Common misinterpretations include viewing the verse as a blanket condemnation of all human planning or nighttime thoughts rather than specifically the unrepentant wicked; assuming it promotes judging others' motives without self-examination, ignoring the psalm's broader contrast between evil and God's mercy; or literalizing 'upon his bed' to imply sexual sin exclusively, overlooking its emphasis on premeditated moral rebellion.
Psalms 36:4
King James Version (1769)
4 He deviseth mischief upon his bed; he setteth himself in a way that is not good; he abhorreth not evil.
Psalms 36:4 depicts the inner life of the wicked, who lie in bed devising schemes of harm, consciously choose paths of wrongdoing, and reject any hatred of evil, revealing a heart fully committed to sin without remorse or conviction, in stark contrast to the righteous who delight in God's law.