Psalms 36:5–6
David: his steadfast love reaches to the heavens, his faithfulness to the clouds
Study it word by word5YHWH, in the heavens is your loyal love, your faithfulness to the clouds.
6Your righteousness is like the mountains of El; your judgments are a great deep; human beings and livestock you save, YHWH.
In its context
3The words of his mouth are wickedness and deceit; he has ceased to understand, to do good.
4Wickedness he plots on his bed; he takes his stand on a way not good; evil he does not reject.
…
7How precious is your loyal love, Elohim! And human beings in the shadow of your wings take refuge.
8They drink their fill of the fatness of your house, and from the stream of your delights you give them drink.
Its words in the original
- יְהוָהyehva· YHWH
The personal name of the God of Israel, written in Hebrew with four letters, Y-H-W-H, without vowels. Out of reverence Jews stopped pronouncing it and read "Adonai" (Lord), so many Bibles put "the LORD" or "Jehovah". This translation keeps the four letters. The name is related to the verb "to be" (Exodus 3:14-15). He is not a god other than Elohim: "YHWH Elohim" is the same Creator God, called by his name.
- שָּׁמַיִםshamayim· heavens, sky
The heavens: what is above, where the clouds, the sun and the stars are seen; also the dwelling of God. In Hebrew it is always plural. With birds, "the sky".
- חַסְדֶּchasde· loyal love
"Chesed": love that stays faithful to a commitment. It is kindness that does not remain a feeling: it acts in favor of the other and does not abandon him. The Bible says it above all of God's love for his people.
- אֱמוּנָתְemunat· faithfulness, steadiness
Steadiness; from there faithfulness, being trustworthy.
- שְׁחָקִיםshechakim· clouds, skies
Clouds; the heights of the sky; also fine dust.
- צִדְקָתְtsidkat· righteousness
Righteousness: being right with God and acting rightly with others; justice.
- הַרְרֵיharre· mountain
Mount, mountain (a poetic form).
- אֵלel· El, God, god
"El", an ancient Hebrew word for "God". Alone or with another title it is a name of the God of Israel: El Elyon (God Most High), El Shaddai (God Almighty). Neighboring peoples used the same word for their gods; then this translation writes "god" in lower case. It also means "mighty".
- מִשְׁפָּטֶmishpate· justice, judgment
What is right and the decision that establishes it: the judgment of a judge, someone's right, a rule or ordinance, a custom. "Do righteousness and justice" is to treat each one as is due.
- תְּהוֹםtehom· the deep
The deep waters: the deep sea, the ocean, and the waters under the earth. In the Hebrew Bible it is not a place of punishment or the place of the dead.
- רַבָּהraba· many, great
Many, much, abundant, great; also "elder" or "chief".
- אָדָםadam· human being, man, Adam
The Hebrew word "adam". It has three uses: (1) humanity in general, men and women alike: "human beings" (Genesis 1:27); (2) a particular man; in Genesis 2-4, the first man, "the man"; (3) the personal name of that first man, "Adam". In Hebrew "adam" sounds like "adamah", the ground he was formed from (Genesis 2:7).
- בְהֵמָהvehema· livestock, beast
Four-footed animal, above all livestock and domestic animals; sometimes all animals in contrast with human beings.
- תוֹשִׁיעַtoshia· save
Save: deliver someone from danger or from an oppressor. From this root come the names Joshua and Jesus.