Psalms — Chapter 52
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1For the choirmaster. A Maskil of David. After Doeg the Edomite went to Saul and told him, “David has gone to the house of Ahimelech.” Why do you boast of evil, O mighty man? The loving devotion of God endures all day long.
2Your tongue devises destruction like a sharpened razor, O worker of deceit.
3You love evil more than good, falsehood more than speaking truth. Selah
4You love every word that devours, O deceitful tongue.
5Surely God will bring you down to everlasting ruin; He will snatch you up and tear you away from your tent; He will uproot you from the land of the living. Selah
6The righteous will see and fear; they will mock the evildoer, saying,
7“Look at the man who did not make God his refuge, but trusted in the abundance of his wealth and strengthened himself by destruction.”
8But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in the loving devotion of God forever and ever.
9I will praise You forever, because You have done it. I will wait on Your name—for it is good—in the presence of Your saints.
1Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man? the goodness of God endureth continually.
2Thy tongue deviseth mischiefs; like a sharp rasor, working deceitfully.
3Thou lovest evil more than good; and lying rather than to speak righteousness. Selah.
4Thou lovest all devouring words, O thou deceitful tongue.
5God shall likewise destroy 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.
6The righteous also shall see, and fear, and shall laugh at him:
7Lo, this is the man that made not God his strength; but trusted in the abundance of his riches, and strengthened himself in his wickedness.
8But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God: I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever.
9I will praise thee for ever, because thou hast done it: and I will wait on thy name; for it is good before thy saints.
1Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man? The lovingkindness of God [endureth] continually.
2Thy tongue deviseth very wickedness, Like a sharp razor, working deceitfully.
3Thou lovest evil more than good, And lying rather than to speak righteousness. Selah
4Thou lovest all devouring words, thou deceitful tongue.
5God will likewise destroy thee for ever; He will take thee up, and pluck thee out of thy tent, And root thee out of the land of the living. Selah
6The righteous also shall see [it], and fear, And shall laugh at him, [saying],
7Lo, this is the man that made not God his strength, But trusted in the abundance of his riches, And strengthened himself in his wickedness.
8But as for me, I am like a green olive-tree in the house of God: I trust in the lovingkindness of God for ever and ever.
9I will give thee thanks for ever, because thou hast done it; And I will hope in thy name, for it is good, in the presence of thy saints. Psalm 53 For the Chief Musician; set to Mahalath. Maschil of David.
1For the music director, a well-written song by David. It was written when Doeg the Edomite went and informed Saul: “David has arrived at the home of Ahimelech.” Why do you boast about your evil plans, O powerful man? God’s loyal love protects me all day long.
2Your tongue carries out your destructive plans; it is as effective as a sharp razor, O deceiver.
3You love evil more than good, lies more than speaking the truth. (Selah)
4You love to use all the words that destroy, and the tongue that deceives.
5Yet God will make you a permanent heap of ruins. He will scoop you up and remove you from your home; he will uproot you from the land of the living. (Selah)
6When the godly see this, they will be filled with awe, and will mock the evildoer, saying:
7“Look, here is the man who would not make God his protector. He trusted in his great wealth and was confident about his plans to destroy others.”
8But I am like a flourishing olive tree in the house of God; I continually trust in God’s loyal love.
9I will continually thank you when you execute judgment; I will rely on you, for your loyal followers know you are good.
1Why do you boast of mischief, mighty man? God’s loving kindness endures continually.
2Your tongue plots destruction, like a sharp razor, working deceitfully.
3You love evil more than good, lying rather than speaking the truth. Selah.
4You love all devouring words, you deceitful tongue.
5God will likewise destroy you forever. He will take you up, and pluck you out of your tent, and root you out of the land of the living. Selah.
6The righteous also will see it, and fear, and laugh at him, saying,
7“Behold, this is the man who didn’t make God his strength, but trusted in the abundance of his riches, and strengthened himself in his wickedness.”
8But as for me, I am like a green olive tree in God’s house. I trust in God’s loving kindness forever and ever.
9I will give you thanks forever, because you have done it. I will hope in your name, for it is good, in the presence of your saints.
Summary
An imprecatory psalm directed at Doeg the Edomite, who betrayed David to Saul (superscription; 1 Samuel 22). David rebukes the powerful man who boasts in evil and loves lies and destructive speech more than truth and righteousness (vv. 1-4). He declares that God will tear him down, uproot him from his tent, and remove him from the land of the living, while the righteous watch, fear God, and laugh at one who trusted in wealth rather than in God (vv. 5-7). By contrast, David compares himself to a flourishing olive tree in God's house, trusting in God's steadfast love forever and vowing to thank and wait on God's name among the faithful (vv. 8-9).
Authorship & Background
Commentary
- Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com Verse-by-verse commentary on this chapter, written for the everyday reader and freely available online.
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown (1871): blueletterbible.org A critical and explanatory commentary on the whole Bible, more concise than Matthew Henry and closer to the Hebrew and Greek, with attention to historical and geographical detail. Public domain.
- Matthew Henry's Exposition (1710): blueletterbible.org A devotional verse-by-verse commentary in the Puritan tradition, still among the most widely read three centuries on. Public domain.
Videos
Articles
- GotQuestions.org: gotquestions.org On the whole book: an overview of Psalms -- who wrote it, when, why, and how it fits the rest of Scripture.
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Reflection
- God's Steadfast Love Outlasts Evil (v.1) — Whatever harm the wicked man boasts about, God's steadfast love simply endures longer than any evil scheme. When someone else's wrongdoing feels overwhelming, are you remembering that it's temporary compared to God's love?
- The Tongue as a Weapon (vv.2-4) — David describes a man whose words functioned like a sharp razor, causing real destruction through deceit and lies. Have you underestimated the damage your own words can do, treating them as just talk instead of something with real weight?
- False Security in Wealth (v.7) — The wicked man's downfall is tied to trusting in his riches instead of trusting God. Where might you be leaning on financial security in a way that's quietly replaced your trust in God?
- Rooted Like an Olive Tree (vv.5,8) — While the wicked man is uprooted completely, David pictures himself flourishing like an olive tree planted in God's house. Are you planting your life somewhere that will actually produce lasting fruit?