Psalms 52 commentary

Those that glory in sin, glory in their shame. The patience and forbearance of God are abused by sinners, to the hardening of their hearts in their wicked ways. But the enemies in vain boast in their mischief, while we have God's mercy to trust in. It will not save us from the guilt of lying, to be able to say, there was some truth in what we said, if we make it appear otherwise than it was. The more there is of craft and contrivance in any wickedness, the more there is of Satan in it. When good men die, they are transplanted from the land of the living on earth, to heaven, the garden of the Lord, where they shall take root for ever; but when wicked men die, they are rooted out, to perish for ever. The believer sees that God will destroy those who make not him their strength.

Those wretchedly deceive themselves, who think to support themselves in power and wealth without God. The wicked man trusted in the abundance of his riches; he thought his wickedness would help him to keep his wealth. Right or wrong, he would get what he could, and keep what he had, and ruin any one that stood in his way; this he thought would strengthen him; but see what it comes to! Those who by faith and love dwell in the house of God, shall be like green olive-trees there. And that we may be as green olive-trees, we must live a life of faith and holy confidence in God and his grace. It adds much to the beauty of our profession, and to fruitfulness in every grace, to be much in praising God; and we never can want matter for praise. His name alone can be our refuge and strong tower. It is very good for us to wait on that saving name; there is nothing better to calm and quiet our spirits, when disturbed, and to keep us in the way of duty, when tempted to use any crooked courses for our relief, than to hope, and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord. None ever followed his guidance but it ended well.

PSALM 52

This psalm was composed by David at the time when the death of Abimelech and the other priests had spread universal tenor among the people, indisposing them for lending any countenance to his cause, and when Doeg was triumphing in the successful issue of his information. Supported, even in these circumstances, by the elevating influence of faith, he inveighs against the cruel treachery of that unprincipled informer, and encourages himself by the reflection, that God, who is judge in heaven, will vindicate the interests of such as fear him, and punish the pride of the ungodly.

To the chief singer. A Psalm of David for instruction; when Doeg the Edomite came and told Saul, and said unto him, that David had come into the house of Abimelech.

I have already had occasion to observe that the term משכיל, maskil, is strictly affixed to those psalms in which David makes mention of having been chastised by God, or at least admonished, by some species of affliction, sent, like the rod of the schoolmaster, to administer correction. Of this we have examples in Psalms 32 and 42. As inscribed above the 45th psalm, its meaning is somewhat different. There, it seems designed to intimate to the reader that the song, although breathing of love, was not intended to please a mere wanton taste, but describes the spiritual marriage of Christ with his Church. In this and the following psalms, the term admits of being understood as signifying instruction, more particularly such as proceeds from correction; and David, by employing it, would evidently insinuate that he was at this time subjected to peculiar trials, sent to instruct him in the duty of placing an absolute trust in God. The portion of history to which the psalm refers is well known. When David had fled to Abimelech in Nob, he obtained provisions and the sword of Goliath from the hands of that priest, having concealed from him the real danger in which he stood, and pretended that he was executing a secret and important business of the king. Doeg, chief of the king’s herdsmen, having conveyed intelligence of this to Saul, in expectation of a reward, was the means of drawing down the rage of the tyrant, not only upon that innocent individual, but the whole priesthood. The history of this transaction is recorded in 1 Samuel 21:1-7, and 22:9-19. It affords a strong evidence of the hatred which Saul bore to David, and of his savage cruelty to order the execution of eighty-five priests for no crime; and what a monster of iniquity must Doeg have been, who executed this command when not another individual in all Saul’s company would do it, and who, in addition to this, “smote the city of the priests with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and sucklings, and oxen, and asses, and sheep?” “If we are confounded,” says Walford, “by the savage ferocity of a prince who could order the execution of eighty-five persons of most venerable station, for a crime which existed alone in his disturbed imagination, we shall feel disposed to execrate the ruthless villain who could imbrue his hands in the blood of so many innocent victims; and we shall be ready to draw the conclusion, that both Saul and Doeg were prompted to this deed of atrocious cruelty, not merely by their hatred of David, but by a malevolence, almost without parallel, against the ministers of religion, and which rendered conspicuous their contempt and hatred for God himself. It can excite little surprise to find David saying, as he does, in the next psalm, ‘The fool saith in his heart, There is no God.’” The bloody example which was thus made must have deterred the people from extending to David even the commonest offices of humanity, and every avenue of relief seemed shut upon the miserable exile. As Doeg triumphed in the success of his crime, and others might be tempted, by the reward which he had received, to meditate the ruin of David, we find him in this psalm animating his soul with divine consolations, and challenging his enemies with the audacity of their conduct.

Psalm 52:1-4

1. Why boastest thou of thy wickedness, thou mighty man? The goodness of God endureth daily. 2. Thy tongue reckons up mischiefs, like a sharp razor, working deceitfully. 3. Thou lovest evil more than good, to speak lying rather than righteousness. Selah. 4. Thou lovest all words of deceit, O thou guileful tongue!

1. Why boastest thou of thy wickedness? The success which crowned the treachery of Doeg must have tended considerably to stagger David’s faith; and he seems to have adopted the strain of holy defiance with which the psalm commences, in order to arm himself more effectually against this temptation. He begins by charging Doeg with an aggravation of his guilt, in boasting of the power which he had acquired by an act of consummate villany. This power may have been sufficiently considerable to attract the notice which is here taken of it; for although he is only said to have been “master of the king’s herdsmen,” the designation does not imply that he was personally occupied in herding cattle, but may have been an honorary title; as in modern courts we speak of “The Master of the Horse.” he is reminded that there was no reason why he should applaud himself in his greatness, so long as he abused it to purposes of wickedness; nor why he should be vain of any new honor which the king might have conferred upon him in consideration of his late crime, as integrity is the only sure pathway to power and preferment. Any triumph which may be obtained by violence, treachery, or other unjustifiable means, is short-lived. In the second part of the verse, he points at the true cause of the blindness and stupidity that lead men to glory in their wickedness, which is, that they despise the poor and the humble; imagine that God will not condescend to interest himself in their behalf; and therefore embrace the occasion of oppressing them with impunity. They make no account of that providence which God exerts over his own children. David, in the exercise of a holy confidence, challenges such proud boasters with dishonoring the goodness of God; and as the Divine goodness does not always pursue the same even course — occasionally appears to suffer an interruption, and sometimes seems as if it were cut off altogether, David repels any temptation which this might suggest, by asserting that, whatever appearances may say to the contrary, it is daily exercised. This is evidently the meaning which he intends to convey, that any partial obstructions which may take place in the display of it can never prevent its constant renewal. He was confident that he would experience, in the future, what he had found in the past; for God cannot become weary in helping his people, or alleviating their miseries; and although he may suffer them again and again to fall into affliction, he is always equally ready to extend them the deliverance which they need.

PSALM 52

Psa 52:1-9. Compare 1Sa 21:1-10; 22:1-10, for the history of the title. Psa 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 (Psa 5:9; 38:12).

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

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

5. likewise--or, "so," "also," as you have done to others God will do to you (Psa 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" (Psa 52:2), instead of trusting in God.

the man--literally, "the mighty man," or "hero" (Psa 52:1).

8. The figure used is common (Psa 1:3; Jr 11:16).

green--fresh.

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

for ever and ever--qualifies "mercy."

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

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

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

Why boastest thou thyself - It is thought that Doeg boasted of his loyalty to Saul in making the above discovery; but the information was aggravated by circumstances of falsehood that tended greatly to inflame and irritate the mind of Saul. Exaggeration and lying are common to all informers.

O mighty man? - This character scarcely comports with Doeg, who was only chief of the herdsmen of Saul, 1Sam 21:7; but I grant this is not decisive evidence that the Psalm may not have Doeg in view, for the chief herdsman may have been a man of credit and authority.

Deviseth mischiefs - Lies and slanders proceeding from the tongue argue the desperate wickedness of the heart.

Like a sharp razor, working deceitfully - Which instead of taking off the beard, cuts and wounds the flesh; or as the operator who, when pretending to trim the beard, cuts the throat.

Thou lovest evil - This was a finished character. Let us note the particulars:

1. He boasted in the power to do evil.

2. His tongue devised, studied, planned, and spoke mischiefs.

3. He was a deceitful worker.

4. He loved evil and not good.

5. He loved lying; his delight was in falsity.

6. Every word that tended to the destruction of others he loved.

7. His tongue was deceitful; he pretended friendship while his heart was full of enmity, Psa 52:1-4. Now behold the punishment: -

God shall likewise destroy thee -

1. God shall set himself to destroy thee; יתצך yittotscha, "he will pull down thy building;" he shall unroof it, dilapidate, and dig up thy foundation.

2. He shall bruise or break thee to pieces for ever; thou shalt have neither strength, consistence, nor support.

3. He will mow thee down, and sweep thee away like dust or chaff, or light hay in a whirlwind, so that thou shalt be scattered to all the winds of heaven. Thou shalt have no residence, no tabernacle: that shall be entirely destroyed. Thou shalt be rooted out for ever from the land of the living. The bad fruit which it has borne shall bring God's curse upon the tree; it shall not merely wither, or die, but it shall be plucked up from the roots, intimating that such a sinner shall die a violent death. Selah. So it shall be, and so it ought to be.

The righteous also shall see, and fear - The thing shall be done in the sight of the saints; they shall see God's judgments on the workers of iniquity; and they shall fear a God so holy and just, and feel the necessity of being doubly on their guard lest they fall into the same condemnation. But instead of וייראו veyirau, "and they shall fear," three of Kennicott's and De Rossi's MSS., with the Syriac, have וישמחו veyismachu, "and shall rejoice;" and, from the following words, "and shall laugh at him," this appears to be the true reading, for laughing may be either the consequence or accompaniment of rejoicing.

Made not God his strength - Did not make God his portion.

In the abundance of his riches - Literally, in the multiplication of his riches. He had got much, he hoped to get more, and expected that his happiness would multiply as his riches multiplied. And this is the case with most rich men.

Strengthened himself in his wickedness - Loved money instead of God; and thus his depravity, being increased, was strengthened.

Crescit amor nummi, quantum ipsa pecunia crescit. "In proportion to the increase of wealth, so is the love of it."

Where is the religious man, in whose hands money has multiplied, who has not lost the spirit of piety in the same ratio? To prevent this, and the perdition to which it leads, there is no way but opening both hands to the poor.

But I am like a green olive-tree in the house of God - I shall be in the house of God, full of spiritual vigor, bringing forth evergreen leaves and annual fruit, as the olive does when planted in a proper soil and good situation. It does not mean that there were olive-trees planted in God's house; but he was in God's house, as the olive was in its proper place and soil.

I trust in the mercy of God - The wicked man trusts in his riches: I trust in my God. He, like a bad tree, bringing forth poisonous fruit, shall be cursed, and pulled up from the roots; I, like a healthy olive in a good soil, shall, under the influence of God's mercy, bring forth fruit to his glory. As the olive is ever green, so shall I flourish in the mercy of God for ever and ever.

I will praise thee for ever - Because I know that all my good comes from thee; therefore, will I ever praise thee for that good.

I will wait on thy name - I will expect all my blessings from the all-sufficient Jehovah, who is eternal and unchangeable.

It is good before thy saints - It is right that I should expect a continuation of thy blessings by uniting with thy saints in using thy ordinances. Thus I shall wait.

Continually - God is continually doing good: thou art continually doing mischief. O mighty - He speaks ironically. O valiant captain! To kill a few weak and unarmed persons.

Deviseth - Expresses what thy wicked mind had devised. Deceitfully - Doeg pretended only to vindicate himself from disloyalty, 1Sam 22:8, but he really intended to expose the priests, to the king's fury.

Pluck thee - Violently and suddenly as the Hebrew word signifies, from thy house and lands, and all the wages of thy righteousness. Root - Though thou seemest to have taken deep root, yet God shall pluck thee up by the very roots, and destroy thee both root and branch.

Fear - Reverence God's just judgment.

The house - In God's church, or among his people.

Thou hast - Destroyed mine and thine implacable enemies, and established me in the throne, of which I am no less assured, than if it were already done. I will continue in thy way, placing my whole confidence in thy power and goodness, and faithfulness. Before - In the presence of thy saints.

1. WHy boastest thou thy self in mischief, O mighty man ? the goodness of God endureth continually .

As if thou hadst done a great Exploit, which none else durst undertake; and thereby established the Crown upon Saul's Head, and thy self in his Favour; and broken all David's Designs, by striking a Terror into all his Favourers by this sad Example.

He speaks Ironically. O Valiant Captain! Oh glorious Action! To kill a few Weak and unarmed Persons in the Kings Presence, and under the Protection of his Guards. Surely thy Name will be Famous to all Ages, for such Heroical Courage.

God's Love and Favour to his People, and in particular to me, is not fading and inconstant, but everlasting and unchangeable, and therefore not to be hindred or defeated by any wicked Designs or Practises. And therefore though he hath permitted thee, and may do others to Rage for a season, yet he will defend, and in due time deliver his People.

Marginal references: Heb. all the day.

2. Thy tongue deviseth mischiefs like a sharp rasor, working deceitfully .

(i. e.) Expresseth what thy wicked Mind had devised. Thus Skilfulness is ascribed to those [illegible: 1 word], which are governed by a skilful or prudent Man, Psal. 78. last. This Word implies that Doeg's Words were not uttered rashly and unadvisedly, but with Premeditated malice, and a mischievous Design, which he waited for an Opportunity to Execute; and therefore he readily took the first occasion which offered it self.

Wherewith a man pretending onely to shave off the Hair, doth suddenly a[illegible: 1+ letters]d unexpectedly cut the Throat. So Doeg pretended onely to Vindicate himself from the Imputation of Disloyalty, 1 Sam. 22. 8. but really intended to expose the Priests, who were Friends to David, to the Kings fury and Cruelty.

Marginal references: Psa. 57. 4. & 59. 7. & 64. 3.

3. Thou lovest evil more than good : and lying rather than to speak righteousness , Selah.

Evil and Good may be here taken; Either, 1. Morally. Thou lovest Wickedness and not Goodness: for so Comparative passages are oft meant, as Psal. 118. 8. It is better to trust in the Lord, then to put Confidence in Man: (i. e.) It is good to trust God, but it is not good to trust Man; for this is absolutely forbidden, Psal. 146. 3. Ier. 17. 5. Or, 2. Physically. Thou lovest to speak or Act to the hurt and Ruin of others, rather than to their Benefit. Thou mightest, without any Danger to thy self, have been silent concerning [illegible: 1 word] 's Fact; or have put a Favourable Construction upon it; but thou hast chosen rather to mis-represent and Aggravate it. He saith, thou lovest, to imply that he did this not by any Constraint or Necessity, but by choice, and with Complacency, and out of a Love to mischief.

Whereof Doeg was guilty; Partly, in reporting that hi (i. e. Abime[illegible: 1+ letters]ech) enqqired of the Lord for him, (David,) 1 Sam 22. 10. which he did not Ch. 21. where all that History is recorded; and Partly, in putting a false Interpretation upon what he did, in giving him Victuals, and a Sword, as if he had done it knowingly, and in Compi [illegible: 1+ letters]acy with David, and against Saul, as appears by comparing D[illegible: 1+ letters]eg's Answer with Saul's enquiry, 1 Sam. 22. 7, 8.

(i. e.) The whole and naked Truth, without any such lying, or Malitious Comment upon it, which was but an Act of Justice, due from thee to any. Man, and much more on the behalf of so innocent and Sacred a Person.

4. Thou lovest all devouring words , O thou deceitful tongue.

Such as might swallow up and destroy an whole Family at once.

Marginal references: Or, the deceitfu[illegible: 1+ letters] Tong[illegible: 1+ letters]e.

5. God 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.

(i. e.) Totally and unavoidably, as thou didst destroy the Priests.

(i. e.) Violently and Irresistibly and suddenly remove thee, as the Hebrew word signifies.

From thy House and Lands, and all the Wages of thy unrighteousness. Or, out of his (i e. the Lord's) Tabernacle; in which▪ thou didst seek and take the Mattes of thy Slaunders, and from which thou didst cut of the Lords Priests. Therefore God shall Excommunicate thee from his Presence, and from the Society of the Faithful.

Though thou seemest to have taken very deep Rooting, and to be the more firmly settled for this barbarous Cruelty, yet God shall pluck thee up by the very Roots, and destroy thee both Root and Branch.

Out of this World, as the Phrase is taken, Isa. 53. 8. Ezek. 32. 32. and elsewhere. Which was very Terrible to him, who had all his Portion in this World.

Marginal references: Heb. beat thee down.

6. The righteous also shall see , and fear , and shall laugh at him .

To wit, thy Remarkable downfal, and Consequently shall survive thee in sp[illegible: 1+ letters]ght of all thy Power and Malice against them.

Both reverence Gods just Judgment upon thee, and be afraid of provoking God to send like Judgment upon them.

Not taking Pleasure in his Ruin as such, but onely in the Glory of Gods justice Vindicated thereby, Revel. 18. 20. and deriding their Vain and Carnal Confidence in their wicked Courses.

7. Lo, this is the man that made not God his strength : but trusted in the abundance of his riches , and strengthned himself in his wicedness.

These are the Triumphant Words of the Righteous. This is the great and Famous man, take special Notice of him, and of his doleful end.

That trusted and feared Saul more than God, and was willing to purchase Saul's Favour with Gods Displeasure.

Thought himself secure in his great and growing Wealth, without God's Protection or Blessing.

Marginal references: Or, [illegible: 1 word].

8. But I am like a green olive-tree in the house of God : I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever.

When Doeg and his Brethren shall Wither and Perish, I, who have made God my Refuge, I whom he despised and Persecuted and thought to be in a desperate Condition, shall be established and flourish:

Either, 1. in God's Church, or among his People. Or, 2. In God's Tabernacle, from which D[illegible: 1+ letters]eg shall be plucked away, v. 5. and from which I am now banished by the Tyranny and Malice of this Man and his Confederates: But, I doubt not, I shall be restored to it, and dwell in it all the days of my Life, which is the one thing that I desire, Psal. 27. 4.

Marginal references: Or rather, [illegible: 1 word].; * Psal. 92. 13, 14. Hos. 14. 6.

9. I will praise thee for ever, because thou hast done it : and I will wait on thy name , for it is good before thy saints .

(i. e.) Destroyed Doeg, and all mine and thine implacable Enemies, and Established in the Throne, and in thy House; of which I am no less assured, than if it were already done.

I will continue in thy way, placing my whole Trust and Confidence in thy Power and Goodness, and Faithfulness, all which are called God's Name, and not turn aside to any Crooked paths for my Deliverance, as others do, Psal. 125. 5.

(i. e.) In the Eyes of thy Saints. They, whose Judgments onely are to be valued, approve of this Practise, of trusting God, and keeping his way as the wisest and safest Course, and have ever found it so, to be by their own Experience; however Doeg and his Complices account it meer [illegible: 1+ letters]olly, and the the ready way to Ruin. But the last Words of this Clause may very Conveniently be joyned with the former Clause, thus, I will wait upon thy Name before thy Saints; which seems best to suit with the first Clause, I will praise thee; which surely was meant of Praising God publickly, or before the Saints; and then it follows Conveniently. And in the mean time I will wait on thy Name, in the Presence of thy Saints, who shall plainly see that I do so by the whole Course of my Life. And those Words, for it is good, may be inclosed within a Parenthesis, as is very usual in Scripture, and may be referred; Either to God's Name, for thy Name is good; or to wait on it, for it is good to wait upon it.

Psa 52:1-4

It is bad enough to behave wickedly, but bad in the extreme to boast of it at the same time as an heroic act. Doeg, who causes a massacre, not, however, by the strength of his hand, but by the cunning of his tongue, does this. Hence he is sarcastically called גּבּור (cf. Isa 5:22). David’s cause, however, is not therefore lost; for it is the cause of God, whose loving-kindness endures continually, without allowing itself to be affected, like the favour of men, by calumny. Concerning הוּות vid., on Psa 5:10. לשׁון is as usual treated as fem; עשׂה רמיּה (according to the Masora with Tsere) is consequently addressed to a person. In Psa 52:5 רע after אהבתּ has the Dagesh that is usual also in other instances according to the rule of the אתי מרחיק, especially in connection with the letters כפתבגד (with which Resh is associated in the Book of Jezira, Michlol 96 b, cf. 63 b).אתי מרחיק is the name by which the national grammarians designate a group of two words, of which the first, ending with Kametz or Segol, has the accent on the penult., and of which the second is a monosyllable, or likewise is accented on the penult. The initial consonant of the second word in this case receives a Dagesh, in order that it may not, in consequence of the first ictus of the group of words “coming out of the distance,” i.e., being far removed, be too feebly and indistinctly uttered. This dageshing, however, only takes place when the first word is already of itself Milel, or at least, as e.g., מצאה בּית, had a half-accented penult., and not when it is from the very first Milra and is only become Milel by means of the retreating of the accent, as עשׂה פלא, Psa 78:12, cf. Deu 24:1. The penultima-accent has a greater lengthening force in the former case than in the latter; the following syllables are therefore uttered more rapidly in the first case, and the Dagesh is intended to guard against the third syllable being too hastily combined with the second. Concerning the rule, vid., Baer’s Thorath Emeth, p. 29f.

The מן or מטּוב and מדּבּר is not meant to affirm that he loves good, etc., less than evil, etc., but that he does not love it at all (cf. Psa 118:8., Hab 2:16). The music which comes in after Psa 52:5 has to continue the accusations con amarezza without words. Then in Psa 52:6 the singing again takes them up, by addressing the adversary with the words “thou tongue of deceit” (cf. Psa 120:3), and by reproaching him with loving only such utterances as swallow up, i.e., destroy without leaving a trace behind (בּלע, pausal form of בלע, like בּצע in Psa 119:36, cf. the verb in Psa 35:25, 2Sa 17:16; 2Sa 20:19.), his neighbour’s life and honour and goods. Hupfeld takes Psa 52:6 as a second object; but the figurative and weaker expression would then follow the unfigurative and stronger one, and “to love a deceitful tongue” might be said with reference to this character of tongue as belonging to another person, not with reference to his own.

Psa 52:5-7

The announcement of the divine retribution begins with גּם as in Isa 66:4; Eze 16:43; Mal 2:9. The אהל is not, as one might suppose, the holy tent or tabernacle, that he has desecrated by making it the lurking-place of the betrayer (1Sa 21:7), which would have been expressed by מאהלו, but his own dwelling. God will pull him, the lofty and imperious one, down (נתץ, like a tower perhaps, Jdg 8:9; Eze 26:9) from his position of honour and his prosperity, and drag him forth out of his habitation, much as one rakes a coal from the hearth (חתה Biblical and Talmudic in this sense), and tear him out of this his home (נסח, cf. נתק, Job 18:14) and remove him far away (Deu 28:63), because he has betrayed the homeless fugitive; and will root him out of the land of the living, because he has destroyed the priests of God (1Sa 22:18). It then proceeds in Psa 52:8 very much like Psa 40:4, Psa 40:5, just as the figure of the razor also coincides with Psalms belonging to exactly the same period (Psa 51:8; Psa 57:5, cf. לטשׁ, Psa 7:13). The excitement and indignant anger against one’s foes which expresses itself in the rhythm and the choice of words, has been already recognised by us since Ps 7 as a characteristic of these Psalms. The hope which David, in Psa 52:8, attaches to God’s judicial interposition is the same as e.g., in Psa 64:10. The righteous will be strengthened in the fear of God (for the play of sounds cf. Psa 40:4) and laugh at him whom God has overthrown, saying: Behold there the man, etc. According to Psa 58:11, the laughing is joy at the ultimate breaking through of justice long hidden and not discerned; for even the moral teaching of the Old Testament (Pro 24:17) reprobates the low malignant joy that glories at the overthrow of one’s enemy. By ויּבטח the former trust in mammon on the part of the man who is overtaken by punishment is set forth as a consequence of his refusal to put trust in God, in Him who is the true מעוז = Arab. m‛âḏ, hiding-place or place of protection (vid., on 31;3, Psa 37:39, cf. Psa 17:7; 22:33). הוּה is here the passion for earthly things which rushes at and falls upon them (animo fertur).

Psa 52:8-9

The gloomy song now brightens up, and in calmer tones draws rapidly to a close. The betrayer becomes like an uprooted tree; the betrayed, however, stands firm and is like to a green-foliaged olive (Jer 11:16) which is planted in the house of Elohim (Psa 90:14), that is to say, in sacred and inaccessible ground; cf. the promise in Isa 60:13. The weighty expression כּי עשׂית refers, as in Ps 22:32, to the gracious and just carrying out of that which was aimed at in the election of David. If this be attained, then he will for ever give thanks and further wait on the Name, i.e., the self-attestation, of God, which is so gracious and kind, he will give thanks and “wait” in the presence of all the saints. This “waiting,” ואקוּה, is open to suspicion, since what he intends to do in the presence of the saints must be something that is audible or visible to them. Also “hoping in the name of God” is, it is true, not an unbiblical notional combination (Isa 36:8); but in connection with שׁמך כי טוב which follows, one more readily looks for a verb expressing a thankful and laudatory proclamation (cf. Ps 54:8). Hitzig’s conjecture that we should read ואחוּה is therefore perfectly satisfactory. נגד חסידיך does not belong to טוב, which would be construed with בּעיני htiw deurtsnoc , and not נגד, but to the two votive words; cf. Psa 22:26; Psa 138:1, and other passages. The whole church (Psa 22:23., Psa 40:10.) shall be witness of his thankfulness to God, and of his proclamation of the proofs which God Himself has given of His love and favour. Elohimic Variation of the Jahve - Psa 14:1-7

Psa 52:1-9 and Psa 53:1-6, which are most closely related by occasion, contents, and expression, are separated by the insertion of Psa 53:1-6, in which the individual character of Psa 52:1-9, the description of moral corruption and the announcement of the divine curse, is generalized. Psa 53:1-6 also belongs to this series according to its species of poetic composition; for the inscription runs: To the Precentor, after Machalath, a Maskı̂l of David. The formula על־מחלת recurs in Psa 88:1 with the addition of לענּות. Since Ps 88 is the gloomiest of all the Psalms, and Psa 53:1-6, although having a bright border, is still also a dark picture, the signification of מחלה, laxness (root חל, opp. מר), sickness, sorrow, which is capable of being supported by Exo 15:26, must be retained. על־מחלת signifies after a sad tone or manner; whether it be that מחלת itself (with the ancient dialectic feminine termination, like נגינת, Psa 61:1) is a name for such an elegiac kind of melody, or that it was thereby designed to indicate the initial word of some popular song. In the latter case מחלת is the construct form, the standard song beginning מחלת לב or some such way. The signification to be sweet (Aramaic) and melodious (Aethiopic), which the root חלי obtains in the dialects, is foreign to Hebrew. It is altogether inadmissible to combine מחלת with Arab. mahlt, ease, comfort (Germ. Gemächlichkeit, cf. mächlich, easily, slowly, with mählich, by degrees), as Hitzig does; since מחל, Rabbinic, to pardon, coincides more readily with מחה, Psa 51:3, Psa 51:11. So that we may regard machalath as equivalent to mesto, not piano or andante.

That the two texts, Psa 14:1-7 and Psa 53:1-6, are “vestiges of an original identity” (Hupfeld) is not established: Psa 53:1-6 is a later variation of Psa 14:1-7. The musical designation, common only to the earlier Psalms, at once dissuades one from coming down beyond the time of Jehoshaphat or Hezekiah. Moreover, we have here a manifest instance that even Psalms which are composed upon the model of, or are variations of Davidic Psalms, were without any hesitation inscribed לדוד.

Beside the critical problem, all that remains here for the exegesis is merely the discussion of anything peculiar in the deviations in the form of the text.

The Wickedness of Doeg.

1 Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man? the goodness of God endureth continually. 2 Thy tongue deviseth mischiefs; like a sharp razor, working deceitfully. 3 Thou lovest evil more than good; and lying rather than to speak righteousness. Selah. 4 Thou lovest all devouring words, O thou deceitful tongue. 5 God 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.

The title is a brief account of the story which the psalm refers to. David now, at length, saw it necessary to quit the court, and shift for his own safety, for fear of Saul, who had once and again attempted to murder him. Being unprovided with arms and victuals, he, by a wile, got Ahimelech the priest to furnish him with both. Doeg an Edomite happened to be there, and he went and informed Saul against Ahimelech, representing him as confederate with a traitor, upon which accusation Saul grounded a very bloody warrant, to kill all the priests; and Doeg, the prosecutor, was the executioner, 1 Sam. xxii. 9, &c. In these verses,

I. David argues the case fairly with this proud and mighty man, v. 1. Doeg, it is probably, was mighty in respect of bodily strength; but, if he was, he gained no reputation to it by his easy victory over the unarmed priests of the Lord; it is no honour for those that wear a sword to hector those that wear an ephod. However, he was, by his office, a mighty man, for he was set over the servants of Saul, chamberlain of the household. This was he that boasted himself, not only in the power he had to do mischief, but in the mischief he did. Note, It is bad to do ill, but it is worse to boast of it and glory in it when we have done, not only not to be ashamed of a wicked action, but to justify it, not only to justify it, but to magnify it and value ourselves upon it. Those that glory in their sin glory in their shame, and then it becomes yet more shameful; mighty men are often mischievous men, and boast of their heart's desire, Ps. x. 3. It is uncertain how the following words come in: The goodness of God endures continually. Some make it the wicked man's answer to this question. The patience and forbearance of God (those great proofs of his goodness) are abused by sinners to the hardening of their hearts in their wicked ways; because sentence against their evil works is not executed speedily, nay, because God is continually doing them good, therefore they boast in mischief; as if their prosperity in their wickedness were an evidence that there is no harm in it. But it is rather to be taken as an argument against him, to show, 1. The sinfulness of his sin: "God is continually doing good, and those that therein are like him have reason to glory in their being so; but thou art continually doing mischief, and therein art utterly unlike him, and contrary to him, and yet gloriest in being so." 2. The folly of it: "Thou thinkest, with the mischief which thou boastest of (so artfully contrived and so successfully carried on), to run down and ruin the people of God; but thou wilt find thyself mistaken: the goodness of God endures continually for their preservation, and then they need not fear what man can do unto them." The enemies in vain boast in their mischief while we have God's mercy to boast in.

II. He draws up a high charge against him in the court of heaven, as he had drawn up a high charge against Ahimelech in Saul's court, v. 2-4. He accuses him of the wickedness of his tongue (that unruly evil, full of deadly poison) and the wickedness of his heart, which that was an evidence of. Four things he charges him with:—1. Malice. His tongue does mischief, not only pricking like a needle, but cutting like a sharp razor. Scornful bantering words would not content him; he loved devouring words, words that would ruin the priests of the Lord, whom he hated. 2. Falsehood. It was a deceitful tongue that he did this mischief with (v. 4); he loved lying (v. 3), and this sharp razor did work deceitfully (v. 2), that is, before he had this occasion given him to discover his malice against the priests, he had acted very plausibly towards them; though he was an Edomite, he attended the altars, and brought his offerings, and paid his respects to the priests, as decently as any Israelite; therein he put a force upon himself (for he was detained before the Lord), but thus he gained an opportunity of doing them so much the greater mischief. Or it may refer to the information itself which he gave in against Ahimelech; for the matter of fact was, in substance, true, yet it was misrepresented, and false colours were put upon it, and therefore he might well be said to love lying, and to have a deceitful tongue. He told the truth, but not all the truth, as a witness ought to do; had he told that David made Ahimelech believe he was then going upon Saul's errand, the kindness he showed him would have appeared to be not only not traitorous against Saul, but respectful to him. It will not save us from the guilt of lying to be able to say, "There was some truth in what we said," if we pervert it, and make it to appear otherwise than it was. 3. Subtlety in sin: "Thy tongue devises mischiefs; that is, it speaks the mischief which thy heart devises." The more there is of craft and contrivance in any wickedness the more there is of the devil in it. 4. Affection to sin: "Thou lovest evil more than good; that is, thou lovest evil, and hast no love at all to that which is good; thou takest delight in lying, and makest no conscience of doing right. Thou wouldst rather please Saul by telling a lie than please God by speaking truth." Those are of Doeg's spirit who, instead of being pleased (as we ought all to be) with an opportunity of doing a man a kindness in his body, estate, or good name, are glad when they have a fair occasion to do a man a mischief, and readily close with an opportunity of that kind; that is loving evil more than good. It is bad to speak devouring words, but it is worse to love them either in others or in ourselves.

III. He reads his doom and denounces the judgments of God against him for his wickedness (v. 5): "Thou hast destroyed the priests of the Lord and cut them off, and therefore God shall likewise destroy thee for ever." Sons of perdition actively shall be sons of perdition passively, as Judas and the man of sin. Destroyers shall be destroyed; those especially that hate, and persecute, and destroy the priests of the Lord, his ministers and people, who are made to our God priests, a royal priesthood, shall be taken away with a swift and everlasting destruction. Doeg is here condemned, 1. To be driven out of the church: He shall pluck thee out of the tabernacle, not thy dwelling-place, but God's (so it is most probably understood); "thou shalt be cut off from the favour of God, and his presence, and all communion with him, and shalt have no benefit either by oracle or offering." Justly was he deprived of all the privileges of God's house who had been so mischievous to his servants; he had come sometimes to God's tabernacle, and attended in his courts, but he was detained there; he was weary of his service, and sought an opportunity to defame his family; it was very fit therefore that he should be taken away, and plucked out thence; we should forbid any one our house that should serve us so. Note, We forfeit the benefit of ordinances if we make an ill use of them. 2. To be driven out of the world; "He shall root thee out of the land of the living, in which thou thoughtest thyself so deeply rooted." When good men die they are transplanted from the land of the living on earth, the nursery of the plants of righteousness, to that in heaven, the garden of the Lord, where they shall take root for ever; but, when wicked men die, they are rooted out of the land of the living, to perish for ever, as fuel to the fire of divine wrath. This will be the portion of those that contend with God.

The Ruin of Doeg Predicted.

6 The righteous also shall see, and fear, and shall laugh at him: 7 Lo, this is the man that made not God his strength; but trusted in the abundance of his riches, and strengthened himself in his wickedness. 8 But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God: I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever. 9 I will praise thee for ever, because thou hast done it: and I will wait on thy name; for it is good before thy saints.

David was at this time in great distress; the mischief Doeg had done him was but the beginning of his sorrows; and yet here we have him triumphing, and that is more than rejoicing, in tribulation. Blessed Paul, in the midst of his troubles, is in the midst of his triumphs, 2 Cor. ii. 14. David here triumphs,

I. In the fall of Doeg. Yet, lest this should look like personal revenge, he does not speak of it as his own act, but the language of other righteous persons. They shall observe God's judgments on Doeg, and speak of them, 1. To the glory of God: They shall see and fear (v. 6); that is, they shall reverence the justice of God, and stand in awe of him, as a God of almighty power, before whom the proudest sinner cannot stand and before whom therefore we ought every one of us to humble ourselves. Note, God's judgments on the wicked should strike an awe upon the righteous and make them afraid of offending God and incurring his displeasure, Ps. cxix. 120; Rev. xv. 3, 4. 2. To the shame of Doeg. They shall laugh at him, not with a ludicrous, but a rational serious laughter, as he that sits in heaven shall laugh at him, Ps. ii. 4. He shall appear ridiculous, and worthy to be laughed at. We are told how they shall triumph in God's just judgments on him (v. 7): Lo, this is the man that made not God his strength. The fall and ruin of a wealthy mighty man cannot but be generally taken notice of, and every one is apt to make his remarks upon it; now this is the remark which the righteous should make upon Doeg's fall, that no better could come of it, since he took the wrong method of establishing himself in his wealth and power. If a newly-erected fabric tumbles down, every one immediately enquires where was the fault in the building of it. Now that which ruined Doeg's prosperity was, (1.) That he did not build it upon a rock: He made not God his strength, that is, he did not think that the continuance of his prosperity depended upon the favour of God, and therefore took no care to make sure that favour nor to keep himself in God's love, made no conscience of his duty to him nor sought him in the least. Those wretchedly deceive themselves that think to support themselves in their power and wealth without God and religion. (2.) That he did build it upon the sand. He thought his wealth would support itself: He trusted in the abundance of his riches, which, he imagined, were laid up for many years; nay, he thought his wickedness would help to support it. He was resolved to stick at nothing for the securing and advancing of his honour and power. Right or wrong, he would get what he could and keep what he had, and be the ruin of any one that stood in his way; and this, he thought, would strengthen him. Those may have any thing that will make conscience of nothing. But now see what it comes to; see what untempered mortar he built his house with, now that it has fallen and he is himself buried in the ruins of it.

II. In his own stability, v. 8, 9. "This mighty man is plucked up by the roots; but I am like a green olive-tree, planted and rooted, fixed and flourishing; he is turned out of God's dwelling-place, but I am established in it, not detained, as Doeg, by any thing but the abundant satisfaction I meet with there." Note, Those that by faith and love dwell in the house of God shall be like green olive-trees there; the wicked are said to flourish like a green bay-tree (Ps. xxxvii. 35), which bears no useful fruit, though it has abundance of large leaves; but the righteous flourish like a green olive-tree, which is fat as well as flourishing (Ps. xcii. 14) and with its fatness honours God and man (Judg. ix. 9), deriving its root and fatness from the good olive, Rom. xi. 17. Now what must we do that we may be as green olive-trees? 1. We must live a life of faith and holy confidence in God and his grace? "I see what comes of men's trusting in the abundance of their riches, and therefore I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever—not in the world, but in God, not in my own merit, but in God's mercy, which dispenses its gifts freely, even to the unworthy, and has in it an all-sufficiency to be our portion and happiness." This mercy is for ever; it is constant and unchangeable, and its gifts will continue to all eternity. We must therefore for ever trust in it, and never come off from that foundation. 2. We must live a life of thankfulness and holy joy in God (v. 9): "I will praise thee for ever, because thou hast done it, has avenged the blood of thy priests upon their bloody enemy, and given him blood to drink, and hast performed thy promise to me," which he was as sure would be done in due time as if it were done already. It contributes very much to the beauty of our profession, and to our fruitfulness in every grace, to be much in praising God; and it is certain that we never want matter for praise. 3. We must live a life of expectation and humble dependence upon God: "I will wait on thy name; I will attend upon thee in all those ways wherein thou hast made thyself known, hoping for the discoveries of thy favour to me and willing to tarry till the time appointed for them; for it is good before thy saints," or in the opinion and judgment of thy saints, with whom David heartily concurs. Communis sensus fidelium—All the saints are of this mind, (1.) That God's name is good in itself, that God's manifestations of himself to his people are gracious and very kind; there is no other name given than his that can be our refuge and strong tower. (2.) That it is very good for us to wait on that name, that there is nothing better to calm and quiet our spirits when they are ruffled and disturbed, and to keep us in the way of duty when we are tempted to use any indirect courses for our own relief, than to hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord, Lam. iii. 26. All the saints have experienced the benefit of it, who never attended him in vain, never followed his guidance but it ended well, nor were ever made ashamed of their believing expectations from him. What is good before all the saints let us therefore abide and abound in, and in this particularly: Turn thou to thy God; keep mercy and judgment, and wait on thy God continually, Hos. xii. 6.

PSAL. LII.

To the master of the musicke, an instructing Psalme of David. When Doeg the Adomite came and shewed to Saul, and said to him, David came unto the house of Achimelech.

WHy boastest thou in evill, O mighty man? the mercie of God endureth all the day. Thy tongue thinketh wofull evils, as a sharpe rasour doing deceit. Thou lovest evill more than good; falshood more than to speake justice Selah. Thou lovest all words of swallowing; the tongue of deceit. Also God will destroy thee to perpetuitie, hee will pull thee away and plucke thee out of the tent, and will root thee up, out of the land of the living Selah. And the just shall see and feare, and shall laugh at him. Behold the man that put not God for his strength, but trusted in the multitude of his riches; hee was strong in his wofull evill. But I, as a greene Olive in the house of God, I trust in the mercy of God ever and aye. I will confesse thee for ever, for thou hast done this; and will patiently expect thy name, for it is good before thy gracious Saints.

Annotations. DOeg] a servant of King Saul, and master of his herdmen, 1 Sam. 21. 7. the Adomite] that is, an Aedomite, or, Idumean, as the Greeke here translateth: or a man of Adamah a citie of the tribe of Naphtali, Ios. 19. 36. of Acbimelech] David flying from Sauls tyranny, came for comfort to the house of God in Nob, where Achimelech the Priest administred. He gave unto David and his company the showbread [illegible: 1 letter]o [illegible: 1 word] armed him with the sword of Goljath the Philistian, and asked counsell of the Lord for him. Doēg saw this, and told King Saul, and after (when no other man would) himselfe at the Kings commandement, ran upon Achimelech and the Priests, and killed 85 persons: and Nob the citie of the Priests he smote with the edge of the sword, both man, woman, childe and beast. But Abj[illegible: 1 letter]thar Achimelechs sonne escaped unto David, and told him, who there upon made this Psalme. See 1 Sam. 21. and 22. Matth. 12. 3 4. Vers. 3. in evill] the Chaldee expounds it, in an evill tongue. O mighty man] or, Potentate, Doëg is thus named, for his chiefe place over King Sauls herdmen, 1 Sam. 21. 7 and his killing of so many Priests of the Lord, 1 Sam. 22. 18. 19. in which mischievous prowesse he vaunted himselfe. Vers. 4. thinketh] or understand, Why thinketh thy tongue? that is, uttereth the evils thought and premeditated. doing deceit] that is, as a rasour which in stead of cutting the haire, cutteth the throat. Or it may be referred to the man, O doer of deceit, as the Greeke saith, thou hast done deceit. Vers. 5. justice] that is, truth or faithfulnesse. Vers. 6. words of swallowing] or of devouring, of perniciousnesse, that is, pernicious words which cause destruction. Vers. 7. destroy] or pull thee downe: a similitude taken from buildings pulled downe, Levit. 14. 45. applied here to mans overthrow. So Iob 19. 10. pull thee away] or take thee hence, as a coale of fire is taken with the rongs, Esa. 30. 4. plucke thee] as the stakes are plucked up when the tent is removed. This is applied to expulsion ou[illegible: 1 letter] of ones setled place; and is opposed to stablishing, Deut. 28. 63. Prov. 2. 22. and 15. [illegible: 1 letter]5. root thee up] as a tree plucked up by the roots, Iude 12. So Iob 31. 12. la[illegible: 1 letter]d of the living] that is, this world. See Psal. 27. 13. Vers. 8. shall see] the Chaldee paraphraseth, shalt see thy punishment, and feare before the Lord. Vers. 9. the man] the mighty [illegible: 1 word] It hath reference to verse 3. he was strong] or, would be strong, and prevaile; as Psal. 9. 20. or; strengthened and hardned himselfe. his wofull evill] or, in that he hath, that is, his substance; the Greeke saith, in his vanitie. Vers. 10. greene olive] alwayes fresh and flourishing. See Psal. 37. 35. Ier. 11. 1[illegible: 1 letter]. aye] continually: see Psal. 9. 6. Vers. 11. hast done] the Chaldee addeth, hast done the vengeance of my judgement.

PSAL. LII.

A Pſalm of David] Of the ſame time and argument, likely with Pſal. 58. Maſchil] Or, to teach, that the end of the Wicked is evill; Redarguit pravos mores, ſaith the Syriack.

When Doeg the Edomite] When Abiathar eſcaping the ſlaughter-ſlave, the bloodhound (as Edomite may ſignifie) came and told David what was befaln the Prieſts, and their City. This was no ſmall affliction to David; the rather becauſe by telling the Prieſt a lye, himſelf had occaſioned that Maſſacre. Hereupon for the comfort of himſelf and other good people who were ſtartled at this ſad accident, and might be deterred thereby from ſuccouring David, he penned this Pſalm.

When Doeg the Edomite came and told Saul, &c.] Doeg is a fit name for a courtier; for it ſignifieth a ſolicitous or buſy-headed fellow, a catch-poll, a progging-companion, an informer, one that liſteneth after rumours, and carrieth tales to curry favour. An Edomite he was by Nation; but a Proſelyte in pretence at leaſt, and one that was at that time detained before the Lord, either by vertue of ſome vow, or becauſe it was the Sabbath-day, and he would not travel on it, or to perform ſome other religious ſervice, 1 Sam. 21.7. this diſſembled ſanctity was double iniquity; and he became a type of Judas, as ſome make him.

He came and told Saul] Like a Paraſite and a pick-thank, as he was; when as he ſhould rather have told Ahimelech, that David was out of Sauls favour, and ſought for to the ſlaughter, as Kimchi here noteth on verſ. 3. but he concealed that, that he might accuſe Ahimelech, and ſo ſlew three at once (ſaith another Rabbine) viz. himſelf, Saul and Ahimeleck, calumniatorem, calumniatum & calumniam audientem.

And ſaid, David is come to the houſe of Ahimeleck] Few words, but full of poyſon;Verba Doegi erant pauci, ſed multum nocua. Kimchi. Midraſh Tillin. leviter volant non leviser vulnerant. See the ſtory more at large, 1 Sam. 22 9. &c. The Rabbines ſay (from Levit. 14. where the ſame word is uſed of the Leprous houſe, that is here, verſ. 5. of Doegs doom) that he was for this fact ſmitten with leproſy; and afterwards ſent to Hell, which they gather from Pſal. 120.4.

Verſ. 1. Why boaſteſt thou thy ſelf in miſchief, thou mighty man] Or, Thou Giart; for ſo he ſeemed to himſelf when he had ſlain tot inermes nec repugnantes, ſo many naked men, not making any reſiſtance, though they were the Prieſts of Jehovah; and afterward had ſmitten the innocent inhabitants of the City of Nob, together with the women, the infants and the Cattel; like another Ajax flagellifer or Hercules furens, and now vaunted himſelf in that miſchievous proweſſe.

Egregiam vero[illegible: 1 letter]undem, &c.

The Hebrew word for boaſting here, ſignifieth alſo madneſs, when it is taken in the worſe ſence, as Jer. 46.9. See Prov. 2.14. and to boaſt of his hearts deſire is the note of an Atheiſt, Pſal. 10.3.

The goodneſs of God endureth continually] Maugre thy ſpitefulneſs,R. Solomon. Kabuenaki. Midraſh Tillin. God is good to Iſrael, to the pure in heart, and will be ſo. The Rabbins make this the ſenſe, If Ahimeleth had not releeved me, God would have ſtirred up ſome other to have done it. Some others underſtand it thus, The goodneſs of God towards thee a wicked wretch endureth all the day. This ſhould lead thee to repentance. But thou after the hardneſs, &c. Rom. 2.4.

Verſ. 2. Thy tongue deviſeth miſchiefes] i.e.Cogitat, id eſt eructat. venteth the miſchievous devices of thy minde, being an inter preter and an inſtrument fit for ſuch a purpoſe. Such another Doeg was Nicholas saunders, Prieſt, the Fire-brand of Earl Deſw[illegible: 3 letters]ds Rebellion in Ireland, Anno 1580. a reſtleſs and wretched man, whoſe foul mouth was at length ſtopped with famine, that had been ever open to ſtir up rebellions againſt the State; that had uttered ſo many Blaſphemies againſt God, and his holy Truth, and invented ſo many loud and lewdlyes againſt men.

Like a ſharp razor, working deceitfully] That inſtead of ſhaving the hair, launcheth the fleſh; or miſſing the beard, cutteth the throat,Exſcindit carnem cum crinibus. R. Solom. Conſutro aberrans jugulum petit: whence Dionyſius the Tyrant would not truſt any Barber (no not his own Daughters) to ſhave him: but ſinged off his own hair with hot coals. The ſlanderers Tongue, as ſharp as a razor, or as the quills of a Porcupine, flaſheth, and gaſheth the good names of others, and that many ways, viz. both by denying, diſguiſing, leſlening, concealing, miſconſtruing things of good report; and alſo by forging, increaſing, aggravating, or uncharitable ſpreading things of evil report: not for any love to the truth, nor for reſpect to juſtice, nor yet for the bettering of the Hearer, or the Delinquent; but only to prejudice the one, and to incenſe the other. This was Doegs ſin, and denominateth him a Lyer, verſ. 3. though hee had ſpake but the truth.

Verſ. 3. Thou loveſt evil more than good] Indeed evil only, and not at all good, whatever thou pretendeſt. Thy heart is naught, and thence it is that thy tongue is ſo miſchievons; as ſtinking breath cometh from corrupt inwards.

And lying, rather than to ſpeak righteouſneſs] For thou haſt cunningly inſinuated, for thine own baſe ends, and againſt thine own Conſcience, that thoſe innocent and faithful Prieſts were of the combination; and ſo haſt built thy ſelf upon their ruines, thou falſe Sycophant, artifex doti. Selah.

Verſ. 4. Thou loveſt all devouring words] Verba devoratoria, the Greek hath it, [non-Latin text not transcribed], that devoure and ſwallow up, ſo as the Sea doth things caſt into it. So elſewhere, their throat is an open ſepulchre, which devoureth all bodies but rendreth none without a Miracle. Some render it, Verba voraginis, the words of a Whirlpool, which firſt turns men round, and then lucks them in. Others, Verba abſorptionis, in reference to that uſe of the tongue, which is to ſup up diſh-meats; Sic lingua attrahit homines it[illegible: 1 letter] ut abſorbeautur, ſaith Vatablus. The vulgar hath it, Verba precipitationis, words that hurl one down headlong, Ex edites adium vel rupium, as Hilary hath it, from the top of houſes, or high rocks.

O thou deceitful tongue] Becauſe although it were for moſt part truth that hee ſpake, yet he did it maliciouſly, and by diſhmulation paſled over that which might have made for Ahimelech, viz. that he releeved David in the ſimplicity of his heart, as thinking him to be high in the Kings favour, and employed by him. Egeſippus ſaith of Pilate, that he was Vir neguam, & parvi faciens mendacium, a naughty man and one that made no bones of a Lye; ſuch another was Doeg. D excid. Jeruſ 1.2. c. 5.

Verſ. 5. God ſhall likewiſe deſtroy thee] Here are quot verba tot tonitr[illegible: 1 letter]a, ſo many words, ſo many thunderclaps.Judicium ipſum lethale deſcribitur. As thou haſt deſtroyed the Lords Prieſts, and then whole City, razing and haraſing it: ſo God will demonith and deſtroy thee utterly, as an houſe pulled down to the ground, ſo that one ſtone is not left upon another, Lev. 14.45. So ſhall God pull down Doeg from that high preferment, which he by Sycophancy hath got at Court.

He ſhall take thee away] As a coal of fire is taken with the Tongs, Pſa. 30.4.Exurette. Vatah. that it do no further miſchief: ſome render it, He ſhall burn thee; R. Gaon, He ſhall [illegible: 3 letters]rifie thee.

And pluck thee out of thy dwelling place] Or, ſhall ſweep thee out of thy tabernacle; R. Gaon interpreteth it, Both hamidraſh, the Lords Tabernacle, whereinto a Doeg may ſet his foot as farre as a David, but God will pluck him thence.

And root thee out of the land of the living] Everret & evertet ie cum tota familia, He ſhall utterly ruinate thee and thine, leaving thee neither root nor branch, chick nor childe.

Selah] i.e. Veritas eſt, ſaith Aben-Ezra; It is even ſo: think not that theſe things are ſpoken only in terrorem, for a Scarebug, for they ſhall all be ſurely fulfilled upon thee.

Verſ. 6. The righteous alſo ſhall ſee and fear] With a reverential fear, from which ſhall ſpring ſincere ſervice, Aliorum perditio tua ſit cautio; let other mens perdition be our caution; let us waſh our feet in the blood of the wicked. There is an elegancy in the original that cannot be engliſhed

And ſhall laugh at him] With an holy laughter: not that of irriſion, but of exultation in God, for his righteous executions.

Verſ. 7. Lo, this is the man] Or rather, now the Monſter to be pointed at; once ſo mighty, now ſo miſerable; O quantum haec Niobe, &c. what a ſtrange change is here; &c? As the true Iſraelite is pointed out with a Behold for imitation, Job. 1.47. ſo is this counterfeit Iſraelite for deteſtation.

That made not God his ſtrength] But carried the matter as if hee had been ſome petty-god within himſelf.

But truſted in the abundance, &c.] Never true to thoſe that truſted them.

And ſtrengthened himſelf in his wickedneſs] Heb. In his woful evil, in his putting many poor Creatures to their Wo is me.

Verſ. 8. But I am like a green Olive-tree, &c.] Thus, when Doeg blaſted David, David bleſſeth himſelf. Let him flouriſh in the Court, I ſhall much more in the Houſe of God. My name ſhall be precious among the Saints, when he ſtinketh above ground; hee ſhall wither, when I ſhall bee freſh, flouriſhing, and fruitfull.

I truſt in the mercy of God] Not in riches, as Doeg: and this faith is the root of my fruitfulneſs, cheerfulneſs, &c. Gul. Pariſienſis reporteth of true Chryſtal, that by touching only it reviveth the decayed vertue of other precious ſtones: ſure it is, that faith reviveth the vertue of other precious graces.

Verſ. 9. I will praiſe thee for ever, becauſe thou haſt done it] Haſt delivered mee from Doeg, and others, Quod non perierim centies. Or, thou haſt done execution upon Doeg: i.e. Thou wilt undoubtedly do it.

And I will wait on thy name] i. e. Depend upon thy Promiſes and Providence.

Why boasteth thyself in mischief, O mighty man? Doeg had small matter for boasting in having procured the slaughter of a band of defenceless priests. A mighty man indeed to kill men who never touched a sword! He ought to have been ashamed of his cowardice. He had no room for exultation! Honourable titles are but irony where the wearer is mean and cruel. If David alluded to Saul, he meant by these words pityingly to say, "How can one by nature fitted for nobler deeds, descend to so low a level as to find a theme for boasting in a slaughter so heartless and mischievous?" The goodness of God endureth continually. A beautiful contrast. The tyrant's fury cannot dry up the perennial stream of divine mercy. If priests be slain their Master lives. If Doeg for awhile triumphs the Lord will outlive him, and right the wrongs which he has done. This ought to modify the proud exultations of the wicked, for after all, while the Lord liveth, iniquity has little cause to exalt itself.

Thy tongue deviseth mischiefs. Thou speakest with an ulterior design. The information given was for Saul's assistance apparently, but in very deed in his heart the Edomite hated the priests of the God of Jacob. It is a mark of deep depravity, when the evil spoken is craftily intended to promote a yet greater evil. Like a sharp razor, working deceitfully. David represents the false tongue as being effectual for mischief, like a razor which, unawares to the person operated on, is making him bald; so softly and deftly do Oriental barbers perform their work. Or he may mean that as with a razor a man's throat may be cut very speedily, under the pretence of shaving him, even thus keenly, basely, but effectually Doeg destroyed the band of the priests. Whetted by malice, and guided by craft, he did his cruel work with accursed thoroughness.

Thou lovest evil more than good. He loved not good at all. If both had been equally profitable and pleasant, he would have preferred evil. And lying rather than to speak righteousness. He was more at home at lying than at truth. He spake not the truth except by accident, but he delighted heartily in falsehood. SELAH. Let us pause and look at the proud blustering liar. Doeg is gone, but other dogs bark at the Lord's people. Saul's cattle master is buried, but the devil still has his drovers, who fain would hurry the saints like sheep to the slaughter.

Thou lovest. Thou hast a taste, a gusto for evil language. All devouring words. There are words that, like boa constrictors, swallow men whole, or like lions, rend men to pieces; these words evil minds are fond of. Their oratory is evermore furious and bloody. That which will most readily provoke the lowest passions they are sure to employ, and they think such pandering to the madness of the wicked to be eloquence of a high order. O thou deceitful tongue. Men can manage to say a great many furious things, and yet cover all over with the pretext of justice. They claim that they are jealous for the right, but the truth is they are determined to put down truth and holiness, and craftily go about it under this transparent pretence.

God shall likewise destroy thee for ever. Fain would the persecutor destroy the church, and therefore God shall destroy him, pull down his house, pluck up his roots, and make an end of him. He shall take thee away. God shall extinguish his coal and sweep him away like the ashes of the hearth; he would have quenched the truth, and God shall quench him. And pluck thee out of thy dwelling place, like a plant torn from the place where it grew, or a captive dragged from his home. Ahimelech and his brother priests were cut off from their abode, and so should those be who compassed and contrived their murder. And root thee out of the land of the living. The persecutor shall be eradicated, stubbed up by the root, cut up root and branch. He sought the death of others and death shall fall upon him. He troubled the land of the living, and he shall be banished to that land where the wicked cease from troubling. Those who will not "let live" have no right to "live." God will turn the tables on malicious men, and mete to them a portion with their own measure. "SELAH." Pause again, and behold the divine justice proving itself more than a match for human sin.

The righteous —the object of the tyrant's hatred —shall outlive his enmity, and also shall see, before his own face, the end of the ungodly oppressor. God permits Mordecai to see Haman hanging on the gallows. David had brought to him the tokens of Saul's death on Gilboa. And fear. Holy awe shall sober the mind of the good man; he shall reverently adore the God of providence. And shall laugh at him. If not with righteous joy, yet with solemn contempt. Schemes so far reaching all baffled, plans so deep, so politic, all thwarted. Mephistopheles outwitted, the old serpent taken in his own subtlety. This is a good theme for that deep seated laughter which is more akin to solemnity than merriment.

Lo. Look ye here, and read the epitaph of a mighty man, who lorded it proudly during his little hour, and set his heel upon the necks of the Lord's chosen. This is the man that made not God his strength. Behold the man! The great vainglorious man. He found a fortress, but not in God; he gloried in his might, but not in the Almighty. Where is he now? How has it fared with him in the hour of his need? Behold his ruin, and be instructed. But trusted in the abundance of his riches, and strengthened himself in his wickedness. The substance he had gathered, and the mischiefs he had wrought, were his boast and glory. Wealth and wickedness are dreadful companions; when combined they make a monster. When the devil is master of money bags, he is a devil indeed. Beelzebub and Mammon together heat the furnace seven times hotter for the child of God, but in the end that shall work out their own destruction. Wherever we see today a man great in sin and substance, we shall do well to anticipate his end, and view this verse as the divine in memoriam.

But I, hunted and persecuted though I am, am like a green olive tree. I am not plucked up or destroyed, but am like a flourishing olive, which out of the rock draws oil, and amid the drought still lives and grows. In the house of God. He was one of the divine family, and could not be expelled from it; his place was near his God, and there was he safe and happy, despite all the machinations of his foes. He was bearing fruit, and would continue to do so when all his proud enemies were withered like branches lopped from the tree. I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever. Eternal mercy is my present confidence. David knew God's mercy to be eternal and perpetual, and in that he trusted. What a rock to build on! What a fortress to fly to!

I will praise thee for ever. Like thy mercy shall my thankfulness be. While others boast in their riches I will boast in my God; and when their glorying is silenced for ever in the tomb, my song shall continue to proclaim the lovingkindness of Jehovah. Because thou hast done it. Thou hast vindicated the righteous, and punished the wicked. God's memorable acts of providence, both to saints and sinners, deserve, and must have our gratitude. David views his prayer as already answered, the promise of God as already fulfilled, and therefore at once lifts up the sacred Psalm. And I will wait on thy name. God shall still be the psalmist's hope; he will not in future look elsewhere. He whose name has been so gloriously made known in truth and righteousness, is justly chosen as our expectation for years to come. For it is good before thy saints. Before or among the saints David intended to wait, feeling it to be good both for him and them to look to the Lord alone, and wait for the manifestation of his character in due season. Men must not too much fluster us; our strength is to sit still. Let the mighty ones boast, we will wait on the Lord; and if their haste brings them present honour, our patience will have its turn by and by, and bring us the honour which excelleth.

TITLE. That Maschil means a sacred composition, is evident from Ps 47:7, where the passage which we render, "Sing ye praises with understanding, "is literally, "Sing ye a Maschil, "or song of instruction. This word occurs as a title in thirteen places; and six times is prefixed to compositions of David's. In several instances it occurs in consecutive Psalms; i.e., in the 42nd (of which the 43rd is the sequel), the 44th and 45th, the 52nd, 53rd, 54th, and 55th, the 88th and 89th. A circumstance which favours the notion that the term was one peculiarly used by some particular editor or collector of a certain portion of the Psalter. John Jebb.

(first clause). Why doth he glory in malice that is mighty? that is, he that in malice is mighty, why doth he glory? There is need that a man be mighty, but in goodness, not in malice. Is it any great thing to glory in malice? To build a house belong to few men, any ignorant man you please can pull down. To sow wheat, to dress the crop, to wait until it ripen, and in that fruit on which one has laboured to rejoice, doth belong to few men: with one spark any man you please can burn all the crop. . . . What art thou about to do, O, mighty man, what are thou about to do, boasting thyself much? Thou art about to kill a man: this thing also a scorpion, this also a fever, this also a poisonous fungus can do. To this is thy mightiness reduced, that it be made equal to a poisonous fungus! Augustine.

By mischief is understood not simply what evil he had done, but the prosperity which he now enjoyed, obtained through mischief; as is clear both from the word boasting and from the seventh verse...Formerly he was the chief of Saul's shepherds 1Sa 21:8, but by that wicked destruction of the priests of God by Saul, and the execution of the cruel sentence, he obtained the chief place near to the king 1Sa 22:9. Hermann Venema.

O mighty man. These words may be added by way of irony, as if he had said, A great deal of valour and prowess you have shown in slaying a company of unarmed men, the priests of the Lord, yea, women and children, no way able to resist you or else to imply the ground of his vain boasting, to wit, either his present greatness, as being a man in great place, and of great power with Saul; or the great preferments he expected from Saul. Arthur Jackson.

The goodness of God endureth continually. He contrasts the goodness of God with the wealth and might of Doeg, and the foundation of his own confidence as widely different from that of Doeg, his own placed upon the goodness of God, enduring for ever and showing itself effectual. It is as if he had said, The goodness of God to which I trust, is most powerful and the same throughout all time, and in it I shall at all times most surely rejoice that goodness of God, since now it sustains me, so it will exalt me in its own good time; it therefore is, and will be above me. . . . Not without emphasis does he say the goodness la of the strong God, a contrast to Doeg the hero, and the ruinous foundation of his fortune. Hermann Venema.

Thy tongue deviseth mischiefs, like a sharp razor, working deceitfully. Thus our version. But I do not very well understand the propriety of the tongue's devising mischief, and devising it like a sharp razor. But we may easily avoid this harsh comparison by rendering the words: You contrive mischiefs with thy tongue, as with a sharp razor, O thou dealer in deceit: i.e., you contrive with thy smooth and flattering tongue to wound the reputation and character of others, as though thou wast cutting their throats with a smooth razor. Samuel Chandler.

Like a sharp razor, that instead of shaving the hair lances the flesh; or missing the beard cutteth the throat. John Trapp.

The smooth adroit manner of executing a wicked device neither hides not abates its wickedness. Murder with a sharp razor is as wicked as murder with a meat axe or bludgeon. A lie very ingeniously framed and rehearsed in an oily manner, is as great a sin, and in the end will be seen to be as great a folly as the most bungling attempt at deception. William S. Plumer.

Thou lovest evil more than good. —Thou hast loved evil, he says, more than good, not by simply preferring it, but by substituting it; so that in the stead of good he hath done evil, and that from the inmost love of his soul, bent upon evil; wherefore he does not say that he admitted, but loved evil, not moral only, but physical, for the destruction of his neighbours; so to have loved it, that he willed nothing but evil, being averse to all good. Hermann Venema.

Thou lovest all devouring words, O thou deceitful tongue. He was all tongue; a man of words; and these the most deceitful and injurious. Adam Clarke.

God shall destroy thee forever, etc. There are four words the psalmist makes us of to denote the utter vengeance that awaited this deceitful and bloody wretch, all of them having a very strong meaning. The first, ksty from stn, signifies to pull down, and break utterly into pieces; as when an altar is demolished. (Jud 6:30 8:9.) The second, kth from the root hrh, which signifies to twist anything, or pluck it up by twisting it round, as trees are sometimes twisted up. The third, khmy from hmg, which properly signifies utterly to sweep away anything like dust or chaff; and the expression lhm khm means not sweep thee away from thy tent, but sweep thee away, that thou mayest be no longer a tent; thyself, thy family, thy fortune, shall be wholly and entirely swept away, and dissipated forever; to which the fourth word, ksrs, answers, eradicabit te, he shall root thee out from the land of the living. It is impossible words can express a more entire and absolute destruction. Samuel Chandler.

God shall likewise destroy thee forever. Here are quot verba tot tonotrua, so many words, so many thunderclaps. As thou hast destroyed the Lord's priests, and their whole city, razing and harassing it; so God will demolish and destroy thee utterly, as an house pulled down to the ground, so that one stone is not left upon another (Le 14:45); so shall God pull down Doeg from that high preferment, which he by sycophancy hath got at court. John Trapp.

Wonderful is the force of the verbs in the original, which convey to us the four ideas of laying prostrate, dissolving as by fire, sweeping away as with a besom, and totally extirpating root and branch, as a tree is eradicated from the spot on which it grew. If a farther comment be wanted, it may be found in the history of David's enemies, and the crucifiers of the son of David; but the passage will be fully and finally explained by the destruction of the world of the ungodly at the last day. George Horne.

The poet accumulates dire and heavy words, and mingles various metaphors that he might paint the picture of this man's destruction in more lively colours. Three metaphors appear to be joined together, the first taken from a building, the second from a tent, the third from a tree, if attention is given to the force and common acceptation of the words. Hermann Venema.

He shall take thee away; or, seize thee, as coals are taken with the tongs. J. J. Stewart Perowne.

The righteous also shall see, etc. That is, to use the apt words of Gejerus, "This shall not be a secret judgment, or known only to a few, but common fame shall spread abroad throughout the kingdom, or city, the notable punishments of the ungodly. The righteous also shall not pass by such an event with indifference, but with earnest eyes shall contemplate it, "etc. I add, and hence shall they take joy, and turn it to their own use, to the greater fearing of God... The righteous, upon whose destruction the ungodly man was intent, shall survive and spend their lives safe in the favour of God; they shall see with attentive mind, they shall consider; nor, as worldlings are accustomed, shall they pass it by without reflection or improvement, they shall see and fear, namely, God the just judge; and instructed in his judgment by this instance, they shall be the more careful to abstain from all designs and crimes of this kind. Hermann Venema.

And shall laugh at him; or, over him —over the wicked man thus cast down —they shall laugh. Such exultation, to our modern sensibilities, seems shocking, because we can hardly conceive of it, apart from the gratification of personal vindictiveness. But there is such a thing as a righteous hatred, as a righteous scorn. There is such a thing as a shout of righteous joy at the downfall of the tyrant and the oppressor, at the triumph of righteousness and truth over wrong and falsehood. J. J. Stewart Perowne.

Lo, this is the man that made not God his strength. David having showed (Ps 52:5-6) the wicked man, by the righteous judgment of God rooted out of the land of the living, shows us in the next verse, the righteous man at once fearing and laughing at this sight, as also pointing at him saying, Lo, this is the man that made not God his strength. The words are a divine but cutting sarcasm. The original is geber, which signifieth a strong, valiant man: as we say in English, Lo, this is the brave and gallant man you wot of! But who was this for a man? He was one, saith he, that trusted in the abundance of his riches. Oh! It is hard to abound in riches and not to trust in them. Hence that caution (Ps 62:10): If riches increase, set not your heart upon them. Now, what is the setting the heart upon riches but our rejoicing and trusting in them? And because the heart of man is so easily persuaded into this sinful trust upon riches, therefore the apostle is urgent with Timothy to persuade all rich men —not only mere worldly rich men, but godly rich men —against it; yea, he urges Timothy to persuade rich men against two sins, which are worse than all the poverty in the world, yet the usual attendants of riches —pride and confidence: Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded. 1 Ti 6:17. Joseph Caryl.

Verses 7-8. Perhaps some of you have been long professors, and yet come to little growth in love to God, humility, heavenly mindedness, mortification; and it is worth the digging to see what lies at the root of your profession, whether there be not a legal principle that hath too much influenced you. Have you not thought to carry all with God from your duties and services, and too much laid up your hopes in your own actings? Alas! this is as so much dead earth, which must be thrown out, and gospel principles laid in the room thereof. Try but this course, and try whether the spring of thy grace will not come on apace. David gives an account how he came to stand and flourish when some that were rich and mighty, on a sudden withered and came to nothing. Lo, saith he, this is the man that made not God his strength; but trusted in the abundance of his riches. But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God: I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever. While others trust in the riches of their own righteousness and services, and make not Christ their strength, do thou renounce all, and trust in the mercy of God in Christ, and thou shalt be like a green olive when they fade and wither. William Gurnall.

(first clause):

"But I am olive charged with fruit

In fertile soil that grows."

This appears to express of the Hebrew words, which our translators render, like a green olive tree, but which in reality have no reference to the colour, but to the flourishing, vigorous, and thriving state of the plant; just as Homer gives it the epithet of "luxuriant, "and "flourishing; "and Ovid that of "ever flourishing." The fact is, the colour of the leaves of this tree is not a bright lively green; but a dark, disagreeable, or yellowish one. Scheuchzer describes the leaves, as "superne coloris atrovirentis, vel in viridi flavescentis." An English traveller, writing from Italy, thus expresses his disappointment about the olive tree: —"The fields, and indeed the whole face of Tuscany, are in a manner covered with olive trees; but the olive tree does not answer the character I have conceived of it. The royal psalmist and some of the sacred writers, speak with rapture of the `green olive tree, 'so that I expected a beautiful green; and I confess to you, I was wretchedly disappointed to find its hue resembling that of our hedges when they are covered with dust." I have heard other travellers express the same feeling of disappointment. "The true way of solving the difficulty, "as Harmer properly remarks, "is to consider the word translated `green, 'not as descriptive of colour, but of some other property; youthfulness, vigour, prosperity, or the like." Richard Mant.

Green olive tree in the house of God. Several expositors fancifully imagine that olive trees grow in certain of the courts of the Tabernacle; but the notion must not be endured, it would have been too near an approach to the groves of the heathen to have been tolerated, at least in David's time. The text should surely be read with some discretion; the poet does not refer to olive trees in God's house, but compares himself in the house of God to an olive tree. This reminds us of the passage, "Thy children like olive plants around thy table, "where some whose imaginations have been more lively than their judgments, have seen a table surrounded, not with children, but with olive plants. Whoever, in the realms of common sense, ever heard of olive plants round a table? If, as Thrupp supposes, Nob was situated upon the Mount of Olives, we can, without any conjecture, see a reason for the present reference to a flourishing olive tree. C. H. S.

He compares himself

1. With an olive tree, a tree a ways green, lasting long and fruitful, whose fruit is most useful and grateful: so he paints his future state as joyful, glorious, lasting, and useful and pleasing to men: plainly a reference is made to the royal and prophetic office, in both of which he represents himself as an olive tree, by supplying others with oil through his rule and instruction:

2. With the olive growing luxuriantly, and abounding in spreading bough, and so, spacious and large...

3. But why does he add in the house of God? That he might indicate, unless I am deceived:

(a) That he should possess a dwelling in that place where the house of God was, whence he was now exiled through the calumnies of Doeg and the attacks of Saul stirred up thereby:

(b) That he should perform distinguished service to the house of God, by adorning it, and by restoring religion, now neglected, and practising it with zeal:

(c) That he should derive from God and his favour, whose that house was, all his prosperity:

(d) That he, like a son of God, should rejoice in familiarity with him, and should become heir to his possessions and promises. Hermann Venema.

The confidence of faith.

1. The circumstances were distressing.

(a) David was misjudged.

(b) David exiled.

(c) A bad man in power.

(d) God's priests slain.

2. The consolation was abiding.

(a) There is a God.

(b) He is good.

(c) His goodness continues.

(d) Good will therefore overcome.

3. The rejoinder was triumphant. Why boasteth thou?

(a) The mischief did not touch the main point.

(b) It would be overruled.

(c) It would recoil.

(d) It would expose the perpetrators to scorn.

In what cases men clearly love evil more than good.

Verses 7-8. The worldling like an uprooted tree, the believer a vigorous well planted olive.

The believer's character, position, confidence, and continuance.

The double duty, and the double reason: the single heart and its single object.

What God has done, what we will do, and why.

WORK UPON THE FIFTY-SECOND PSALM

CHANDLER'S "Life of David, "contains an Exposition of this Psalm. Vol. 1., pp. 140-143.