Psalm 5:5

Berean Standard Bible

The boastful cannot stand in Your presence; You hate all workers of iniquity.

King James Bible

The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity.

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This verse, like the one before it, carries immense theological weight and sharp moral clarity. It continues the psalmist David’s meditation on the holiness of God and offers a piercing articulation of divine justice. In this verse, we are confronted with the reality of God’s righteous indignation and His disposition toward those who rebel against His ways. It is not a verse that invites comfortable reflection—it demands reverence, humility, and a willingness to be confronted by the moral seriousness of God.

The verse begins with the statement, “The boastful shall not stand before Your eyes.” Here, the term “boastful” (also rendered “arrogant” or “proud”) is more than a description of a personality trait—it is a theological diagnosis. It refers to those who exalt themselves, who walk in self-sufficiency, who scorn dependence on God and exalt their own will above His. Pride, in the biblical worldview, is not merely self-confidence—it is rebellion. It is the original sin that led to the fall of the devil, the root from which all other sins spring. To be boastful is to live as though one does not need God, as though one’s wisdom is sufficient, one’s morality self-defined, and one’s life self-governed.

David says these people “shall not stand before Your eyes.” This is a Hebrew idiom that suggests approval or acceptance. To stand in someone’s presence, particularly in the presence of a king, was a privilege reserved for those in favor. But the boastful—those whose hearts are lifted high in self-regard—are excluded from such honor in the court of heaven. They may stand tall in the eyes of the world, celebrated for their strength or intellect or charm, but before the gaze of the Holy One, they cannot endure. The “eyes” of God are not blind to the inner man. They penetrate beyond the mask, beyond the reputation, beyond the appearance. They see the heart. And the proud heart, regardless of its outward achievements, cannot survive in His presence.

The second half of the verse strikes even deeper: “You hate all evildoers.” This is one of the most jarring statements in the psalter. It is not softened or qualified. It does not say, “You hate the evil that people do,” or “You are displeased with their behavior.” It says, “You hate all evildoers.” This verse must be approached with theological precision and spiritual sobriety. In a modern context where God’s love is often emphasized in abstraction from His holiness, such a statement seems almost scandalous. And yet, this is the inspired Word of God. It tells us something critical: that God's hatred is not like human hatred, which is often impure, emotional, unstable, and tinged with malice. God's hatred is an expression of His perfect moral character, His settled opposition to all that is evil, twisted, destructive, and defiling.

To “hate evildoers” is not to act in arbitrary rage, but to regard with holy revulsion those who persist in opposition to His will, who destroy what is good, who defile what is pure, and who rebel against His authority. This does not mean God lacks love or mercy; on the contrary, His mercy is so profound precisely because His justice is so unyielding. His love does not negate His wrath—it magnifies it. The cross of Christ, where mercy and wrath meet, is the ultimate testimony to both God’s hatred of sin and His love for sinners.

But we must not rush to theological explanations that excuse us from the weight of this text. The verse does not permit us to comfortably divide the sinner from the sin in a way that removes all moral responsibility. God does not hate a vague abstraction called “evil”—He hates “evildoers.” This is not to say He lacks compassion for them or that He is unwilling to save them. Scripture is clear: He is patient, not willing that any should perish. But there is a line that the wicked cross when they persist in rebellion without repentance, when they align themselves so thoroughly with sin that they become identified with it. At that point, God’s wrath is not merely against what they do, but against who they have become.

This verse, then, should stir the soul. It should awaken holy fear—not terror that drives us from God, but reverence that draws us near in humility. It should strip away any notion that God is indifferent to human evil, or that sin is something casual and inconsequential. It should confront every heart that harbors pride, that boasts in self, that resists correction. It should remind us that grace is not to be presumed upon, and repentance is not to be delayed.

At the same time, this verse illuminates the Gospel. For if the boastful cannot stand before God, and if God hates all evildoers, what hope is there for any of us? Who has not been proud? Who has not done evil? Who among us could dare to stand before God on the basis of our own merit? The answer is none. And that is why the Gospel is not merely helpful—it is essential. Christ came not to affirm us in our sin, but to rescue us from it. He bore in His body the wrath of this holy God. He stood where we could not stand. He was judged so that we might be justified. In Him, the evildoer becomes a new creation. In Him, the boastful is brought low and raised again in humility. In Him, the one who once could not stand before God is welcomed as a child.

Psalm 5:5, then, is not a cold pronouncement of doom—it is a fiery declaration of holiness that prepares the heart to understand the Gospel. It is a moral mirror that shows us who we are apart from grace, and why grace is so astonishing. It is a warning against pride and presumption, and a summons to fear God rightly. It reminds us that while God is full of compassion, He is also a consuming fire. To live in the light of that truth is to live in wisdom, repentance, and reverent awe. It is to seek not our own righteousness, but the righteousness that comes through faith in the Son of God, who loved us and gave Himself for us. Only then can we stand before the eyes of God—not as boastful evildoers, but as justified sinners, clothed in grace.

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To all who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, and sealed by the Spirit of grace: peace be to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

I write to you as a servant of the Word, constrained by the love of Christ and compelled by the fear of the Lord, that you may be strengthened in truth and sobered in spirit. For in a time when the world grows increasingly bold in its rebellion, and even many within the household of faith are tempted to treat sin lightly, we must return to the firm ground of God's own character, as revealed in the Scriptures. Let us turn our hearts with trembling attention to the words of David, the servant of the Lord, who wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, “The boastful shall not stand before Your eyes; You hate all evildoers.”

Beloved, these are not soft words, nor are they pleasing to the ears of a generation accustomed to flattery and indulgence. But they are words of truth, and truth is the only ground upon which a soul can stand secure. They cut like a sword, yet they cut in order to heal. They shine with the brightness of divine holiness, and though their light may expose our hidden faults, they do so with the mercy of a physician exposing infection before applying the cure. Therefore, receive these words not with resistance, but with reverence.

“The boastful shall not stand before Your eyes.” This is a declaration against pride, the ancient and original sin, the fountainhead of rebellion. Pride was the poison that turned angels into devils. Pride was the lie that seduced Adam to grasp at divinity. Pride builds towers to heaven in defiance and raises human thrones in contempt of the true King. And even now, pride courses through the veins of fallen humanity, clothed in religious garments or worldly glamour, but always lifting the heart away from humble submission to the Most High.

But God will not share His glory with another. He resists the proud, and His eyes are too pure to look approvingly upon them. The boastful may stand before kings and courts, celebrated for their eloquence, honored for their might, admired for their success. But they shall not stand before the eyes of the Holy One. He beholds them from afar. They are like chaff before the wind—impressive for a moment, then scattered into nothingness. Let no one among you imagine that they can approach God with haughty words, or offer Him worship while cherishing pride in the secret places of the heart. The Lord sees not as man sees; He weighs the spirit.

And then comes this solemn pronouncement: “You hate all evildoers.” Many recoil at such a statement, and some would rather it were not in the Bible. But it is there, written not to incite hatred in man, but to reveal the unbending righteousness of God. He is not morally indifferent. He is not a passive observer of human conduct. He does not merely disapprove of evil—He hates it. And this hatred is not capricious or unstable; it is holy, just, and utterly consistent with His love. For if God truly loves what is good, He must hate what is evil. If He delights in justice, He must abhor injustice. If He loves the truth, He must detest the lie. And if He is holy, then He must reject with perfect intensity anything that defiles or destroys the goodness of His creation.

But notice: the text does not say, “You hate evil deeds,” but, “You hate all evildoers.” This is not to say that God is devoid of compassion or unwilling to forgive. Indeed, the entire testimony of Scripture reveals a God who takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked, who is patient and longsuffering, who gave His only Son that sinners might be reconciled. But let us not twist His mercy into moral neutrality. Let us not soften His holiness into something sentimental. There is a point—known only to God—at which the sinner who persists in rebellion becomes identified so thoroughly with his sin that he is not merely one who does evil, but an evildoer. To such, God is not a passive onlooker, but an adversary.

This, then, is a sobering truth for us all. For who among us has not sinned? Who among us has not been proud, not acted unjustly, not spoken falsely? If God hates evildoers, and we are counted among them, what hope is there for us? Here is where the Gospel shines most brightly. For though God in His holiness hates the evildoer, He has loved the world in such a way that He gave His Son to bear the weight of our wickedness. In Christ Jesus, the righteous wrath of God has been satisfied, and the mercy of God has been magnified. At the cross, the holy God did not compromise with sin—He condemned it in the flesh of His Son. And through His resurrection, He has opened the way for sinners to become saints, for rebels to become sons and daughters, for evildoers to become vessels of mercy.

Therefore, beloved, let this truth drive you not into despair, but into repentance. Let it stir in you a holy fear—a reverent awareness that the God who saves is also the God who judges. Let it lead you to examine your heart for pride, for presumption, for hidden sins that have not been brought into the light. Let it strip away the illusion of self-righteousness and remind you that your standing before God is not based on your own goodness, but on the blood and righteousness of Jesus Christ alone.

And let it teach you how to walk. If the boastful shall not stand before God’s eyes, then walk in humility. If He hates evildoers, then hate what is evil and cling to what is good. Do not make peace with sin. Do not entertain pride as though it were harmless. Do not dress rebellion in religious language. Instead, walk as those who have been redeemed—live as those who once were far off but have now been brought near by the blood of Christ. Pursue holiness, without which no one will see the Lord. Put to death what is earthly in you. Let your life be a testimony that grace not only forgives, but transforms.

And finally, be encouraged. The same God whose eyes are too pure to behold evil is the God who keeps watch over the righteous. The God who casts down the proud lifts up the humble. The God who opposes evildoers defends those who fear Him and take refuge in His name. You need not fear the wrath of God if you are hidden in Christ. You need not dread His gaze if your heart has been made clean by His Spirit. You need not shrink from His presence if you walk in repentance and faith.

So press on, beloved. Do not be deceived by the applause of the wicked or the short-lived glory of the boastful. Their end is sure. But you—if you endure, if you remain faithful, if you humble yourself under the mighty hand of God—will be exalted in due time. Keep your eyes fixed on the One who sees all, judges all, and redeems all who call upon Him in truth.

May the God of holiness and mercy keep you from stumbling, purify your heart, and fill you with the joy of those who dwell in His presence.

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O Lord God Almighty, who dwells in unapproachable light, before whom the seraphim cry day and night, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts”—we lift our voices to You with trembling hearts and bowed spirits. You are the eternal One, the Righteous Judge of all the earth, pure in all Your ways, blameless in all Your judgments. You are not as man, whose eyes grow dim and whose verdicts are clouded by partiality and pride. You are holy, and there is no evil that can abide in Your presence.

Your Word declares, “The boastful shall not stand before Your eyes; You hate all evildoers.” O Lord, this truth is too high for us, and yet we receive it with reverence and awe. You are not flattered by pride, nor are You moved by the outward show of strength and success. The proud stand tall in their own eyes, but they are cut down in Yours. The world may exalt them; their names may be written in lights, their words may echo through the halls of power, but they shall not stand before You. For You do not judge as man judges, but You weigh the heart.

You are the One who searches the inward parts, who knows the secret places, who sees not only what is done but why it is done. And You are not indifferent to wickedness. You do not tolerate evil with passive eyes. You are the God who hates all evildoers—not with a hate that is petty or vengeful, but with a hatred that springs from perfect righteousness and justice. For how could You, O Lord, who are Love itself, not hate what is evil, what destroys, what defiles, what mocks Your truth and tramples upon Your mercy?

We confess, O God, that this truth humbles us deeply. For who among us has not boasted? Who among us has not walked in pride, spoken with arrogance, or acted in self-will? Who among us can claim purity in motive and deed? If You, O Lord, were to mark iniquities, who could stand? If You judged us strictly according to what our deeds deserve, who would remain? Not one. We have all sinned, we have all turned aside, we have all exalted ourselves in some way. And yet, in Your mercy, You have not treated us as our sins deserve.

Instead, You sent Your own Son—pure, spotless, lowly, and obedient—to stand where we could not stand. You laid on Him the iniquity of us all. He, who knew no sin, became sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. O Christ, our Savior, our Mediator, our Ransom and our Refuge—we praise You! You bore the wrath that we earned. You stood condemned that we might be pardoned. You were struck down that we might be raised up. And now, clothed in Your righteousness, we stand before the eyes of the Father—not as boastful evildoers, but as children welcomed in grace.

O God, may we never take lightly what You hate. May we never excuse what You have condemned. Teach us to fear You rightly—not with dread that flees, but with reverence that bows, with love that obeys, with faith that clings to Your mercy. Let us not make peace with pride or harbor sin in the secret chambers of the soul. Let us not boast in strength, wealth, wisdom, or reputation, but let our only boast be in the cross of Christ our Lord.

Purge us, O Lord, of every false way. Cleanse us from hidden faults. Keep us from the snare of self-deception. Deliver us from the subtle pride that clings to religious forms but resists true repentance. Search us and know us; try us and reveal every unclean thing. Make us holy as You are holy—not in name only, but in truth, in thought, in word, and in deed. Conform us to the image of Your Son, that we may love what You love and hate what You hate.

And Father, we pray for the proud, for those who walk in open rebellion, for those who scoff at Your name and trample upon righteousness. They boast, and they do not know that their footing is brittle. They rise up, and they do not see that their path leads to ruin. Have mercy upon them, O Lord. Humble them in love. Wound them, that they might be healed. Strip away their delusions, that they may find true life in You. For were it not for Your grace, we would be numbered among them. Were it not for Your hand, we would still be wandering far off. So make us, O God, vessels of Your truth and mercy in this darkened world.

Strengthen Your church, Lord. Let not pride dwell within her gates. Let not hypocrisy stain her witness. Let not falsehood be found in her mouth. Let the gathered saints be marked not by worldly wisdom or outward success, but by brokenness before You, by truth in the inward parts, by holiness born of reverent fear and steadfast love. Let Your eyes find in us not the boastful, but the contrite. Not evildoers hiding behind pious words, but saints being sanctified in truth.

And when the final day comes, when all flesh stands before Your throne, may we be found in Christ, standing not in the strength of our own hands, but in the mercy that was given freely, in the righteousness that was imputed by faith, in the love that chose us while we were still sinners. May Your eyes look upon us with favor, not because we are worthy, but because Christ is worthy and we are hidden in Him.

To You, O God, who alone are holy, to You be glory forever and ever. Amen.