Psalms of David

This is a companion psalm to Psalm 34 in the first book, in that both concern Doeg the Edomite. Psalm 34 was a song of praise, a song of deliverance. This psalm is more of a rany aimed at Doeg.

Psalms in Book 2 are like Book 1 in that they are mostly lament and distress although they now include a communal voice in addition to the singular voice of the first book.

The books of Psalms are roughly themed like this:

Book 1: Psalms 1 – 41: God is beside us.
Book 2: Psalms 42 – 72: God goes before us
Book 3: Psalms 73 – 89: God is all around us.
Book 4: Psalms 90 – 106: God is above us.
Book 5: Psalms 107 – 150: God is among us.

To the choirmaster. A Maskil of David, when Doeg, the Edomite, came and told Saul, “David has come to the house of Ahimelech.”

52 Why do you boast of evil, O mighty man?
    The steadfast love of God endures all the day.
² Your tongue plots destruction,
    like a sharp razor, you worker of deceit.
³ You love evil more than good,
    and lying more than speaking what is right. Selah
⁴ You love all words that devour,
    O deceitful tongue.
⁵ But God will break you down for ever;
    he will snatch and tear you from your tent;
    he will uproot you from the land of the living. Selah

⁶ The righteous shall see and fear,
    and shall laugh at him, saying,
⁷ “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!”
⁸ But I am like a green olive tree
    in the house of God.
I trust in the steadfast love of God
    for ever and ever.
⁹ I will thank you for ever,
    because you have done it.
I will wait for your name, for it is good,
    in the presence of the godly.

Psalm 52 ESVUK

Psalm 52 is a maskil, meaning ‘enlightened’ or ‘wise saying.’ This song is intended for teaching. The incident when David escaped but Ahimelek and his family were killed by Doeg the Edomite was the subject of Psalm 34 where David gave thanks for his deliverance when you would expect a rant. This is the rant.

Or is it a rant? Although Doeg is mentioned in the introduction the Psalm is delivered to an unnamed ‘mighty man’ in the first part and ‘the righteous’ in the second part. The Selahs at the end of verses 3 and 5 show points where we should stop and think, as well as the end. (If there were a Selah at the end, which there isn’t, it would show this song is connected to the next one, which it isn’t).

My pondering these words has thrown up something I cannot find in the commentaries I have looked at. Psalm 51 prophesies. It is written in the first person by the Messiah, Jesus, and talks of Satan being thrown down and Jesus is victorious. The victory of Jesus is foretold. Because of the cross, Satan is already defeated. We can live in the victory of Jesus.

But those commentaries that did not mention Jesus’ victory were right. Psalm 52 is about you if you seek the downfall of others. Have you got a work promotion because you have unfairly put down one of your opponents to get the position? Do you deliberately put down people who disagree with you, even doing this on social media counts. These are sorts of things covered here (though I’m sure David had no idea the internet would happen). God still loves you and wants you to stop this behaviour and turn to him. If it is habitual it could be difficult to change.

I find it difficult when in online conversations not to reply in kind. I am changing, but slowly. I am not expecting sudden change, just for people to walk with Jesus in their lives. I have the ability to fall off spectacularly, but when this happens I return again and again to God. No matter how many times i let god down, God hasn’t failed me yet.

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