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Psalms 52:9
Psalm 52 
For 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.
52:1 Why do you boast about your evil
plans, O powerful man?
Gods loyal love protects me all day
long!
52:2 Your tongue carries out your destruc-
tive plans;
it is as effective as a sharp razor, O de-
ceiver.
52:3 You love evil more than good,
lies more than speaking the truth. (Selah)
52:4 You love to use all the words that
destroy,
and the tongue that deceives.
52:5 Yet10 God will make you a permanent
heap of ruins.11
He will scoop you up12 and remove you
from your home;13
sn Psalm 52. The psalmist confidently confronts his en-
emy and affirms that God will destroy evildoers and vindicate
the godly.
tn The meaning of the Hebrew term ( maskil) is
uncertain. The word is derived from a verb meaning to be
prudent; to be wise. Various options are: a contemplative
song, a song imparting moral wisdom, or a skillful [i.e.,
well-written] song. The term occurs in the superscriptions of
Pss 32, 42, 44, 45, 52-55, 74, 78, 88, 89, and 142, as well
as in Ps 47:7.
tn Heb when Doeg the Edomite came and told Saul and
said to him, David has come to the house of Ahimelech.
sn According to the superscription, David wrote this psalm
during the period when Saul was seeking his life. On one occa-
sion Doeg the Edomite, Sauls head shepherd (1 Sam 21:7),
informed Saul of Davids whereabouts (see 1 Sam 21-22).
tn Heb Why do you boast in evil?
tn Heb the loyal love of God [is] all the day. In this con-
text, where the psalmist is threatened by his enemy, the point
seems to be that the psalmist is protected by Gods loyal love
at all times.
tn Heb destruction your tongue devises.
tn Heb like a sharpened razor, doer of deceit. The mas-
culine participle ( asah) is understood as a substantival
vocative, addressed to the powerful man.
tn Or deceit more than speaking what is right.
tn Heb you love all the words of swallowing. Tradition-
ally ( bala) has been taken to mean swallowing in the and that of the godly psalmists security.
sense of devouring or destructive (see BDB 118 s.v. ) .
HALOT 135 s.v. III * proposes a homonym here, meaning
confusion. This would fit the immediate context nicely and
provide a close parallel to the following line, which refers to
deceptive words.
10tn The adverb ( gam, also; even) is translated here
in an adversative sense (yet). It highlights the contrastive
correspondence between the evildoers behavior and Gods
response.
11tn Heb will tear you down forever.
12tn This rare verb ( , khatah) occurs only here and in
Prov 6:27; 25:22; Isa 30:14.
13tn Heb from [your] tent.
he will uproot you from the land of the
living. (Selah)
52:6 When the godly see this, they will be
filled with awe,
and will mock the evildoer, saying:14
52:7 Look, here is the man who would
not make15 God his protector!
He trusted in his great wealth
and was confident about his plans to de-
stroy others.16
52:8 But I17 am like a flourishing18 olive
tree in the house of God;
I continually19 trust in Gods loyal love.
52:9 I will continually20 thank you when21
you execute judgment;22
I will rely23 on you,24 for your loyal fol-
lowers know you are good.25
14tn Heb and the godly will see and will fear and at him
will laugh.
15tn The imperfect verbal form here draws attention to
the ongoing nature of the action. The evildoer customarily re-
jected God and trusted in his own abilities. Another option is
to take the imperfect as generalizing, [here is the man who]
does not make.
16tn Heb he was strong in his destruction. Destruction
must refer back to the destructive plans mentioned in v. 2.
The verb (derived from the root , azaz, be strong) as it
stands is either an imperfect (if so, probably used in a custom-
ary sense) or a preterite (without vav [ ]consecutive). However
the form should probably be emended to ( vayyaaz), a Qal
preterite (with vav [ ]consecutive) from . Note the preterite
form without vav ( )consecutive in the preceding line ( ,
vayyivtakh, and he trusted). The prefixed vav ( )was likely
omitted by haplography (note the suffixed vav [ ]on the pre-
ceding , oshro, his wealth).
17tn The disjunctive construction (vav [ ]+ subject) high-
lights the contrast between the evildoers destiny (vv. 5-7)
18tn Or luxuriant, green, leafy.
19tn Or, hyperbolically, forever and ever.
20tn Or, hyperbolically, forever.
21tn Or for.
22tn Heb you have acted. The perfect verbal form (1)
probably indicates a future perfect here. The psalmist prom-
ises to give thanks when the expected vindication has been
accomplished. Other options include (2) a generalizing (for
you act) or (3) rhetorical (for you will act) use.
23tn Or wait.
24tn Heb your name. Gods name refers here to his rep-
utation and revealed character.
25tn Heb for it is good in front of your loyal followers.