Logos Bible Study

Psalm 52:1–9

The NET BibleOther versions

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52:1Why do you boast about your evil plans,1 O powerful man?

God’s loyal love protects me all day long!2

52:2Your tongue carries out your destructive plans;3

it is as effective as a sharp razor, O deceiver.4

52:3You love evil more than good,

lies more than speaking the truth.5

(Selah)

52:4You love to use all the words that destroy,6

and the tongue that deceives.

52:5Yet7 God will make you a permanent heap of ruins.8

He will scoop you up9 and remove you from your home;10

he will uproot you from the land of the living.

(Selah)

52:6When the godly see this, they will be filled with awe,

and will mock the evildoer, saying:11

52:7“Look, here is the man who would not make12 God his protector!

He trusted in his great wealth

and was confident about his plans to destroy others.”13

52:8But I14 am like a flourishing15 olive tree in the house of God;

I continually16 trust in God’s loyal love.

52:9I will continually17 thank you when18 you execute judgment;19

I will rely20 on you,21 for your loyal followers know you are good.22

Read in Logos
Psalm 52:8: But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God. I trust in the steadfast love of God forever and ever.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Heb “Why do you boast in evil?”
  2. 2 Heb “the loyal love of God [is] all the day.” In this context, where the psalmist is threatened by his enemy, the point seems to be that the psalmist is protected by God’s loyal love at all times.
  3. 3 Heb “destruction your tongue devises.”
  4. 4 Heb “like a sharpened razor, doer of deceit.” The masculine participle עָשָׂה (’asah) is understood as a substantival vocative, addressed to the powerful man.
  5. 5 Or “deceit more than speaking what is right.”
  6. 6 Heb “you love all the words of swallowing.” Traditionally בַּלַּע (bala’) has been taken to mean “swallowing” in the sense of “devouring” or “destructive” (see 118 בָּלַע). III *בֶּלַע 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.
  7. 7 The adverb גַּם (gam, “also; even”) is translated here in an adversative sense (“yet”). It highlights the contrastive correspondence between the evildoer’s behavior and God’s response.
  8. 8 Heb “will tear you down forever.”
  9. 9 This rare verb (חָתָה, khatah) occurs only here and in Prov 6:27; 25:22; Isa 30:14.
  10. 10 Heb “from [your] tent.”
  11. 11 Heb “and the godly will see and will fear and at him will laugh.”
  12. 12 The imperfect verbal form here draws attention to the ongoing nature of the action. The evildoer customarily rejected God and trusted in his own abilities. Another option is to take the imperfect as generalizing, “[here is the man who] does not make.”
  13. 13 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 עָזַז, ’azaz, “be strong”) as it stands is either an imperfect (if so, probably used in a customary sense) or a preterite (without vav [ו] consecutive). However the form should probably be emended to וַיָּעָז (vayya’az), a Qal preterite (with vav [ו] consecutive) from עָזַז. Note the preterite form without vav (ו) consecutive in the preceding line (וַיִּבְטַח, vayyivtakh, “and he trusted”). The prefixed vav (ו) was likely omitted by haplography (note the suffixed vav [ו] on the preceding עָשְׁרוֹ, ’oshro, “his wealth”).
  14. 14 The disjunctive construction (vav [ו] + subject) highlights the contrast between the evildoer’s destiny (vv. 5–7) and that of the godly psalmist’s security.
  15. 15 Or “luxuriant, green, leafy.”
  16. 16 Or, hyperbolically, “forever and ever.”
  17. 17 Or, hyperbolically, “forever.”
  18. 18 Or “for.”
  19. 19 Heb “you have acted.” The perfect verbal form (1) probably indicates a future perfect here. The psalmist promises 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.
  20. 20 Or “wait.”
  21. 21 Heb “your name.” God’s “name” refers here to his reputation and revealed character.
  22. 22 Heb “for it is good in front of your loyal followers.”

The NET Bible First Edition, Copyright 1996-2005 by Biblical Studies Press

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

Why do you boast of evil, O mighty man?

The steadfast love of God endures all the day.

Your tongue plots destruction,

like a sharp razor, you worker of deceit.

You love evil more than good,

and lying more than speaking what is right. Selah

You love all words that devour,

O deceitful tongue.

But God will break you down forever;

he will snatch and tear you from your tent;

he will uproot you from the land of the living. Selah

The righteous shall see and fear,

and shall laugh at him, saying,

“See the man who would not make

God his refuge,

but trusted in the abundance of his riches

and sought refuge in his own destruction!”

But I am like a green olive tree

in the house of God.

I trust in the steadfast love of God

forever and ever.

I will thank you forever,

because you have done it.

I will wait for your name, for it is good,

in the presence of the godly.

Copyright 2001 Crossway Bibles

NIVNew International Version (2011)

Why do you boast of evil, you mighty hero?

Why do you boast all day long,

you who are a disgrace in the eyes of God?

You who practice deceit,

your tongue plots destruction;

it is like a sharpened razor.

You love evil rather than good,

falsehood rather than speaking the truth.

You love every harmful word,

you deceitful tongue!

Surely God will bring you down to everlasting ruin:

He will snatch you up and pluck you from your tent;

he will uproot you from the land of the living.

The righteous will see and fear;

they will laugh at you, saying,

“Here now is the man

who did not make God his stronghold

but trusted in his great wealth

and grew strong by destroying others!”

But I am like an olive tree

flourishing in the house of God;

I trust in God’s unfailing love

for ever and ever.

For what you have done I will always praise you

in the presence of your faithful people.

And I will hope in your name,

for your name is good.

Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 Biblica, Inc.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

Why boast about evil, you hero!

God’s faithful love is constant.

Like a sharpened razor,

your tongue devises destruction,

working treachery.

You love evil instead of good,

lying instead of speaking truthfully.

Selah

You love any words that destroy,

you treacherous tongue!

This is why God will bring you down forever.

He will take you, ripping you out of your tent;

he will uproot you from the land of the living.

Selah

The righteous will see and fear,

and they will derisively say about that hero,

“Here is the man

who would not make God his refuge,

but trusted in the abundance of his riches,

taking refuge in his destructive behavior.”

But I am like a flourishing olive tree

in the house of God;

I trust in God’s faithful love forever and ever.

I will praise you forever for what you have done.

In the presence of your faithful people,

I will put my hope in your name, for it is good.

Copyright 2017 Holman Bible Publishers

NLTNew Living Translation

Why do you boast about your crimes, great warrior?

Don’t you realize God’s justice continues forever?

All day long you plot destruction.

Your tongue cuts like a sharp razor;

you’re an expert at telling lies.

You love evil more than good

and lies more than truth.

Interlude

You love to destroy others with your words,

you liar!

But God will strike you down once and for all.

He will pull you from your home

and uproot you from the land of the living.

Interlude

The righteous will see it and be amazed.

They will laugh and say,

“Look what happens to mighty warriors

who do not trust in God.

They trust their wealth instead

and grow more and more bold in their wickedness.”

But I am like an olive tree, thriving in the house of God.

I will always trust in God’s unfailing love.

I will praise you forever, O God,

for what you have done.

I will trust in your good name

in the presence of your faithful people.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

Why do you boast about evil, O mighty man?

The loyal love of God endures continually.

Your tongue plans destruction,

like a sharp razor, working deceit.

You love evil more than good,

a lie more than speaking what is right. Selah

You love all devouring words,

O deceitful tongue,

but God will pull you down forever.

He will snatch you and tear you away from your tent,

and he will uproot you from the land of the living. Selah

And the righteous will see and fear,

and will laugh at him, saying,

“Look, the man who would not make God his refuge,

but he trusted in the greatness of his wealth;

he took refuge in his destructiveness.”

But I am like an olive tree flourishing

in the house of God.

I trust the loyal love of God forever and ever.

I will give thanks to you forever, because of what you have done,

and I will wait on your name, because it is good,

in the presence of your faithful ones.

Copyright 2012 Lexham Press

KJV 1900King James Version

Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man?

The goodness of God endureth continually.

Thy tongue deviseth mischiefs;

Like a sharp rasor, working deceitfully.

Thou lovest evil more than good;

And lying rather than to speak righteousness. Selah.

Thou lovest all devouring words,

O thou deceitful tongue.

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 righteous also shall see, and fear,

And shall laugh at him:

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.

But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God:

I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever.

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.

Public Domain