What is the context?
The portrait begins with the absence of reverence for God. Conceit then prevents the person from detecting and hating his wrongdoing.
Deceitful speech, abandoned wisdom, and deliberate nighttime planning show an established direction of life. The problem is not merely a mistake the person has not yet had time to notice.
The account exposes the self-protective logic of sin. Refusing correction makes a person less able to recognize what he is choosing.
How is this passage commonly understood?
Wesley reads self-flattery as the belief that God will not attend to or punish sin. The USCCB note likewise contrasts the rule of sin with divine mercy. The BSB’s failure to detect or hate wrongdoing differs from the older wording about sin being found hateful.
Where does this fit in God's plan?
Romans 3:9–26 directly uses the statement about no fear of God before the eyes in its account of sin’s reach. Paul proceeds to the redemption in Jesus Christ. His use turns the exposure toward humanity’s need for grace, not merely a convenient description of people outside one’s own group.
What is our position?
We don't have a position on this passage yet. When our study reaches a conclusion the text supports, it will appear here.
Where can I study this further?
No deeper study linked yet.