprightness of my heart I have willingly offered all these things. Now I have seen with joy your people, who are present here, offer willingly to you. |
| Psalms 11:5 | Yahweh examines the righteous, but his soul hates the wicked and him who loves violence. |
| Psalms 50:21 | You have done these things, and I kept silent. You thought that I was just like you. I will rebuke you, and accuse you in front of your eyes. |
| Psalms 92:15 | to show that Yahweh is upright. He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him. |
| Psalms 94:20 | Shall the throne of wickedness have fellowship with you, which brings about mischief by statute? |
| Psalms 101:7 | He who practices deceit won’t dwell within my house. He who speaks falsehood won’t be established before my eyes. |
| Psalms 140:13 | Surely the righteous will give thanks to your name. The upright will dwell in your presence. |
| Habakkuk 1:13 | You who have purer eyes than to see evil, and who cannot look on perversity, why do you tolerate those who deal treacherously and keep silent when the wicked swallows up the man who is more righteous than he, |
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 highlights the Hebrew phrase meaning the evil man cannot even sojourn with God, let alone dwell permanently. Because God is holy and delights only in holiness, even a temporary stay in His presence is impossible for the wicked.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes stresses that God's holy nature prevents Him from taking pleasure in wickedness or supporting unjust causes. This truth, not mere hope, grounds the psalmist's confidence in prayer. Knowing his own cause is right, he trusts God will not favor the ungodly.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator highlights that the psalmist uses the name El, not Elohim, emphasizing power. Power without goodness, he notes, is a false, primitive view of God. He rephrases the verse to mean that no evil person can be God’s guest or enjoy His protection, because God’s holiness is unbearable to sinners.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The note declares that God's nature completely opposes wickedness, and evil cannot coexist with Him in the slightest way. This is a straightforward statement of divine holiness, leaving no room for any compromise between God and sin.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill highlights a careful distinction: God takes no pleasure in wickedness, yet He still permits it and even decrees it to magnify His grace. Though God delights in His elect despite their sins, He never delights in the sins themselves. Evil people, whether openly profane or secretly hypocritical, cannot dwell with Him.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
For, &c.—God only regards sincere worshippers. evil —or, "the evil man." dwell —lodge, remain under protection.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch analyze each Hebrew term for the wicked to show that God's holy character simply cannot coexist with them. The foolish boasters, workers of emptiness, and men of bloodshed are described in a sevenfold way because God's holy love must hate evil.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange reads this psalm as the personal morning prayer of a pious man surrounded by deceitful enemies, not powerful ones. He insists the prayer arises from a specific situation, not a generic lesson, and that references to God鈥檚 house do not demand a later temple setting. The
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry emphasizes that David calls God "my King and my God," not just King and God in general. The most powerful encouragement in prayer, for Henry, is to claim God as our own personal King and God, which gives unique confidence and a powerful plea in every address to him.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley points out that when Scripture says God does not "dwell" with the wicked, it means He has no delight in them or their prayers. True dwelling with God means having actual fellowship with Him, not merely being near Him.