Psalms

PSALM 52*

The Deceitful Tongue

1For the leader. A maskil of David, 2when Doeg the Edomite entered and reported to Saul, saying to him: “David has entered the house of Ahimelech.”a

I

3Why do you glory in what is evil, you who are mighty by the mercy of God?

All day long

4you are thinking up intrigues;

your tongue is like a sharpened razor,

you worker of deceit.b

5You love evil more than good,

lying rather than saying what is right.c

Selah

6You love all the words that create confusion,

you deceitful tongue.d

II

7God too will strike you down forever,

he will lay hold of you and pluck you from your tent,

uproot you from the land of the living.e

Selah

8The righteous will see and they will fear;

but they will laugh at him:f

9“Behold the man! He did not take God as his refuge,

but he trusted in the abundance of his wealth,

and grew powerful through his wickedness.”g

III

10But I, like an olive tree* flourishing in the house of God,h

I trust in God’s mercy forever and ever.

11I will thank you forever

for what you have done.

I will put my hope in your name—for it is good,i

—in the presence of those devoted to you.

* [Psalm 52] A condemnation of the powerful and arrogant (Ps 52:36), who bring down upon themselves God’s judgment (Ps 52:7). The just, those who trust in God alone, are gladdened and strengthened by the downfall of their traditional enemies (Ps 52:89).

* [52:10] Like an olive tree: the righteous will flourish in the house of God like a well-watered olive tree, cf. Ps 92:14; 128:3.

a. [52:2] 1 Sm 21:8; 22:6ff.

b. [52:4] Ps 12:3; 59:8; 120:23; Sir 51:3.

c. [52:5] Jer 4:22; Jn 3:1920.

d. [52:6] Jer 9:4.

e. [52:7] Ps 27:13; 28:5; 56:14; Jb 18:14; Prv 2:22; Is 38:11.

f. [52:8] Ps 44:14; 64:9.

g. [52:9] Jb 31:24; Prv 11:28.

h. [52:10] Ps 1:3; 92:1214; Jer 11:16; 17:8.

i. [52:11] Ps 22:23; 26:12; 35:18; 149:1.

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