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Psalms 52

KJV · Chapter 52/150

1Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man? the goodness of God endureth continually.

2Thy tongue deviseth mischiefs; 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, 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.

📖 Chapter study

Summary

David confronts a powerful man who boasts in his own wickedness and lies, announcing that God will destroy him and uproot him from his dwelling, while the psalmist compares himself to a flourishing olive tree in the house of God.

Explanation

The title links this psalm to the episode in which Doeg the Edomite betrayed the priest Ahimelech to Saul for having helped David, resulting in the massacre of an entire group of priests (1 Samuel 22:9-19) — one of the most brutal and unjust episodes in the Old Testament. The psalm denounces power used for evil, especially through the tongue ('thy tongue deviseth mischiefs, like a sharp razor'). In contrast to Doeg's violence, David compares himself to 'a green olive tree in the house of God' — a tree that grows slowly but lasts and bears fruit for a long time, a symbol of stability that comes from trust in God, not from human power.

Chapters

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