1 {To the chief Musician: an instruction. Of David; when Doeg the Edomite came and told Saul, and said unto him, David came to the house of Ahimelech.} Why boastest thou thyself in evil, thou mighty man? The loving-kindness of ùGod [abideth] continually.
By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down; yea, we wept when we remembered Zion. We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof.
The words of his mouth are wickedness and deceit: he hath left off to be wise, to do good. He deviseth wickedness up on his bed; he setteth himself in a way that is not good: he abhorreth not evil. Jehovah, thy loving-kindness is in the heavens, and thy faithfulness [reacheth] unto the clouds. Thy righteousness is like the high mountains; thy judgments are a great deep: thou, Jehovah, preservest man and beast.
Then answered Doeg the Edomite, who was set over the servants of Saul, and said, I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub. And he inquired of Jehovah for him, and gave him victuals, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine. Then the king sent to call Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his father's house, the priests that were in Nob; and they came all of them to the king. And Saul said, Hear now, son of Ahitub. And he answered, Here I am, my lord. And Saul said to him, Why have ye conspired against me, thou and the son of Jesse, in that thou hast given him bread, and a sword, and hast inquired of God for him, that he should rise against me as a lier-in-wait, as at this day? And Ahimelech answered the king and said, And who is so faithful among all thy servants as David, who is the king's son-in-law, and has access to thy secret council, and is honourable in thy house? Was it to-day that I began to inquire of God for him? be it far from me: let not the king charge anything to his servant, [nor] to all the house of my father; for thy servant knew nothing of all this, less or more. And the king said, Thou shalt certainly die, Ahimelech, thou, and all thy father's house. And the king said to the couriers that stood about him, Turn and put the priests of Jehovah to death; because their hand also is with David, and because they knew when he fled, and did not inform me. But the servants of the king were not willing to put forth their hand to fall on the priests of Jehovah. And the king said to Doeg, Turn thou, and fall on the priests. And Doeg the Edomite turned, and fell on the priests, and put to death that day eighty-five persons who wore the linen ephod. And Nob, the city of the priests, he smote with the edge of the sword, both men and women, infants and sucklings, and oxen, and asses, and sheep, with the edge of the sword.
And Cush begot Nimrod: he began to be mighty on the earth. He was a mighty hunter before Jehovah; therefore it is said, As Nimrod, the mighty hunter before Jehovah!
In those days were the giants on the earth, and also afterwards, when the sons of God had come in to the daughters of men, and they had borne [children] to them; these were the heroes, who of old were men of renown. And Jehovah saw that the wickedness of Man was great on the earth, and every imagination of the thoughts of his heart only evil continually.
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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).