1 To the Overseer. -- An instruction, by David, in the coming in of Doeg the Edomite, and he declareth to Saul, and saith to him, `David came in unto the house of Ahimelech.' What, boasteth thou in evil, O mighty one? The kindness of God `is' all the day.
They utter -- they speak an old saw, All working iniquity do boast themselves.
And there `is' a man of the servants of Saul on that day detained before Jehovah, and his name `is' Doeg the Edomite, chief of the shepherds whom Saul hath.
And the kindness of Jehovah `Is' from age even unto age on those fearing Him, And His righteousness to sons' sons,
Lo, he travaileth `with' iniquity, And he hath conceived perverseness, And hath brought forth falsehood.
A heart devising thoughts of vanity -- Feet hasting to run to evil --
Frowardness `is' in his heart, devising evil at all times, Contentions he sendeth forth.
For strangers have risen up against me And terrible ones have sought my soul, They have not set God before them. Selah.
The words of his mouth `are' iniquity and deceit, He ceased to act prudently -- to do good. Iniquity he deviseth on his bed, He stationeth himself on a way not good, Evil he doth not refuse.' O Jehovah, in the heavens `is' Thy kindness, Thy faithfulness `is' unto the clouds. Thy righteousness `is' as mountains of God, Thy judgments `are' a great deep. Man and beast Thou savest, O Jehovah.
And answer doth Doeg the Edomite, who is set over the servants of Saul, and saith, `I have seen the son of Jesse coming in to Nob, unto Ahimelech son of Ahitub, and he asketh for him at Jehovah, and provision hath given to him, and the sword of Goliath the Philistine hath given to him. And the king sendeth to call Ahimelech son of Ahitub, the priest, and all the house of his father, the priests, who `are' in Nob, and they come all of them unto the king; and Saul saith, `Hear, I pray thee, son of Ahitub;' and he saith, `Here `am' I, my lord.' And Saul saith unto him, `Why have ye conspired against me, thou and the son of Jesse, by thy giving to him bread and a sword, and to ask for him at God, to rise against me, to lie in wait, as `at' this day?' And Ahimelech answereth the king and saith, `And who among all thy servants `is' as David -- faithful, and son-in-law of the king, and hath turned aside unto thy council, and is honoured in thy house? To-day have I begun to ask for him at God? far be it from me! let not the king lay anything against his servant, against any of the house of my father, for thy servant hath known nothing of all this, less or more.' And the king saith, `Thou dost surely die, Ahimelech, thou, and all the house of thy father.' And the king saith to runners, those standing by him, `Turn round, and put to death the priests of Jehovah, because their hand also `is' with David, and because they have known that he is fleeing, and have not uncovered mine ear;' and the servants of the king have not been willing to put forth their hand to come against the priests of Jehovah. And the king saith to Doeg, `Turn round thou, and come against the priests;' and Doeg the Edomite turneth round, and cometh himself against the priests, and putteth to death in that day eighty and five men bearing a linen ephod, and Nob, the city of the priests, he hath smitten by the mouth of the sword, from man even unto woman, from infant even unto suckling, and ox, and ass, and sheep, by the mouth of the sword.
for every matter of transgression, for ox, for ass, for sheep, for raiment, for any lost thing of which it is said that it is his; unto God cometh the matter of them both; he whom God doth condemn, he repayeth double to his neighbour.
The fallen ones were in the earth in those days, and even afterwards when sons of God come in unto daughters of men, and they have borne to them -- they `are' the heroes, who, from of old, `are' the men of name. And Jehovah seeth that abundant `is' the wickedness of man in the earth, and every imagination of the thoughts of his heart only evil all the day;
Of oaths his mouth is full, And deceits, and fraud: Under his tongue `is' perverseness and iniquity,
for men shall be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, evil-speakers, to parents disobedient, unthankful, unkind,
evil-speakers, God-haters, insulting, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
A slaughtering arrow `is' their tongue, Deceit it hath spoken in its mouth, Peace with its neighbour it speaketh, And in its heart it layeth its ambush,
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Psalms 52
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).