Psalms 36:2

My Notes

What Does Psalms 36:2 Mean?

"For he flattereth himself in his own eyes, until his iniquity be found to be hateful." David describes the SELF-DECEPTION of the wicked: the wicked person FLATTERS himself — in his OWN eyes, by his OWN assessment. The self-flattery continues UNTIL the iniquity is FOUND — discovered, uncovered, exposed. The flattery and the discovery exist on a TIMELINE: the self-deception lasts until the truth catches up. The flattering is temporary. The finding is inevitable.

The phrase "he flattereth himself in his own eyes" (hecheliq elav be'einav — he makes it smooth/slippery for himself in his eyes) uses CHALAQ — to make smooth, to flatter, to make slippery. The wicked person makes his own sin SMOOTH — easy to swallow, pleasant to look at, comfortable to live with. The smoothing is self-directed: he flatters HIMSELF. Nobody else is performing the deception. The wicked is his own flatterer.

The phrase "until his iniquity be found to be hateful" (limtzo avono lisno — to find his iniquity to hate) makes the discovery a TURNING POINT: there comes a moment when the self-flattery FAILS — when the iniquity is FOUND (exposed, uncovered) and recognized as HATEFUL (worthy of hatred, repulsive). The smoothness gives way to the horror. The comfortable self-assessment collapses when the reality is finally seen.

The EYES are the organ of deception AND discovery: 'in his own EYES' he flatters — the eyes see what the person WANTS to see. 'Until found' — the discovery uses different eyes. The self-deceiving eyes are eventually overridden by the truth-revealing discovery. The eyes that lied are replaced by the reality that exposes.

Reflection Questions

• 1.What smooth story about your own behavior are you telling yourself?
• 2.What does the wicked flattering HIMSELF (self-generated deception) teach about the danger of having no external check?
• 3.How does the 'UNTIL' (the discovery is coming) describe the timeline of self-deception?
• 4.What would it look like for your 'smooth' sin to be FOUND and recognized as hateful — and would that discovery be mercy?

Devotional

He flatters HIMSELF — in his OWN eyes. The deception is self-generated. Nobody is lying to him. He's lying to HIMSELF. The wicked person makes his own sin SMOOTH — comfortable, acceptable, easy to live with. The mirror he looks into shows him what he WANTS to see, not what IS.

The 'UNTIL' is the timeline: the self-flattery doesn't last forever. There's an endpoint — 'until his iniquity be FOUND to be hateful.' The discovery is COMING. The smoothness will be DISRUPTED. The comfortable self-assessment will COLLAPSE when the truth breaks through. The 'until' means the self-deception is on a CLOCK.

The discovery makes the iniquity 'HATEFUL' — the same sin that was SMOOTHED becomes REPULSIVE. The same behavior that the self-flattering eyes saw as acceptable, the truth-revealing discovery exposes as worthy of HATRED. The transition from smooth to hateful is the transition from self-deception to self-knowledge. The same sin. Two completely different assessments.

The SELF-FLATTERY is the most dangerous deception: external lies can be challenged by others. Self-flattery has no external check — the deceiver and the deceived are the SAME PERSON. The smooth story you tell yourself about your own behavior has no internal opposition. The yes-man is you. The flatterer is the mirror. The deception is hermetically sealed.

What self-flattery are you maintaining — what smooth story about your own behavior — and what discovery is the 'until' bringing?

Commentary

Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.

Cross References

Related passages throughout Scripture