If you are looking for Psalm 36 Bible study questions, this page gives you a full set you can use in a small group, a Sunday class, or your own quiet time. The questions move from what the psalm says, to what it means, to how it should shape the way you live. Each question comes with a leader’s note to guide the discussion.
Psalm 36 at a Glance
Psalm 36 begins by describing a wicked person who has lost any sense of reverence for God. This person flatters himself, plots harm while lying in bed, and no longer cares to do what is good. The psalm then turns sharply, lifting the eyes of the reader to the vast loving kindness, faithfulness and righteousness of the LORD, which reach to the heavens and the deep.
The closing section moves from that vision of God’s character to a prayer. The psalmist asks God to continue his steadfast love toward those who know him, to keep proud feet and wicked hands from harm, and ends with a confident picture of the wicked fallen and unable to rise.
Observation Questions
Use these questions first to help the group slow down and look at the text itself before anyone offers an opinion. Ask people to find the answer in the words on the page, and resist explaining too early.
Psalm 36:1-2
1 An inner sanctuary is within my heart about the disobedience of the wicked: “There is no fear of God before his eyes.” 2 For he flatters himself in his own eyes, too much to detect and hate his sin.
(WEB)
Read these verses early to establish the problem the psalm describes. Ask the group to listen for the root issue, the absence of reverence, and to notice how the psalm names self-deception as part of the danger.
Psalm 36:5-6
5 Your loving kindness, the LORD, is in the heavens. Your faithfulness reaches to the skies. 6 Your righteousness is like the mountains of God. Your judgments are like a great deep. The LORD, you preserve man and animal.
(WEB)
Reading these verses aloud shifts the mood of the session toward God’s character. The large images of heaven, skies, mountains and deep waters invite the group to slow down and consider how big God’s faithfulness is.
Psalm 36:7-9
7 How precious is your loving kindness, God! The children of men take refuge under the shadow of your wings. 8 They shall be abundantly satisfied with the abundance of your house. You will make them drink of the river of your pleasures. 9 For with you is the spring of life. In your light shall we see light.
(WEB)
These verses hold some of the most tender language in the psalm, including refuge under God’s wings and the spring of life. Read them slowly, and give space afterward for anyone to respond to the images that moved them.
Psalm 36:10
Oh continue your loving kindness to those who know you, your righteousness to the upright in heart.
(WEB)
This single verse contains the psalmist’s direct prayer for continued loving kindness and righteousness. Reading it on its own helps the group hear it as a petition they can make themselves in the closing discussion.
Psalm 36:11-12
11 Don’t let the foot of pride come against me. Don’t let the hand of the wicked drive me away. 12 There the workers of iniquity are fallen. They are thrust down, and shall not be able to rise.
(WEB)
Ending the reading with these verses gives the session a clear sense of resolution. Pause after reading to let the group consider what it means to trust God’s justice when they feel pressure from proud or wicked people.
Memory Verse for Psalm 36
Psalm 36:9
For with you is the spring of life. In your light shall we see light.
(WEB)
This verse is short enough to memorize and rich enough to return to often. Encourage the group to repeat it together and to think of one concrete moment this week when they might remember that God is the spring of life and the source of true light.
A Closing Prayer for the Group
Father, we come to you as people who know how easily we flatter ourselves and how quickly we can lose sight of our own sin. Open our eyes to see clearly, and give us the light that only you can provide. Thank you that your loving kindness reaches to the heavens and your faithfulness reaches to the skies, and that we can take refuge under the shadow of your wings. Continue your steadfast love toward those who know you, and keep our hearts upright before you. Guard us from pride and from the hands of those who would harm us, and help us trust your justice in every situation. Strengthen what we have learned together today, and let it take root in how we live this week. Amen.
