Psalms 52:1-2

Psalm 52 ¹ 

For the music director; a well-written song ²  by David. It was written when Doeg the Edomite went and informed Saul: “David has arrived at the home of Ahimelech.” ³ 

52:1 Why do you boast about your evil plans, ⁴  O powerful man?

God’s loyal love protects me all day long! ⁵ 

52:2 Your tongue carries out your destructive plans; ⁶ 

it is as effective as a sharp razor, O deceiver. ⁷ 

Isaiah 3:9

3:9 The look on their faces ⁸  testifies to their guilt; ⁹ 

like the people of Sodom they openly boast of their sin. ¹⁰ 

Too bad for them! ¹¹ 

For they bring disaster on themselves.

Jeremiah 6:15

6:15 Are they ashamed because they have done such shameful things?

No, they are not at all ashamed.

They do not even know how to blush!

So they will die, just like others have died. ¹² 

They will be brought to ruin when I punish them,”

says the Lord.

Jeremiah 8:12

8:12 Are they ashamed because they have done such disgusting things?

No, they are not at all ashamed!

They do not even know how to blush!

So they will die just like others have died. ¹³ 

They will be brought to ruin when I punish them,

says the Lord.

Hosea 4:9

4:9 I will deal with the people and priests together: ¹⁴ 

I will punish them both for their ways,

and I will repay them for their deeds.

Micah 7:3

7:3 They are determined to be experts at doing evil; ¹⁵ 

government officials and judges take bribes, ¹⁶ 

prominent men make demands,

and they all do what is necessary to satisfy them. ¹⁷ 

[52:1]  ¹ sn Psalm 52. The psalmist confidently confronts his enemy and affirms that God will destroy evildoers and vindicate the godly.

[52:1]  ² tn The meaning of the Hebrew term מַשְׂכִּיל (maskil) is uncertain. The word is derived from a verb meaning “to be prudent; to be wise.” Various options are: “a contemplative song,” “a song imparting moral wisdom,” or “a skillful [i.e., well-written] song.” The term occurs in the superscriptions of Pss 32, 42, 44, 45, 52-55, 74, 78, 88, 89, and 142, as well as in Ps 47:7.

[52:1]  ³ tn Heb “when Doeg the Edomite came and told Saul and said to him, ‘David has come to the house of Ahimelech.’”

[52:1]  ⁴ tn Heb “Why do you boast in evil?”

[52:1]  ⁵ tn 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.

[52:2]  ⁶ tn Heb “destruction your tongue devises.”

[52:2]  ⁷ tn Heb “like a sharpened razor, doer of deceit.” The masculine participle עָשָׂה (’asah) is understood as a substantival vocative, addressed to the powerful man.

[3:9]  ⁸ sn This refers to their proud, arrogant demeanor.

[3:9]  ⁹ tn Heb “answers against them”; NRSV “bears witness against them.”

[3:9]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “their sin, like Sodom, they declare, they do not conceal [it].”

[3:9]  ¹¹ tn Heb “woe to their soul.”

[6:15]  ¹² tn Heb “They will fall among the fallen.”

[8:12]  ¹³ tn Heb “They will fall among the fallen.”

[4:9]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “And it shall be, like people, like priest” (so ASV); NAB “The priests shall fare no better than the people.”

[7:3]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “upon evil [are their] hands to do [it] well.”

[7:3]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “the official asks – and the judge – for a bribe.”

[7:3]  ¹⁷ tn More literally, “the great one announces what his appetite desires and they weave it together.” Apparently this means that subordinates plot and maneuver to make sure the prominent man’s desires materialize.