Psalm 36 read:
Psalm to David
1 Do not be jealous of those who are wicked; be not jealous of those who commit iniquity. 2 Like the grass the grass will soon dry up, and like the herb the herb will soon fail. 3 Trust in the Lord and do good deeds, and populate the earth, and enjoy its riches. 4 Delight the Lord, and He will grant you the petitions of Your heart. 5 Open your way to the Lord and trust in Him, and He will do: 6 And He will bring forth your righteousness like the light and your destiny like the noonday. 7 Obey the Lord and pray to Him. Do not be jealous of the one who is late in his journey, the person who commits crime. 8 Stop being angry and abandon rage; do not be jealous or deceitful. 9 Those who are wicked will be consumed, but those who endure the Lord will inherit the earth. 10 And yet a little while, and there will be no sinner, and you will seek his place and will not find it. 11 The meek ones will inherit the earth and enjoy the abundance of the world. 12 The sinner looks upon the righteous and gnashes his teeth. 13 But the Lord will laugh at him; he will see for sure that his day will come. 14 Draw the sword of the sinner, bend your bow, cast down the poor and the poor, slay the upright in heart. 15 Let their sword enter into their hearts, and let their bows be broken. 16 Better is little for the righteous than the great riches of sinners. 17 For the sinners' arms are broken, but the Lord strengthens the righteous. 18 The Lord tells the way of the blameless, and their inheritance will endure forever. 19 They will not be ashamed in times of evil, and in days of famine they will be satisfied, for sinners will perish. 20 The enemy of the Lord will be greatly glorified by him and will be exalted, vanishing like smoke. 21 The sinner borrows and does not pay back, but the righteous is generous and gives. 22 For those who bless Him will inherit the earth, but those who curse Him will be consumed. 23 From the Lord a man’s feet are made straight, and his ways are greatly delighted. 24 When he falls, he is not broken, for the Lord strengthens his hand. 25 The youngest was, for he was old, and had not seen the righteous man left, asking for bread below his seed. 26 All day long the righteous one has mercy and gives back, and his seed will be a blessing. 27 Turn away from evil and do good, and dwell in the age of ages. 28 For the Lord loves judgment and will not forsake His holy ones; they will be preserved forever. But the wicked will marry, and the seed of the wicked will be consumed. 29 And the righteous women will inherit the earth and dwell in it forever. 30 The mouth of the righteous shall learn wisdom, and his tongue shall speak judgment. 31 The law of his God is in his heart, and his feet will not stumble. 32 The sinner looks at the righteous and seeks to kill him. 33 But the Lord will not leave him in his hand; he will judge him even as he judges him. 34 Be patient with the Lord and keep His way, and He will exalt you, even though you will inherit the earth, and you will never be consumed by a sinner. 35 I saw the wicked being exalted and towering like the cedars of Lebanon. 36 And you passed by, and behold, you did not seek him, and you did not find his place. 37 Maintain kindness and see righteousness, for there is peace for a man. 38 But the wicked will be consumed together; the remains of the wicked will be consumed. 39 But the salvation of the righteous is from the Lord, and their Protector is in time of trouble. 40 And the Lord will help them, and deliver them, and take them away from sinners, and save them, because they have trusted in Him.
The history of writing the psalm
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As you know, all the psalms were written by ordinary people. Of course, their social status could differ. If we talk about such a famous and revered author as David, then he was not an ordinary person at all, but a king. Moreover, in the holy scripture there is a clarification that he was chosen to rule by the Lord himself.
It is worth noting that there has been a lot of controversy regarding the establishment of the authorship of this psalm. Because the researchers insisted that the author could be another person. However, having studied in detail the three versions of signatures, it became clear that the song came from the pen of King David. Please note that similar signatures appear before each psalm. They are written in three languages at once:
- Hebrew;
- Greek;
- Latin.
If clergy are in doubt about who exactly the authorship belongs to, they carefully examine absolutely all options for the signature. And, having translated it into Russian, the author is unmistakably identified. This is exactly what happened in this case. Therefore, one should not take at face value the statements of some “experts” that the authorship may belong to another person.
Psalm 36 in Russian:
Psalm of David.
1 Do not be jealous of evildoers, do not envy those who practice iniquity,
2 For they will soon be cut down like grass, and like green grass they will wither.
3 Trust in the Lord and do good; live on earth and keep the truth.
4 Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.
5Commit your way to the Lord and trust in Him, and He will bring it to pass,
6 And he will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.
7 Submit yourselves to the Lord and trust in Him. Do not be jealous of the one who succeeds in his way, the wicked man.
8 Cease your anger and put aside your rage; do not be jealous to the point of doing evil,
9 For those who do evil will be destroyed, but those who trust in the Lord will inherit the earth.
10 A little while longer, and the wicked will be no more; you look at his place, and he is not there.
11 But the meek will inherit the earth and enjoy much peace.
12 The wicked plots against the righteous and gnashes his teeth at him:
13 But the Lord laughs at him, for he sees that his day is coming.
14 The wicked draw their sword and bend their bow to overthrow the poor and needy, to pierce those who walk in the straight path:
15 Their sword will enter into their own heart, and their bows will be broken.
16 A righteous man's little is better than the wealth of many wicked people,
17 For the arms of the wicked will be broken, but the Lord will strengthen the righteous.
18 The Lord knows the days of the blameless, and their inheritance will endure forever:
19 They will not be put to shame in times of evil, and in days of famine they will be satisfied;
20 But the wicked will perish, and the enemies of the Lord will disappear like the fat of lambs, disappearing into smoke.
21 The wicked borrows and does not repay, but the righteous is compassionate and gives.
22 For those who are blessed by Him will inherit the earth, and those who are cursed by Him will be destroyed.
23 The Lord establishes the steps of such a man, and He delights in his way:
24 When he falls, he will not fall, for the Lord holds him by the hand.
25 I was young and old, and I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants asking for bread:
26 He shows mercy and lends every day, and his descendants will be a blessing.
27 Turn away from evil and do good, and you will live forever:
28 For the Lord loves righteousness and does not forsake His saints; they will remain forever; [and the wicked will be cast out] and the descendants of the wicked will be destroyed.
29 The righteous will inherit the earth and will live in it forever.
30 The mouth of the righteous speaks wisdom, and his tongue speaks righteousness.
31 The law of his God is in his heart; his feet shall not be shaken.
32 The wicked spies on the righteous and seeks to kill him;
33 But the Lord will not deliver him into his hand, nor will he allow him to be accused when he is judged.
34 Trust in the Lord and keep to His way: and He will exalt you to inherit the earth; and when the wicked are destroyed, you will see.
35 I saw a terrible wicked man, expanding like a rooted many-branched tree;
36 But he passed through, and behold he was no more; I'm looking for it and can't find it.
37 Observe the blameless and behold the righteous, for the future of such a person is peace;
38 But the wicked will all be destroyed; the future of the wicked will perish.
39 From the Lord is salvation for the righteous; He is their refuge in time of trouble;
40 And the Lord will help them and deliver them; He will deliver them from the wicked and save them, for they trust in Him.
Interpretation of the meaning of Orthodox Psalm 36
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The text of the Christian Psalm 36, according to historiographers, belongs to one of the most famous psalmists - the Israeli king David. This is one of David's later psalms, written by him in old age, and reflecting his rich spiritual experience. This song is alphabetical, each line in it begins with a serial letter of the Hebrew alphabet. A similar technique was used by psalmists and writers of religious hymns more than once to make memorization easier.
The interpretation of Psalm 36 explains to us that it was written in memory of the persecution of Absalom: in it the prophet David talks about how short the life of the sinner is, and that the righteous will sooner or later triumph. This also applies to David’s third son Absalom, who rebelled against his father. The revolt failed and Absalom was forced to flee. His path ran through the forest, and through negligence the wicked son got entangled in tree branches with his long hair, was overtaken by his pursuers and stoned to death. David bitterly mourned the death of his son, but, as a wise man, he could not help but see God’s punishment in this event. Read and listen online to Christian Psalm 36 about the health of a seriously wounded person.
Listen to the video of the Orthodox prayer Psalm 36 in Russian
Read the text of the prayer Psalm 36 in Russian
Do not be jealous of evildoers, do not envy those who do iniquity, for they, like grass, will soon be cut down and, like green grass, they will wither. Trust in the Lord and do good; live on earth and keep the truth. Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord and trust in Him, and He will perfect and bring out your righteousness like the light and your justice like the noonday. Submit to the Lord and trust in Him. Do not be jealous of the one who succeeds in his way, the wicked man. Stop being angry and leave rage; Do not be so jealous as to do evil, for those who do evil will be destroyed, but those who trust in the Lord will inherit the earth. A little more, and the wicked will no longer be; you look at his place, and he is not there. But the meek will inherit the earth and enjoy much peace. The wicked plots against the righteous and gnashes his teeth at him: but the Lord laughs at him, for he sees that his day is coming. The wicked draw their sword and draw their bow to overthrow the poor and needy, to pierce those who walk the straight path: their sword will enter their own heart, and their bows will be broken. A little of the righteous is better than the riches of many of the wicked, for the arms of the wicked are broken, but the Lord strengthens the righteous. The Lord knows the days of the blameless, and their wealth will endure forever: they will not be put to shame in times of cruelty, and in days of famine they will be satisfied; but the wicked will perish, and the enemies of the Lord will disappear like the fat of lambs, vanishing in smoke. The wicked borrows and does not repay, but the righteous has mercy and gives, for those blessed by Him will inherit the earth, and those cursed by Him will be destroyed. The Lord establishes the feet of such a person, and He favors his path: when he falls, he will not fall, for the Lord holds him by the hand. I was young and old, and I have not seen the righteous forsaken and his descendants asking for bread: he has mercy and lends every day, and his descendants will be a blessing. Turn away from evil and do good, and you will live forever: for the Lord loves righteousness and does not forsake His saints; they will remain forever; and the wicked will be cast out, and the descendants of the wicked will be destroyed. The righteous will inherit the earth and will live on it forever. The mouth of the righteous speaks wisdom, and his tongue speaks righteousness. The law of his God is in his heart; his feet shall not be shaken. The wicked spies on the righteous and seeks to kill him; but the Lord will not deliver him into his hands and will not allow him to be accused when he is judged. Trust in the Lord and keep His way: and He will exalt you to inherit the earth; and when the wicked are destroyed, you will see. I saw a terrible wicked man, expanding like a rooted many-branched tree; but he passed, and now he is gone; I'm looking for it and can't find it. Observe the blameless and behold the righteous, for the future of such a person is peace; and the wicked will all be destroyed; the future of the wicked will perish. Salvation comes from the Lord for the righteous; He is their protection in times of trouble; and the Lord will help them and deliver them; He will deliver them from the wicked and save them, for they trust in Him.
Orthodox Psalter, text of Psalm 36 in Church Slavonic language
Do not be jealous of those who are wicked; do not be jealous of those who commit lawlessness. For the grass will soon dry up, and the herbs will soon fall away. Trust in the Lord and do goodness; and they inhabited the earth, and enjoyed its riches. Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will grant you the petitions of your heart. Open your way to the Lord and trust in him, and he will do it. And he will bring out your righteousness like light and your destiny like noon. Obey the Lord and beg him. Do not be jealous of the one who ripens on his way, the person who commits crimes. Stop being angry and abandon rage; do not be jealous, even if you are deceitful, those who are wicked will be consumed, but those who endure the Lord will inherit the earth. And yet a little while, and there will be no sinner; and you seek its place and will not find it. The meek ones will inherit the earth and enjoy the abundance of the world. The sinner despises the righteous and gnashes his teeth; The Lord will laugh at him and foresee that his day will come. The sinner has drawn the sword, strained her bow, cast down the wretched and the poor, and slain the upright in heart. Let their sword enter into their hearts, and let their bows be broken. A little is better for the righteous than much for the riches of sinners. The sinners' muscles will be broken, but the Lord confirms the righteous. The Lord proclaims the ways of the blameless, and their success will endure forever. They will not be ashamed in times of cruelty and in days of famine they will be satisfied, as sinners will perish. Defeat the Lord, and become glorified by them and ascend, disappearing like smoke. The sinner borrows and does not return; the righteous one is generous and gives. For those who bless him will inherit the earth, but those who curse him will be consumed. From the Lord, man’s feet are straightened, and his ways are greatly admired. When he falls, he will not be broken, for the Lord strengthens his hand. The youngest was, for he grew old, and did not see the righteous man left, below his seed asking for bread. All day long the righteous man shows mercy and gives back, and his seed will be a blessing. Turn away from evil and do good, and dwell in the age of the century. For the Lord loves judgment and will not abandon His saints; will be preserved forever; But the wicked will become wives, and the seed of the wicked will be consumed. The righteous will inherit the earth and dwell in it forever and ever. The mouth of the righteous will learn wisdom, and his tongue will speak judgment. The law of God is his heart, and his feet will not falter. The sinner looks at the righteous and seeks to kill him; The Lord will not leave him in his hand; he will judge him below when he judges him. Be patient with the Lord and preserve his way, and he will exalt you to inherit the earth; never be consumed by a sinner, see. I saw the wicked exalting themselves and towering like the cedars of Lebanon; and he passed by, and behold, he was not there, and he sought him, and his place was not found. Maintain kindness and see righteousness, for there is a remnant for a peaceful person. The lawless ones will be consumed together; the remains of the wicked will be consumed. The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord, and their protector is in time of trouble; and the Lord will help them and deliver them, and will take them away from sinners and save them, because they trusted in him.
Time to write the text
The greatest problem that clergy face when studying the psalms is the correct determination of the time interval for their writing. Because hints are quite rare in the text itself.
For this reason, it is almost impossible to reliably determine the exact date of writing. But in the case of Psalm 36, such necessary clues were still present in the texts - in one of the lines the author reflects on his old age. This allowed researchers to draw a simple conclusion: Psalm 36 was written by David in old age. In other words, it was written almost at the end of the king’s reign.
According to some clergy, this song was written by him for his own son. The king had several children. However, according to assumptions, it is on this occasion that he turns to Solomon. The lines of the song contain a very simple meaning: David is trying to convince his youth Solomon that only the Lord can give him peace and peace of mind, so he needs to devote his life to serving higher powers.
The psalm also contains several lines in which David talks about the life of a wicked man. Some researchers have suggested that we are talking about the king himself. After all, everyone is well aware that in his youth he committed a terrible sin, for which his children were punished. The punishment sent by heaven made him realize how grave a sin he had committed.
What is the purpose of reading a psalm?
When addressing heaven with one text or another, each person pursues his own goal. However, clergy insist that one important detail must be remembered. Each of the existing religious texts serves to provide a person with the opportunity to turn to heaven.
There are prayers that should be used when you find yourself in a difficult life situation. Moreover, there are also those, using which a person can ask the Almighty for something or beg His mercy.
The same goes for the psalms. Judging correctly, Psalm 36 is recommended to be read in the following situations:
- when a believer experiences mental anguish, people who have ever experienced such suffering know that it is sometimes completely impossible to bear it. They cannot even be compared with the most severe physical pain. There is only one medicine for such a person - prayer or psalm. After reading Psalm 36, a Christian will immediately feel better;
- if a Christian begins to doubt the correctness of his chosen path, doubts pose a real threat to every person. Because they can gradually even ruin your life. Therefore, if a righteous person suddenly begins to experience doubts, he must definitely tell the Almighty about this by reading a psalm.
36:1,2 Psalm of David. Do not be jealous of evildoers, do not envy those who commit iniquity,In addition, there is another situation in which the believer is free to read the psalm. Namely, when a person needs divine participation. After all, sometimes it happens that a believer begins to feel the need to talk with the Almighty. And the best way to fulfill this desire is to read the text of the psalm.
2 For they will soon be cut down like grass, and like green grass they will wither.
Many righteous people, looking at the prosperity of the wicked, begin to envy them and their apparent success in this age. However, David knows that their prosperity, built on lawless ways and methods, is deceptive and temporary.
David knows how to look with the eyes of faith at what exists - as if it does not exist; he seems to be wicked, but in essence he is not. And what is not there cannot be counted. Just as the grass does not grow green for long, the age of prosperity of the wicked is short-lived.
36:3 Trust in the Lord and do good; live on earth and keep the truth.
A man of God should not only be concerned with doing good. But also about preserving the purity of the truth of God’s word: a true picture of God’s story about Him, about His intentions for the present and future of humanity, about the essence of the universe, and so on. It is unacceptable for a man of God to forget the truth of the Most High or distort it.
36:4-6 Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart. 5Commit your way to the Lord and trust in Him, and He will bring it to pass,
In this life, only trust in the Lord makes sense: this will motivate you to do good from His point of view, without looking back at the success of iniquities. And although the light of the righteous in this age is swallowed up by the wickedness of the wicked, the time will come when all the efforts of those who trust in Him will be rewarded and the light of their deeds will not go unnoticed:
6 And he will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.
God's principle hidden in us (if it is hidden, of course, in us) cannot go unnoticed by Him. Every person of God will definitely receive a fair reward for their faithfulness - in due time.
36:7-9 Submit to the Lord and trust in Him. Do not be jealous of the one who succeeds in his way, the wicked man.
It is not easy to do good when it seems fruitless and does not bring such visible success in this age as their evil deeds bring to the wicked.
But still, those who are not indifferent to the future should not be angry with God, who calls to do good no matter what and not to take a bad example from the wicked: 8 Stop being angry and leave rage;
Do not be jealous to the point of doing evil, 9 for those who do evil will be destroyed, but those who trust in the Lord will inherit the earth. All who can withstand the pressure of the success of the wicked and do not become like them will inherit the earth in the future. There will be no wicked people on God’s planet “Earth”:
36:10 A little more, and the wicked will no longer be; you look at his place, and he is not there.
This “
little
” has been going on since the time of Noah’s flood, and this “
little
” keeps all the worshipers of God in this age afloat all their lives.
The size of a human life is that “ little
” for each of us, after which there will be no wicked people. Because in the amount of eternity, our 70-80 years are a very tiny “little”; death will free us from the need to endure the wicked, and after the resurrection, even if there are wicked people, at least they will no longer be able to cause harm. They will think evil - and that’s it, a second death is immediately guaranteed for them without the possibility of harming others.
In His system of things, God will not allow anyone who loves God to suffer, just as in the system of this wicked age.
So, just a little
- for us it just means to endure to the end.
36:11 But the meek will inherit the earth and enjoy much peace.
Only the meek - obedient to the voice of the Master of the planet - will be able to enjoy a heavenly peaceful and happy life under God's care. So being a righteous man is not easy, of course, but it’s worth it.
36:12,13 The wicked plots against the righteous and gnashes his teeth at him: 13 But the Lord laughs at him, for he sees that his day is coming.
And although the wicked rebels against the righteous, God laughs at him, for he knows that the time of his reckoning will come.
36:14,15 The wicked draw the sword and draw their bow to overthrow the poor and the needy, to pierce [those who walk] the straight way: 15 Their sword will enter into their own heart, and their bows will be broken.
The wicked, of course, are strong with the sword, but they do not know that this sword, raised against the righteous, will ultimately become the reason for the death sentence for themselves; what they sow, so shall they reap.
36:16,17 A little of the righteous is better than the riches of many of the wicked, 17 for the arms of the wicked are broken, but the Lord strengthens the righteous.
A modest and poor righteous person is much more honorable and stronger with God than the richest and most influential wicked person, for God Himself is on the side of the righteous person, and competing with God is stupid: a hundred percent loss.
36:18-20 The Lord knows the days of the blameless, and their inheritance will endure forever: 19 they will not be put to shame in times of evil, and in days of famine they will be satisfied; 20 But the wicked will perish, and the enemies of the Lord will disappear like the fat of lambs, disappearing into smoke.
The righteous will not suffer harm even in the most difficult times, but the wicked will be caught during this time.
Here, of course, figuratively - about the fate of the righteous in the spiritual sense, about the strength of his faith, for in the literal - in this century, many righteous people became victims of injustice and prey to the wicked. However, God will restore justice and not a single righteous person will suffer irreparable damage.
36:21 The wicked borrows and does not repay, but the righteous is merciful and gives,
The difference between the righteous and the wicked is even in this little detail: the wicked loves to borrow, but does not repay the debts.
And the righteous person is not only ready to give as a loan, but also irrevocably, by mercy, shares everything that he himself has. 22 For
36:22 Those who are blessed by Him will inherit the earth, and those who are cursed by Him will be destroyed.
Those blessed by the Lord will inherit the earth (note - not heaven), and the wicked will simply be destroyed from the earth.
36:23,24 The Lord establishes the feet of [such a] man, and He delights in his way: 24 when he falls, he will not fall, for the Lord holds him up by the hand.
The Lord always watches over the righteous. It happens that the righteous stumble and fall, but His God will not allow them to fall to death, He will support them when they fall and help them rise.
36:25,26 I was young and old, and I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants asking for bread: 26 he shows mercy and lends every day, and his descendants will be a blessing.
Not a single righteous person who shows mercy to others will live to ask for alms: God does not allow this to happen; there are always those who will help the righteous person not to die of hunger.
If we talk about literal bread, then you can often observe that this is what happens: if a person is good, tried to do good, then in old age there is always someone to visit him. If you lived your life for your own pleasure, wasted your years senselessly and did nothing good to anyone, then sometimes there is no one to bring a glass of water to. Although there is another vanity: the righteous perishes in his righteousness, but the wicked prospers in his wickedness.
And if we talk about spiritual bread, then it’s already clear: God does not leave His righteous without spiritual bread and certainly feeds it. Not red caviar, mind you, but bread. Not with abstruse ornate delights of teachings, but with simple RUITS of knowledge about Himself and His intention for man - the very little that is necessary for the survival of the pious in this nightmare of this century. And the wicked will starve from the lack of God’s spiritual bread, for he will not be able to accommodate sound teaching about God and the essence of existence.
36:27,28 Turn away from evil and do good, and you will live forever: 28 for the Lord loves righteousness and does not forsake His saints; they will remain forever; and the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.
All who resist evil and try to live according to the principles of God will inherit the earth, as we remember from 36:22, and will live on the inherited earth forever, but not a trace will remain of the wicked, for even their descendants will be destroyed.
36:29 The righteous will inherit the earth and will live in it
forever.
This text emphasizes precisely the idea that the righteous will not only inherit the earth as a trophy. But he will also LIVE ON IT.
Some people believe that people will live in heaven, but will inherit the earth. David speaks of the eternal life of the meek on earth.
36: 30-32
The mouth of the righteous speaks wisdom, and his tongue speaks righteousness.
31 The law of his God is in his heart; his feet shall not be shaken. 32 The wicked spies on the righteous and seeks to kill him; A righteous person lives his own life, speaks the truth of God and keeps the law of God in his heart.
The wicked does not live his own life: the meaning of his life comes down to peeping through the keyhole at the life of the righteous and waiting for the right moment to destroy his life or harm him in some way.
36:33 but the Lord will not deliver him into his hands and will not allow him to be accused when he is judged.
However, even if the wicked succeeds in the black business of destroying the righteous in this century, then at the future judgment God will not be in favor of him
36:34 Trust in the Lord and keep His way: and He will exalt you to inherit the earth; and when the wicked are destroyed, you will see.
Therefore, no matter what, trust in God and adhere to HIS path in order to live on His land forever and see that there will be no wicked people there.
This is exactly how exalts
and exalts those who were humiliated and trampled in this age by the deeds and power of the wicked.
36:35,36 I saw a terrible wicked man, expanding like a rooted many-branched tree; 36 But he passed through, and behold he was no more; I'm looking for it and can't find it.
Even if the wicked in this age expands and takes root in his wickedness, he still will not sit as a branchy and mighty tree forever: he will be uprooted.
36:37-40 Observe the blameless and behold the righteous, for the future of [such] a person is peace; 38 But the wicked will all be destroyed; the future of the wicked will perish. 39 From the Lord is salvation for the righteous; He is their refuge in time of trouble; 40 And the Lord will help them and deliver them; He will deliver them from the wicked and save them, for they trust in Him.
God will help the righteous to endure any sorrow, no matter how great it may be. You need to take an example from them, from the righteous and blameless, for this is the eternal benefit for those who take an example from them.
The wicked will never exist again.
