Psalms 52:1-9
1 Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man? the goodness of God endureth continually.
2 Thy tongue deviseth mischiefs; like a sharp razor, working deceitfully.
3 Thou lovest evil more than good; and lying rather than to speak righteousness. Selah.
4 Thou lovest all devouring words, O thou deceitful tongue.
5 God shall likewise destroya thee for ever, he shall take thee away, and pluck thee out of thy dwelling place, and root thee out of the land of the living. Selah.
6 The righteous also shall see, and fear, and shall laugh at him:
7 Lo, this is the man that made not God his strength; but trusted in the abundance of his riches, and strengthened himself in his wickedness.b
8 But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God: I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever.
9 I will praise thee for ever, because thou hast done it: and I will wait on thy name; for it is good before thy saints.
DESCRIPTIVE TITLE
Doeg the Edomite Denounced.
ANALYSIS
Stanza I., Psalms 52:1-5, Doeg Remonstrated with, Described, and Threatened. Stanza II., Psalms 52:6-9, The Laugh of the Righteous over him.
(Lm.) Instructive-psalmBy DavidWhen Doeg the Edomite entered and told Saul and said to him, David entered the house of Ahimelek.
1
Why wilt thou boast thee in wickedness O mighty man all the day?[577]
[577] M.T.: the kindness of God all the day. Sep.: lawlessness all the day.
2
Engulfing ruin thou devisestthy tongue is like a whetted razor.[578]
[578] M.T. adds: O thou worker of deceptionDr.
3
Thou lovest evil rather than goodfalsehood than righteousness.
4
Thou -lovest all devouring wordsO[579] deceitful tongue!
[579] So Per.; othersa or the deceitful tongue.
5
God also will pull thee downfor ever snatch thee away,
will pluck thee up tentlessand uproot thee out of the land of the living.
6
So will the righteous both see and revereand over him will laugh:
7
Lo! the mighty man[580] who made not God his stronghold,
[580] Vocalised as in Psalms 52:1.
But trusted in the abundance of his richeswas strong in his wealth!
8
But I am like a luxuriant olive-tree in the house of God.
I have put my trust in the kindness of God to the ages and beyond.
9
I will thank thee to the ages that thou didst effectually work,
I will proclaim[581] thy name that it is good, before thy men of kindness.
[581] Gt.: utter or proclaim. M.T.: wait on.
(Lm.) To the Chief Musician. (CMm.) For Dancings.[582]
[582] So Thirtle, reading meholoth instead of mahalath.
PARAPHRASE
Written by David to protest against his enemy Doeg (1 Samuel 22), who later slaughtered 85 priests and their families.
You call yourself a hero, do you? You boast about this evil deed of yours against God's people.[583]
[583] Literally, the lovingkindness of God continually.
2 You are sharp as a tack in plotting your evil tricks.
3 How you love wickednessfar more than good! And lying more than truth!
4 You love to slanderyou love to say anything that will do harm, O man with the lying tongue!
5 But God will strike you down and pull you from your home, and drag you away from the land of the living.
6 The followers of God will see it happen. They will watch in awe. Then they will laugh and say,
7 See what happens to those who despise God and trust in their wealth, and become ever more bold in their wickedness.[584]
[584] Literally, strengthened himself in his wickedness.
8 But I am like a sheltered olive tree protected by the Lord Himself. I trust in the mercy of God forever and ever.
9 O Lord, I will praise You forever and ever for Your punishment.[585] And I will wait for Your merciesfor everyone knows what a merciful God You are.
[585] Literally, because You have done it.
EXPOSITION
It would be a fair inference from the superscription of this psalm alone, that there was a man of the name of Doeg, bearing the character here described, when David wrote this psalm. But seeing that, in 1 Samuel 21:7; 1 Samuel 22:9-19, we find a man of that name, evidently capable of the baseness here attributed to him, there is no excuse for declining the identification. By some, indeed, it has been regarded as a matter of surprise, that the psalmist should go no further than notice Doeg's mischievous tongue, and should not also have alluded to his atrocious cruelty in slaying the priests of Nob. This difficulty is removed by pushing the writing of the psalm just far enough back to make way for the easy suppositionwhich the very wording of this superscription favoursthat Doeg privately gave Saul the information about David, before he publicly proclaimed it in the presence of all Saul's servants. He entered and told Saul, before he openly proclaimed it. Doeg was overheard; and David informed of this private communication. That hypothesis exactly meets the case. It is to be observed from David's words to Abiathar on receiving from him the news of the massacre (1 Samuel 22:22) that he already knew enough of Doeg's character, to be at once apprehensive when he met him at Nob that he would go and tell Saul. The spirit of prophecy at once seized David and moved him to write as he here does. To the known facts may be added two expressions in the psalm itself slightly confirmatory of its superscriptional origin. Doeg was a foreigner, but had not come, like Ruth (Psalms 2:12), to take refuge under the wings of the God of Israel. The tabernacle was at this time at Nob, which was the northern summit of Olivet, a mountain which derived its name from the olives and olive-yards with which it once was clothedPer. Hence with peculiar aptness the psalmist says: But I am like a luxuriant olive-tree in the house of God.
Of the psalm itself, there remains little to be said. By its pointed denunciation of a particular man, it comes into line with Isaiah's denunciation of Shebna (Isaiah 22) and Jeremiah's denunciation of Passhur (Jeremiah 20) and of Hananiah (Jeremiah 28).
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
1.
Since this is a psalm given over to a denunciation and description of one manit will be essential that the reader know him. Read 1 Samuel 21:7 to 1 Samuel 22:22.
2.
Why not mention the slaughter of the priests?
3.
What specific punishment did God promise Doeg?
4.
Why is the reference to the olive tree especially appropriate?
5.
Doeg can teach us a good lessonwhat is it?