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Psalm 78:36

But they flattered him with their mouth, and lied to him with their tongue.

34When he killed them, then they inquired after him. They returned and sought God earnestly.
35They remembered that God was their rock, the Most High God, their redeemer.
36But they flattered him with their mouth, and lied to him with their tongue.
37For their heart was not right with him, neither were they faithful in his covenant.
38But he, being merciful, forgave iniquity, and didn’t destroy them. Yes, many times he turned his anger away, and didn’t stir up all his wrath.
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← Psalm 78:35Psalm 78:37 →
Notice

Flattery turns speech toward God into deception, exposing the unsettling gap between words that sound faithful and a heart that remains unfaithful to him.

Questions to write on. Each one opens a new entry with this verse already attached.

Where, if anywhere, might your words to God promise more than you intend to live?

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What would make a sentence of praise truthful rather than flattering in your own prayer?

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Connect

Where else Scripture says this

8 passages readers most often link with this verse, and the thread each one shares with it.

This verse's connections, by chapterThe Bible's strongest chapter linksHover or tap a book to trace it
Isaiah 29:13The Lord said, “Because this people draws near with their mouth and honors me with their lips, but they have removed their heart far from me, and their fear of …Both describe people addressing God with words of honor while their hearts remain far from faithfulness to him.
Ezekiel 33:31They come to you as the people come, and they sit before you as my people, and they hear your words, but don’t do them; for with their mouth they show much …Both expose a gap between the mouth and the heart: spoken devotion accompanies unfaithfulness to God.
Psalm 18:44As soon as they hear of me they shall obey me. The foreigners shall submit themselves to me.The link is limited: Psalm 18 describes submission to its speaker, while Psalm 78 describes deceptive speech to God.
Deuteronomy 5:28–29The LORD heard the voice of your words when you spoke to me; and the LORD said to me, “I have heard the voice of the words of this people which they have …Both concern the people’s words before God; Deuteronomy records his approval, while the psalm exposes flattery and lies.
Isaiah 57:11“Whom have you dreaded and feared, so that you lie, and have not remembered me, nor laid it to your heart? Haven’t I held my peace for a long time, and you …Both name lying in the people’s relationship with God, with the surrounding psalm and Isaiah also exposing failures of heart.
Hosea 11:12Ephraim surrounds me with falsehood, and the house of Israel with deceit. Judah still strays from God, and is unfaithful to the Holy One.Both describe God’s people dealing with him through falsehood, and both connect that deceit with unfaithfulness.
Psalm 106:12–13Then they believed his words. They sang his praise.Both describe words directed toward God; Psalm 106 records praise joined to belief, while Psalm 78 records flattery and lies.
Isaiah 59:13transgressing and denying the LORD, and turning away from following our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart words of …Both name false speech as part of the people’s unfaithfulness to God; Isaiah traces those words to the heart.
Where this verse fits

Guilt and confession. wanting a steady prayer habit. sermon or Bible study notes.

What the Bible says about guilt →
One step

Something small to carry out of this verse

Write one prayer sentence you can say with honesty

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Encouragement

God’s mercy in the next lines reaches people whose words were false; the passage names their deceit without hiding his patience or his forgiveness.

Now put it in your words.

Start an entry on Psalm 78:36. Write what it stirs. Psalmlog sets your words beside Scripture and gives you one next step. Your first entry is free, no account needed.

Keep goingPsalm 78 · the whole chapter with its connection mapPsalms · every chapterBuild a reading plan through Psalms

Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY). Scripture from the World English Bible (public domain). Arc diagram after Chris Harrison and Christoph Römhild (2007).