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Psalms 52:4 World English Bible (WEB)

4 You love all devouring words, You deceitful tongue.

Cross Reference

James 3:6-9 WEB

And the tongue is a fire. The world of iniquity among our members is the tongue, which defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature, and is set on fire by Gehenna.{Gehenna is a name that describes a burning Hell with rotting bodies and unclean things in it} For every kind of animal, bird, creeping thing, and thing in the sea, is tamed, and has been tamed by mankind. But nobody can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who are made in the image of God.

1 Samuel 22:18-19 WEB

The king said to Doeg, Turn you, and fall on the priests. Doeg the Edomite turned, and he fell on the priests, and he killed on that day eighty-five persons who wore a linen ephod. Nob, the city of the priests, struck he with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and nursing babies, and oxen and donkeys and sheep, with the edge of the sword.

Commentary on Psalms 52 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible


PSALM 52

Ps 52:1-9. Compare 1Sa 21:1-10; 22:1-10, for the history of the title. Ps 52:1 gives the theme; the boast of the wicked over the righteous is vain, for God constantly cares for His people. This is expanded by describing the malice and deceit, and then the ruin, of the wicked, and the happy state of the pious.

1. mighty man—literally, "hero." Doeg may be thus addressed, ironically, in respect of his might in slander.

2. tongue—for self.

mischiefs—evil to others (Ps 5:9; 38:12).

working deceitfully—(Ps 10:7), as a keen, smoothly moving razor, cutting quietly, but deeply.

4. all-devouring—literally, "swallowing," which utterly destroy (compare Ps 21:9; 35:25).

5. likewise—or, "so," "also," as you have done to others God will do to you (Ps 18:27). The following terms describe the most entire ruin.

6. shall … fear—regard with religious awe.

laugh at him—for his folly;

7. for trusting in riches and being strong in "wickedness."

wickedness—literally, "mischief" (Ps 52:2), instead of trusting in God.

the man—literally, "the mighty man," or "hero" (Ps 52:1).

8. The figure used is common (Ps 1:3; Jer 11:16).

green—fresh.

house, &c.—in communion with God (compare Ps 27:4, 5).

for ever and ever—qualifies "mercy."

9. hast done—that is, what the context supplies, "preserved me" (compare Ps 22:31).

wait … name—hope in Thy perfections, manifested for my good (Ps 5:11; 20:1).

for it is good—that is, Thy name, and the whole method or result of its manifestation (Ps 54:6; 69:16).