“The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit: he hath left off to be wise, and to do good.”
The psalmist describes the words of the wicked as deceptive and void of insight, and they no longer act wisely or do good. The verse portrays the wicked as characterized by false speech and the abandonment of any attempt at righteousness. The phrase 'no longer act wisely' suggests that the wicked have moved away from wisdom into foolishness. This verse establishes the progressive nature of wickedness: it begins in internal disorder and manifests in corrupted speech and abandonment of goodness.
Church Fathers on Psalms 36:3
1. ...“The ungodly has said in himself that he will sin: there is no fear of God before his eyes” Psalm 35:1. Not of one man, but of a race of ungodly men he speaks, who fight against their own selves, by not understanding, that so they may live well; not because they cannot, but because they will not. For it is one thing, when one endeavours to understand some thing, and through infirmity of flesh cannot; as says the Scripture in a certain place, “For the corruptible body…
Nicene & Post-Nicene / Ante-Nicene Fathers translations · public domain
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