NOTES for Psa 36:1-12
Why does the wickedness of the lawless speak in the heart of a righteous person who turns to God? Is it only because the one who cries out reacts keenly to every evil they encounter? Or is it because evil, whoever commits it, acts as a temptation, provoking the sinful potential that lies dormant in each of us? In any case, denouncing sin is usually ineffective when it is combined with proud boasting about one’s own righteousness.
The psalmist knows that repentance can also be false. The form of false repentance discussed here is astonishingly modern despite its antiquity. With today’s widespread psychological literacy, there is a strong temptation to call pseudo-analytical reflection repentance instead of turning away from sin. The result is self-justification layered with self-admiration rather than hatred and rejection of our own evil.
But no deceit can undo the fact that evil remains evil, whatever extenuating excuses we may devise, and only the Lord in His mercy can deliver us from the power of sin.