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Psalm 52

The Godly Man and Persecution

As we take up the study of this psalm we immediately notice that it begins with a title:
“For the director of music. A maskil of David.” Many of the psalms do not have titles, but
we should not conclude from this that when there are titles we can safely ignore them.
When we find a title at the beginning of a psalm, it tells us a great deal more than we
might expect. In the first place, we should consider the question of the inspiration of the
title. If all Scripture is given by inspiration of God (II Timothy 3:16), what about the titles
of the psalms? English translations separate the titles from the text of the psalms, but in
the Hebrew text the titles appear as the first one or two verses. Some choose to disregard
the psalm titles altogether and even exclude them from translation. The assumption is that
they were added a long time after the psalms were written. Therefore they should be
treated as not only unhelpful, but as potentially misleading. But it is noteworthy that the
prophet Habakkuk, writing well before 600 BC, included a psalm with a title (Habakkuk
3:1). And Isaiah recorded a titled psalm of King Hezekiah that dates from before 700 BC
(Isaiah 38:9). David’s song of praise recorded in II Samuel 22 has a title that reappears as
the title of Psalm 18. So it is best to assume that the psalm titles as we find them were
part of the original composition and therefore part of inspired Scripture.

If the title of Psalm 52 is part of the inspired word of God, then we should pay as careful
attention to it as to the rest of the psalm. So, in the second place, what information does
the title give us? The expression, “For the director of music,” appears in more than fifty
psalms. It seems to have designated the psalm for use in temple worship under the
direction of the choir leader. It is not clear what a “maskil” was, although thirteen of the
psalms are described by this term. It was probably a characteristic of the way the psalm
should be used or sung. It most likely came from the word meaning “to be wise, or to
instruct,” a capability Eve recognized in the tree of the knowledge of good and evil
(Genesis 3:6). The word appears in the title of Psalm 53, in which David noted, “God
looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any
who seek God” (Psalm 53:2). The psalmist asked, “you fools, when will you become
wise” (Psalm 94:8) and the Proverb said, “A wise man’s heart guides his mouth”
(Proverbs 16:23). A maskil was therefore supposed to give insight, discernment, and
understanding. “A maskil of David” means that David composed it. The psalm title
reminds us that David was a man of extraordinary talent. Truly he was “the sweet
psalmist of Israel” (II Samuel 23:1, KJV). The many psalms he composed are a witness to
his ability and accomplishment as a musician. When God sent an evil spirit to disturb
King Saul, David was called in to play the harp and the evil spirit would leave him (I
Samuel 16:15-23). David composed a lament upon the occasion of the death of Saul and
Jonathan (II Samuel 1:17-27). His famous last words in II Samuel 23 are another example
of his work. David’s name dominates the Book of Psalms, with more than half of them
attributed to him. So the title alerts us to the fact that David wrote this psalm – the same
David who was the man after God’s own heart (I Samuel 13:14); the David who
confronted Goliath “in the name of the Lord Almighty” (I Samuel 17:45); the David
whom the Lord took from shepherding the sheep to be ruler over Israel (II Samuel 7:8);
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the David who understood more about sin and repentance that most men (Psalms 32 and
51). Psalm 52 is “A maskil of David.”

A third consideration suggested by the psalm title follows from the second, namely, the
institution of psalmody in Israel. When and how was the practice of singing psalms
established in Israel’s worship? I Chronicles 15 and 16 are key chapters in this regard.
David had become king over all Israel and captured Jerusalem from the Jebusites (I
Chronicles 11:1-9). He was determined to return the ark of the covenant from the house
of Obed-edom to Jerusalem. More than 20 years earlier it had been lost to the Philistines
at a place called Ebenezer (I Samuel 4:1-11). During that time, including all of the reign
of King Saul, the ark of the Lord was stored in Keriath-jearim. The men of that place had
recovered it from the Philistines and put it in the house of Abinadab. So King David
brought the ark from the house of Abinadab with great fanfare and celebration, with the
intention of carrying it to Jerusalem. But it was on the way that the Angel of the Lord
killed Uzzah for touching the ark. It is significant that “David and all the Israelites were
celebrating with all their might before God, with songs and with harps, lyres,
tambourines, cymbals and trumpets.” If ever there was “extravagant worship,” this was it.
But it aroused the anger of the Lord because it was in the “passion” of the moment that
Uzzah touched the ark and “he died there before God” (I Chronicles 13:7-10). King
David had to learn the lesson that the ark represented the presence of the Lord among his
people, and it had to be handled in the prescribed way. His zeal turned to anger at the
Lord’s stern rebuke and David left the ark in the house of Obed-edom, where it stayed for
three months.

Once David established himself in Jerusalem it became known as the City of David.
Besides buildings for himself David prepared a tent in Jerusalem to house the ark of the
covenant (I Chronicles 15:1; 16:1). He had not forgotten about the ark of the Lord, except
that now he understood that it had to be handled “in the prescribed way.” He instructed
the Levites to take exclusive responsibility for transporting the ark in strict accord with
what the Lord had said to Moses (I Chronicles 15:11-15). At the same time he appointed
certain Levites to sing songs with musical accompaniment in front of the ark (verses
16,17). The chief singers or choir directors, were Asaph, Heman, and Ethan. There was a
total of 288 singers and instrumentalists, all of the tribe of Levi. David delivered them a
psalm that was a compilation of parts of Psalms 96, 105, and 106 (I Chronicles 16:7-36).
The psalm was composed for the purpose of offering praise and worship to the God of
Israel. The singers were to sing before the ark, the visible symbol of the presence of the
Lord. And they were to sing in worship directed to the Lord and in praise for “what he
has done.” These singers or choirs continued from the time of David’s accession to the
throne until Solomon dedicated the temple and thereafter (I Chronicles 16:37; cf.
6:31,32). Later, David’s authority was invoked for this practice in connection with King
Hezekiah’s reforms (II Chronicles 29:25,26). Much later, after the return from exile,
Nehemiah acknowledged David’s role in the same way:

“For long ago, in the days of David and Asaph, there had been directors for the singers
and for the songs of praise and thanksgiving to God. So in the days of Zerubbabel and
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Nehemiah, all Israel contributed the daily portions for the singers and gatekeepers”
(Nehemiah 12:46,47).

When the title of Psalm 52 invokes the name of David, it reminds us that God appointed
him to play an extraordinary role in Israel’s history. David spoke and wrote as a godly
man. He was a man of God who spoke and wrote for all the people of God. In many ways
he was a type of Christ, the only perfectly godly man. In some ways he was like a new
Moses. The psalms show that he introduced a new phase in the worship of God’s people.
He not only composed many psalms for them to sing; he also made the singing of psalms
a more prominent part of their worship and service.

Finally, the title of this psalm informs us about the historical situation in David’s life that
prompted him to write it. Not many of the psalm titles include this information, but some
do (Psalms 34, 51, and 60 are examples). In this case David pinpointed the occasion:
“When Doeg the Edomite had gone to Saul and told him: ‘David has gone to the house of
Ahimelech.’” The details of this event are recorded in I Samuel 21 and 22, approximately
midway between the Lord’s command to Samuel to anoint David (16:1-13) and the death
of Samuel (25:1). After Samuel anointed David, “from that day on the Spirit of the Lord
came upon David in power,” whereas “the Spirit of the Lord had departed from Saul, and
an evil spirit from the Lord tormented him” (I Samuel 16:13,14). Saul became acquainted
with David when his advisors suggested that he bring a talented musician into the court to
soothe the king’s tormented spirit. Some time after this David defeated Goliath, the
Philistine champion, because of whose repeated challenges “Saul and all the Israelites
were dismayed and terrified” (I Samuel 17:11). Now King Saul wanted David in his
service full time. But David’s great exploits aroused in Saul a growing resentment and
jealousy until he could think of nothing else but putting David to death. He kept
increasing David’s military rank and responsibilities, and as a consequence increased
David’s prestige in the army and among the people (I Samuel 18:5). But Saul was
motivated by the hope that David would be slain in battle, saying to himself, “I will not
raise a hand against him. Let the Philistines do that!” (I Samuel 18:17). Even when Saul
named the bride price for the hand of his daughter Michal, his “plan was to have David
fall by the hands of the Philistines” (I Samuel 18:25). When none of this worked and after
repeated attempts on his life David escaped and fled the court of King Saul with the help
of Saul’s son, Jonathan. This brings us to the events referred to in Psalm 52.

David needed supplies and soon came to Nob, “the town of the priests” (I Samuel 22:19).
David’s flight from Saul was taking him south, away from Gebeah and Saul’s palace.
Nob was located in the area just north of Jerusalem. There David met Ahimelech the
priest, who was presumably not aware that Saul was seeking David’s life. Ahimelech
provided David with the sword of Goliath and a small amount of consecrated bread that
he had on hand. Scripture records that all of this was observed by Doeg the Edomite,
“Saul’s head shepherd” (I Samuel 21:7). Why Doeg was there we do not know, except
that he was “detained before the Lord.” It might have had something to do with the fact
that he was an Edomite and that he was present for some kind of purification ceremony.
Earlier King Saul had fought against the Edomites and subdued them (I Samuel 14:47).
In any event, David later noted that he saw him there and expected trouble as the result (I
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Samuel 22:22). David then fled to Gath and sought refuge there under the guise of a
madman, but was soon turned away. At Adullam he was able to gather a small band of
four hundred men. From there he brought his parents to Mizpeh of Moab for safety.
Advised by the prophet Gad, David fled into Judah. Saul apparently kept scouting parties
in the field to monitor David’s movements. King Saul, thoroughly dismayed at the
treason of so many of his men who followed David, finally obtained information about
him from Doeg the Edomite. But Doeg was not simply providing information. He “told”
Saul in the sense that “the skies proclaim the work of [God’s] hands” (Psalm 19:1). This
proclaiming is not merely to provide information, although it is that. But it is also for the
purpose of calling attention to something. When someone proclaims something, he wants
people to notice it, to consider it, and to pay attention to it. Consider Psalm 71:17,18 –

“Since my youth, O God, you have taught me, and to this day I declare/proclaim your
marvelous deeds. Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, O God, till I
declare/proclaim your power to the next generation, your might to all who are to come.”

The form of the Hebrew word behind this proclaiming means that it is urgent, intense,
and in earnest. Such was David’s repentant state of mind when he vowed to the Lord,
“my mouth will declare/proclaim your praise” (Psalm 51:15). Such was Isaiah’s
earnestness when he offered comfort to God’s people with these questions: “Do you not
know? Have you not heard? Has it not been told/proclaimed you from the beginning?
Have you not understood since the earth was founded?” (Isaiah 40:21). And such was
Doeg the Edomite’s malicious state of mind when he told King Saul, “David has gone to
the house of Ahimelech.” Having learned of Ahimelech’s assistance to David, Saul
summoned all the priests of Nob, accused them all of treason, and ordered their summary
execution. At the reluctance of Saul’s soldiers to carry out the sentence, Doeg himself
slew eighty-five priests and led in the destruction of the city of Nob. For his part,
Ahimelech did not realize that Saul had declared David an outlaw, insisting he knew
“nothing at all about this whole affair” (I Samuel 22:15). When David learned of Saul’s
actions from Abiathar, the only priest to escape the carnage, he felt personally responsible
for the death of the priests of Nob. But it served to renew his resolve to fully commit his
cause to the Lord and trust “God’s unfailing love.” The thoughts he expressed in Psalm
52 probably began to take shape at that time.

God’s unfailing love is sufficient to defend against persecution (verses 1-4).

It is clear that David identified the beginning of this persecution in the spoken word. Each
of the first four verses alludes to spoken words that were proudly intended to inflict
injury on David. In the first place they were boastful words (verse 1). “Why do you boast
of evil, you mighty man?” What does it mean to “boast?” Ironically, the word David used
is the word for “praise,” from which comes “Hallelujah.” The word of God gives
abundant testimony that praise to the Lord is always fitting (Psalm 22:23; 35:18; 150:1-
6). But when a man directs praise to himself, he is boasting. Wicked men may boast
about the desires of their hearts (Psalm 10:3), about their possessions (Psalm 49:6), about
their idols (Psalm 97:7), or about their plans for tomorrow (Proverbs 27:1). All such
boasting is self-centered. The person who boasts is expressing confidence and pride in
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himself. Doeg was boasting in “evil.” This word occurs throughout the Old Testament to
denote the opposite of “good.” The forbidden tree in the Garden was called “the tree of
the knowledge of good and evil” (Genesis 2:9). When we remember that God pronounced
everything he had made “very good,” we can understand that evil is the precise opposite
of good. The goodness of the creation was expressed in its fulfilling the purpose for
which God created it. Evil corrupts God’s good things and seeks to turn them to a
perverted, hurtful purpose. So “evil” seeks to do harm. Joseph understood this when he
said to his brothers, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good” (Genesis
50:20).

David was addressing someone as “you mighty man.” To whom was he referring? Some
think he was directing his comments to Saul, since Saul had made himself David’s great
enemy. But Saul was never called a “mighty man” while he lived, and it would seem
strange if David designated him as such in this case. On the other hand, Doeg was never
called a “mighty man” elsewhere in the Bible. But it is still more likely that David had
him in mind because he named Doeg in the title of the psalm. Perhaps Doeg was
promoted in some way after this incident, so that Saul and others gave him this title. A
“mighty man” was a champion, a man of valor, bravery and courage. He was known for
his heroic exploits. Israel had many of them. David spoke of Saul and Jonathan as “the
mighty” as he lamented their deaths (II Samuel 1:19). Saul’s father, Kish, had this
reputation (I Samuel 9:1). David himself was recognized as such a man (I Samuel 16:18).
There were mighty men close to David who were famous for their courage in battle (II
Samuel 23:8). Jereboam, who rebelled against Solomon and took ten tribes in the divided
kingdom, was a mighty warrior (I Kings 11:28). Other kingdoms had their men of
renown, such as Goliath the champion of the Philistines (I Samuel 17:51). So Doeg
boasted of the evil he had done. He probably considered himself a “mighty man.” His
purpose was to put David in jeopardy and advance his own stature in the eyes of King
Saul.

The remainder of verse 1 is a little confusing, because the NIV has apparently followed
ancient translations of the verse at this point. The KJV reads, “The goodness of God
endureth continually.” The NASB followed that translation, as did the ESV and others.
For purposes of this study we will do likewise, since it is closer to the Hebrew text. Here
David introduced the very thing of which he spoke in verse 8: “I trust in God’s unfailing
love for ever and ever.” God’s unfailing love is his loving kindness, his steadfast love, his
mercy, or goodness. More to the point, it is his covenant love. He proclaimed himself to
Moses as “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger,
abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands” (Exodus 34:6,7).
“Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his
covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his
commands” (Deuteronomy 7:9). The trustworthiness of the Lord of the covenants was
reflected in the promise the spies made to Rahab: “we will treat you kindly and faithfully
when the Lord gives us the land” (Joshua 2:14). The love and faithfulness of the Lord
often appear together in the Psalms. “All the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful for
those who keep the demands of his covenant” (Psalm 25:10). “Do not withhold your
mercy from me, O Lord; may your love and your truth always protect me” (Psalm 40:11).
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The psalmist described the salvation of the Lord in these terms, declaring, “God sends his
love and his faithfulness” (Psalm 57:3). “Not to us, O Lord, not to us but to your name be
the glory, because of your love and faithfulness” (Psalm 115:1). The love and faithfulness
of the Lord are words of covenant and promise. The evil boasting of Doeg the Edomite
was momentary but David knew that the “steadfast love of God endures all the day”
(ESV).

In the second place, the persecutor’s words are destructive words (verse 2). “Your tongue
plots destruction.” Once again the words that Doeg spoke are in view, with specific
reference to the tongue as the organ of speech. But the tongue is personified in the sense
that it “plots” something. Of course the tongue can do no such thing. But the tongue
stands for the person, in this case Doeg the Edomite. Literally David said, “Your tongue
will think destructions.” To plot is to think, devise, imagine, or consider. When Joseph
told his brothers, “You intended to harm me” (Genesis 50:20) he was saying “ye thought
evil against me” (KJV). This is the word the Book of Esther used to describe Haman’s
“evil plan” to destroy the Jews (Esther 8:3: 9:24,25). We noted that “destruction” is in the
plural number, adding emphasis to the evil purpose Doeg had devised. We also noted that
David said, “Your tongue will think,” meaning that Doeg was very deliberate and
determined in his course of action. “Destruction” is calamity or mischief that one man
causes for another. Elsewhere David said, “Those who seek my life set their traps, those
who would harm me talk of my ruin; all day long they plot deception” (Psalm 38:12).

In the following words David gave us an appropriate picture of the tongue that plots
destruction. “It is like a sharpened razor, you who practice deceit.” A sharpened razor is
not one that has been picked up at random, but one that has been selected and carefully
prepared for cutting. The idea is that a sharp razor makes a thin cut. The tongue is able to
make a falsehood sound like the truth. It can even speak the truth in the interests of
promoting a lie. Deceit is deliberately crafting words to mislead. Deceit means that you
are mincing words in order to give yourself the best possible advantage. Doeg the
Edomite told Saul the truth, but for what purpose? When Isaac gave Jacob the blessing
instead of Esau, he explained to Esau, “Your brother came deceitfully and took your
blessing” (Genesis 27:35). Later Jacob accused Laban of deceiving him about his
daughters (Genesis 29:25). In the matter of Dinah and the Shecemites, “Jacob’s sons
replied deceitfully as they spoke to Shechem and father Hamor” (Genesis 34:13).
Deception is what the Gibeonites perpetrated on Joshua and the men of Israel (Joshua
9:22). The deceptive words of Doeg were intended for destructive purposes. This is
brought out even more pointedly because David said, “you who practice deceit.” Doeg’s
actions were not unintended. It was not that he slipped up or made a mistake. It was not a
matter of poor judgment. He saw his opportunity and took advantage of it, because this
was his customary practice. This word occurs hundreds of times in the Old Testament and
can mean simply to do, to make, to work, or to accomplish. Clearly this behavior was not
new to Doeg. He was an opportunist and “practiced” deceit.

This brings us to the third characteristic of words of the persecutor. They are deceptive
words. “You love evil rather than good, falsehood rather than speaking the truth” (verse
3). Here we have the dichotomy of evil and good once again, as we noted above in verse
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1. Doeg, it seemed to David, loved evil more than good. Just as Abraham loved his only
son, Isaac (Genesis 22:2, Doeg loved evil. Just as Israel was commanded to love the Lord
their God (Deuteronomy 6:5), Doeg loved evil. Just as the Lord loved Solomon (II
Samuel 12:24,25), Doeg loved evil. If Doeg loved “evil rather than good,” he loved all
the wrong things. This was the pattern of his life, and it revealed itself in his speech. He
loved “falsehood rather than speaking the truth.” “Falsehood” is a different word than
“deceit” in the previous verse, though it has a similar meaning. It is well known that there
are many ways to misrepresent the truth. “Falsehood” here is something that has no basis
in fact or reality. David complained of “those who hate me without reason” (Psalm
38:19). This was the peculiar characteristic of the false prophet. He prophesied what the
Lord had not spoken. Jeremiah complained bitterly about this time and again. “The
prophets prophesy lies” (Jeremiah 5:31; 14:14). They “prophesy the delusions of their
own minds” (Jeremiah 23:26). They caused the people to believe a lie (Jeremiah 29:31).
The false prophet lived in a parallel universe in which falsehood was loved and truth was
hated. “Speaking the truth” is actually “to speak righteousness” (KJV). To speak
righteousness is to speak what is right, and thus to speak the truth. Righteousness is the
character of God. It is his essential nature to be righteous. David proclaimed that the Lord
is righteous and he loves righteousness (Psalm 11:7). “The Lord is righteous in all his
ways” (Psalm 145:17). To speak what is right is to speak as God speaks. But Doeg the
Edomite would have none of this. He loved falsehood rather than speaking what is right.

We must briefly note the presence of the word “Selah” after this verse. Its meaning and
significance are not known, but the term is derived from a word that means “to lift up or
exalt.” Pharaoh lifted himself up against the people of God and refused to release them
(Exodus 9:17). The idea of building a siege ramp against a city wall is also included (II
Samuel 20:15). It is something “lifted up.” So “Selah” seems to have something to do
with “lifting up.” The fact that it appears in many of the psalms indicates that it had some
significance for the singing of the psalms. Perhaps it was intended to signal a pause in the
singing, so that what had just been sung could be pondered at greater length. It could
have meant that at that point the musical accompaniment should be “lifted up” either in
volume, intensity, or duration before the singing was resumed.

Finally, the persecutor’s words are devouring words (verse 4). “You love every harmful
word, O you deceitful tongue.” In this verse David echoed previous themes, like Doeg’s
love of evil (verse 3) and his practice of deceit (verse 2). The distinctive feature here is
the idea of “harmful” words. These are literally “words of devouring” or “all devouring
words” (KJV). What are “devouring words?” Something that is devoured is completely
swallowed up. It is totally overpowered by something else. It is a picture of complete
destruction. According to Pharaoh’s dream, “The thin heads of grain swallowed up the
seven healthy, full heads” (Genesis 41:7). Aaron’s staff “swallowed up” the staffs of the
Egyptian magicians (Exodus 7:12). We remember how the earth opened and “swallowed”
Korah, Dathan, and Abiram and their compatriots (Numbers 16:32). We should
immediately think of Jonah and the great fish the Lord prepared to “swallow Jonah”
(Jonah 1:17). Habakkuk was troubled by the fact that “the wicked swallow up those more
righteous than themselves” (Habakkuk 1:13). So likewise Doeg’s “harmful” words were
“devouring” words. They were designed to do away with David once and for all.
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God’s unfailing love is sure to defeat the persecutor (verses 5-7).

We come now to the second division of the psalm. We have seen that David referred to
the unfailing love of God in verse 1 and again in verse 8. In this section he expressed his
confidence in how things would turn out in the end. David knew that the Lord would deal
with Doeg the Edomite, and he was content to leave it at that. His trust in the unfailing
love of God gave him confidence that he would finally prevail over the persecutor. Only a
man who knew the Lord could speak as David did. So in the first place he asserted that
God will act in terrible judgment (verse 5). “Surely God will bring you down to
everlasting ruin.” Beginning with the word “surely,” David wanted there to be no mistake
that this was his answer to what Doeg had said and done. If Doeg loved every harmful
word, he could be doubly sure that God would bring him down. Behind this lies the
principle of God’s retributive justice. Indeed David said, “Surely you will reward each
person according to what he has done” (Psalm 62:12). God would deal with Doeg like
Gideon “demolished” the altar of Baal (Judges 6:28) and like the “whole Babylonian
army, under the commander of the imperial guard, broke down the walls around
Jerusalem” (II Kings 25:10). “God shall likewise destroy thee forever” (KJV).

Furthermore, “He will snatch you up and tear you from your tent.” David had in mind
here a place of encampment. A man set up his tent and started a fire and felt that he could
settle down and rest in security for a period of time. But God’s action against Doeg would
be like someone suddenly invading and destroying all this. “Snatch up” is not often found
in the Old Testament, but when it is it usually refers to carrying hot coals of fire
(Proverbs 6:27; 25:22). The word used in the phrase “tear you from your tent” is also
rare. A similar idea, appearing in Proverbs 2:22, is that “the unfaithful will be torn from”
the land. Returning to the picture of the campsite once again, David’s language is
descriptive of the swift and sudden judgment of God. A fire abruptly scattered and
someone instantly torn from the protection of his tent changes everything in a heartbeat.

But David added still more: “he will uproot you from the land of the living.” Here the
imagery is not that of a building demolished or even of a tree cut down, but a tree
uprooted. Doeg could expect to be treated like a tree that was left with no possibility of
recovery. God deals with the root as well as the fruit. Of the righteous Scripture declares,
“the righteous cannot be uprooted” and “the root of the righteous flourishes” (Proverbs
12:3, 12). What a contrast this is to the wicked, whose roots are dug out of “the land of
the living.” “The land of the living” is a poetical way of describing man’s present earthly
existence (Job 28:13; Psalm 27:13; 116:9; 142:5). In short, certain death awaited Doeg
the Edomite. Regardless of what he had done or would do, his end would definitely come
because God would see to it. Again “Selah” appears, and if nothing else it provides an
opportunity to pause and reflect upon the solemn truth that God will judge the “deceitful
tongue.” We must remember that David was not simply reciting facts. He was explaining
his faith and trust in God’s unfailing love.

In the next place David was confident that the righteous will react with fear and joy
(verse 6). Who are “the righteous?” We saw in connection with verse 3 that righteousness
is, first and foremost, the character of God. “For the Lord is righteous, he loves justice
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(righteousness)” (Psalm 11:7). God’s revealed righteousness is rooted in his eternal

nature. Because he is righteous, he always speaks and acts in righteousness. “The Lord is
righteous in all his ways” (Psalm 145:17). In other words, he is always in the right. “The
heavens proclaim his righteousness, and all the peoples see his glory,” the psalmist
announced (Psalm 97:6). “The Lord has made his salvation known and revealed his
righteousness to the nations” (Psalm 98:2).

When God’s salvation comes, his righteousness is established among people and people
are established in his righteousness. It is only on this basis that sinful people can ever be
called “righteous.” The righteous God has established them in a relationship with
himself. Thus the way and assembly of the righteous are not the same as the way and
assembly of the wicked (Psalm 1:5,6). The Lord knows or watches over the way of the
righteous. The Lord loves the righteous (Psalm 146:8) and blesses the righteous (Psalm
5:12). The righteous are those who know God, trust God, love God, and serve God. They
have a refuge in God, not because they are righteous, but because he is righteous. God’s
righteousness is not undependable or unpredictable. Therefore the godly can count on
him, in his righteousness, to rescue, to deliver, to turn an attentive ear, and to save. So
when David spoke of the righteous here he was speaking of those whom God has saved
as opposed to those who will come into judgment.

How will the righteous react when God acts in judgment upon the wicked? “The
righteous will see and fear.” It is significant that David would take the trouble to say, “the
righteous will see.” If all he meant was that they would see in the normal sense of seeing
with the physical eyes, it would be difficult to determine if any righteous person ever saw
the judgment of God fall upon Doeg. God’s people do not often personally witness God’s
judgement for particular sins. But “seeing” often suggests more than physical observation
in the Bible. It includes understanding or discerning what is seen. In the Garden Eve
“saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also
desirable for gaining wisdom” (Genesis 3:6). In other words, she understood something
about the meaning and significance of the fruit of the tree. The Lord concluded his
instructions to Moses about the design of the lamp stand and its accessories with the
precaution, “See that you make them according to the pattern shown you on the
mountain” (Exodus 25:40). This meant that Moses was expected to take great care and
pay attention to God’s instructions in every detail. Isaiah’s mission was to preach the
word of the Lord to people who would see in one sense, but not see in another sense
(Isaiah 6:9,10). Jesus appealed to this text to explain why some could understand his
parables while others could not (Matthew 13:13-15). It underlies his surprising statement
to Nicodemus that “no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again” (John
3:3). Seeing is understanding and David’s point here was that God’s people understand
the nature and necessity of the judgment of God.

But they also “fear.” The kings of the earth are commanded to acknowledge God’s
anointed King and “serve the Lord with fear” (Psalm 2:11). The fear that characterizes
those who serve the Lord is the sense of reverence arising from the revelation of God’s
character and purpose. Thus “the fear of the Lord” is among the descriptions of God’s
special revelation in Psalm 19:9. This means that the fear of the Lord is not innately
10

resident in man, but must be given by God or taught by God. “Come, my children, listen
to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord” (Psalm 34:11). “Teach me your way, O Lord,
and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name”
(Psalm 86:11). “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his
precepts have good understanding” (Psalm 111:10). “The Lord delights in those who fear
him, who put their hope in his unfailing love” (Psalm 147:11). At the same time, all men
everywhere are commanded to fear him. “Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the people
of the world revere him” (Psalm 33:8). The righteous are those who do fear, because they
have come to know something of the character and purpose of God.

But the righteous will also “laugh at him.” Why should the righteous laugh at anyone
upon whom the judgment of God has come? For one thing, Scripture refers to the
laughter of God in a similar sense. “The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs
at them” (Psalm 2:4). “The wicked plot against the righteous and gnash their teeth at
them; but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he knows their day is coming” (Psalm
37:12,13). “But; you, O Lord, laugh at them; you scoff at all those nations” (Psalm 59:8).
“Since you ignored all my advice and would not accept my rebuke, I in turn will laugh at
your disaster; I will mock when calamity overtakes you” (Proverbs 1:25,26). But how
shall we understand this laughter? With men laughter can have many motivations. It is
often the product of ignorance and disbelief, as when Sarah laughed at God’s promise
(Genesis 18:12). But God’s laughter is not like that, because he is “the One enthroned in
heaven.” He has complete knowledge and perfect understanding of the situation before
him, not to mention sovereign control over it. He knows his own purpose to eradicate sin
and establish his eternal kingdom of righteousness. With God, sin is not only offensive
but absurd. So the righteous see it that way, too. They will not laugh because the
judgment of God is entertaining or enjoyable, but because it is inevitable despite man’s
best efforts to escape it. When the righteous will laugh, it will be because their sadness
has turned to joy. Their trust in the Lord will have been vindicated as they see his purpose
fulfilled according to his word.

In the third place David’s confidence in God’s unfailing love was the reason he knew that
his persecutor trusted in something other than God (verse 7). “Here now is the man who
did not make God his stronghold.” David perceived that the judgment of God would
eventually expose the ungodly for what they really are. The word “man” is similar to
“mighty man” in verse 1. But it refers not so much to a military hero as to the gender or
masculinity of a man. He is a man who is in his prime, a man at the height of his physical
and mental strength. He is a “real man” in his own estimation and in the opinion of
others. Thus God gave the commandment that “a man” must not wear women’s clothing
(Deuteronomy 22:5). In the process of exposing Achan and his sin the Lord instructed
Joshua to have the people present themselves tribe by tribe, clan by clan, family by
family, and then “man by man” (Joshua 7:14). David was saying that the Doegs of the
world who consider themselves “men” make a fatal mistake when they trust in their
manliness rather than in God. To “make” God a stronghold means to resolve that God
will be their stronghold. David said, “Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust”
(Psalm 40:4) and Asaph expressed a similar thought when he wished that the people
“would put their trust in God” (Psalm 78:7). But Doeg the Edomite, King Saul and others
 11

like them consider themselves strong in their own right and they feel no need of strength
from God. In contrast David said, “The Lord is the stronghold of my life – of whom shall
I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1). “The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord; he is
their stronghold in time of trouble” (Psalm 37:39). The strength of a man cannot
withstand or defend against the judgement of God. The only stronghold that can is God
himself.

In what did Doeg trust if not God? He “trusted in his great wealth and grew strong by
destroying others.” “Trust” is what gives a person a sense of safety and security. People
place their confidence in someone or something that will assure them that everything will
be alright. Of course God’s people trust God, knowing that he will take care of them and
all that concerns them. “To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul; in you I trust, O my God. Do
not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph over me” (Psalm 25:1,2). “Many
are the woes of the wicked, but the Lord’s unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in
him” (Psalm 32:10). “Trust in the Lord with all your heart” (Proverbs 3:5). In contrast,
how puny and pathetic the man appears who trusts in anything else, least of all “his great
wealth.” The psalmist spoke of “wicked deceivers…who trust in their wealth and boast of
their great riches” (Psalm 49:5,6). The word of the Lord through Jeremiah is as relevant
today as when the prophet warned the rich man not to “boast of his riches” (Jeremiah
9:23). But the great tragedy of the human condition is such that men willfully trust in
their wealth, and because they trust in it they believe that increased wealth brings
increased security. Often the result is that others suffer the consequences of their greed.
Doeg “grew strong by destroying others.” “Grew strong” is similar to the word
“stronghold” that appears earlier in this verse. When men do not make God their
stronghold but trust in something else – anything else – their obsession for that
“something else” may become so insatiable that “destroying others” becomes a way of
life. This is the word David used in verse 2 to describe the tongue that “plots
destruction.” We noted there that “destruction” is calamity or mischief that one man
causes for another. Elsewhere the psalmist spoke of “the deadly pestilence” (Psalm 91:3).
A selfish man is a dangerous man because the more dedicated he becomes to his own
advancement the more others are likely to suffer.

God’s unfailing love is a secure dwelling for the persecuted (verses 8,9).

In his concluding remarks David brought together two illustrations that are not usually
combined. But he did so in order to emphasize his faith in God and to explain how it
made him different than Doeg the Edomite. We can identify four claims that David made
about himself in these last two verses. They are claims that only the godly have any right
to make. The godly are those who, like David, trust in God’s unfailing love as their
dwelling place. The godly are those who see themselves as fundamentally different than
the ungodly. They are different in their outlook, and different in their behavior. In the first
place, if God’s unfailing love is our dwelling place the persecuted can be secure (verse 8).
This is the principle suggested by the olive tree and the house of God. “But I am like an
olive tree flourishing in the house of God.” So David likened himself to an olive tree, a
symbol that appears elsewhere in Scripture. Zechariah saw a vision of a gold lamp stand
and two olive trees. The vision was intended to illustrate that the work of God’s kingdom
12

does not depend on human resources but on God’s power. The word of the Lord was this:
“Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit” (Zechariah 4:6). The same imagery was
employed by John in the Book of Revelation when he spoke of the two witnesses
(Revelation 11:4). The apostle Paul, on the other hand, used the olive tree to explain how
God had cut off the unbelieving Jews and grafted the Gentile believers into the olive tree
in order to form a new people of God (Romans 11:16-24). Paul’s whole argument
depends on the fact that the olive tree is rooted and grounded in the promise of God to
Abraham, so that all who believe that promise as Abraham believed become branches on
that same olive tree.

All of these passages share in common the fact that God keeps his promise. He
accomplishes the work of his kingdom through divine power. This is important to keep in
mind when we consider that David compared himself to an olive tree. But more
specifically he called himself a “flourishing” olive tree (“green olive tree,” KJV). This
adjective describes a healthy tree in full leaf and vigor. The Lord likened Israel in its
beginnings to “a thriving olive tree with fruit beautiful in form” (Jeremiah 11:16). Then
too David saw himself as “an olive tree flourishing in the house of God.” This could be a
reference to the tabernacle, but since the tabernacle was a temporary structure it is not
likely that an olive tree could be permanently secure within it. The “house of God”
probably refers to God’s house in a figurative sense. “House” could mean the physical
dwelling, but it could also encompass the household possessions and everyone who was a
part of the household. In this sense Jacob spoke “to his household and to all who were
with him” (Genesis 35:2). The tenth commandment said, “You shall not covet your
neighbor’s house,” which includes “anything that belongs to your neighbor” (Exodus
20:17). This is how we may best understand the proverb that said, “The Lord’s curse is on
the house of the wicked, but he blesses the home of the righteous” (Proverbs 3:33). So
when David thought of himself he did so as someone who was safe, secure, and satisfied
to be under the protection and care of his God. He was like a healthy olive tree in the
household of God.

Before leaving David’s reference to the olive tree, we may reflect on another vivid use of
the “tree” imagery. In Psalm 92:12-15 the psalmist echoed similar thoughts in language
reminiscent of David’s:

“The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon;
planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will
bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, proclaiming, ‘The Lord is upright; he
is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him.’”

In Psalm 1:3 the psalmist said, “He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which
yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.”
This is a description of the godly man or the blessed man as opposed to the ungodly. How
is the godly man like a tree? The godly man is like a tree because of his root. He is like a
tree planted by the streams of water. He is likened to an established, thriving tree, rooted
solidly in the ground. This is not a tree that may or may not survive. Its future is not in
doubt. Furthermore, it is not a mere sapling, a sprout, or a seedling. Though it may have
 13

been at one time, the focus of the text is on what the tree is now. As to its present
condition, it is a tree that is permanently connected to the ground in which it grows, with
strong roots that go deep. This is a tree that will not be easily moved.

We are reminded too of the important point that the tree does not plant itself, but is
planted by someone. The godly man is what he is because of God’s sovereign initiative.
He is like a planted tree. It should not escape our notice that this tree was planted in a
particularly advantageous location, a location that in every sense was conducive to its
success. It was planted by the streams of water. Someone deliberately planted this tree in
close proximity to the supply of water it needed to guarantee its livelihood. Someone, it
seems, had a purpose in mind for this tree. Someone thought carefully about it and acted
in its best interests. Here we have a picture that is perfectly in keeping with the blessings
of the gospel age as seen by Isaiah (61:1-3). The people of God “will be called oaks of
righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.” Indeed, Jesus
proclaimed, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by
the roots” (Matthew 15:13). God taught the prophet Jeremiah in vivid language the
difference between that which is and is not planted by the Lord. The one is under a curse;
God blesses the other (Jeremiah 17:5-8).

The godly man is also like a tree in his fruit. He is like a tree that “yields its fruit in its
season.” The fruit that is expected is the fruit that is produced. Such a tree yields fruit
that is appropriate to its true nature. This fruit does not ripen too early, nor does it fail to
ripen enough. It does not raise your hopes only to disappoint you in the end. This is a
tree upon which you can confidently depend. Do you want fruit? Go to this tree.
Readers of the gospels and the New Testament epistles will readily recall how the tree
and its fruit are utilized to illustrate gospel truth. “By their fruit you will know them,”
Jesus said. “Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit”
(Matthew 7:15-23). James picked up this theme in his teaching on godly speech (James
3:12). The traits of Christian character are outlined as the fruit of the Spirit of God
(Galatians 5:22,23). Living as children of light means bearing the fruit of the light, which
“consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth” (Ephesians 5:8-10).

Finally, the godly man is like a tree in his leaf. His leaf does not wither, and whatever he
does prospers. The healthy leaf indicates continuous, ongoing vitality. A withering leaf
bespeaks a tree that is in serious trouble. But the godly man is like a tree with thick, rich,
healthy foliage. He is not like a tree that shrivels and dies under the heat of the sun. His
leaves do not dry out and fall off. Such a tree is never dormant or idle. Like the leaves
on most trees and plants, his leaf is always turning toward the sun to gain the full benefit
of its light. In a sense it is always in season. The godly man always turns toward Christ,
the sun of righteousness. Of the godly man it is said that whatever he does prospers.
What does this mean? Understood within the context of the psalm and the rest of
Scripture, we can easily grasp the meaning. This is a man, after all, who does the will of
God. Such a man, and only such a man, is pronounced blessed by God. Or, to put it
another way, he is like a tree that is “flourishing in the house of God.” As such he is the
complete opposite of the man whom God will uproot “from the land of the living” (verse
5).
14

In the second place David reminds us that if God’s unfailing love is our dwelling place,
the persecuted can trust God. “I trust in God’s unfailing love for ever and ever.” Just as
Doeg was “the man who did not make God his stronghold but trusted in his great
wealth,” David trusted “in God’s unfailing love.” The word for “trust” is the same in both
cases. David was saying, “I have trusted, over and over again, and I will continue to
trust.” We saw in verse 7 that “trust” is what gives a person a sense of safety and security.
People place their confidence in someone or something that will assure them that
everything will be alright. Of course God’s people trust God as David did, knowing that
he will take care of them and all that concerns them. “To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul;
in you I trust, O my God. Do not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph
over me” (Psalm 25:1,2). “Many are the woes of the wicked, but the Lord’s unfailing love
surrounds the man who trusts in him” (Psalm 32:10). “Trust in the Lord with all your
heart” (Proverbs 3:5). We saw in our study of verse 1 that God’s unfailing love is his
loving kindness, his steadfast love, his mercy, or goodness. More to the point, it is his
covenant love. He proclaimed himself to Moses as “The Lord, the Lord, the
compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness,
maintaining love to thousands” (Exodus 34:6,7). “Know therefore that the Lord your God
is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of
those who love him and keep his commands” (Deuteronomy 7:9).

In the third place, if God’s unfailing love is our dwelling place, the persecuted can praise
God. “I will praise you forever for what you have done” (verse 9). The Old Testament has
several words to express “praise.” Praise in the sense that David used it here was a man’s
response to God when he recognized what God had done. The KJV typically translated it
“praise” or “give thanks” in the Psalms. But recognition of the facts also involves a
humble and grateful confession that God has been true and faithful. The high priest was
required to “confess” the sins of Israel on the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16:21), and
the same word was used for the one who “confesses” his sins in Proverbs 28:13. Solomon
spoke in his prayer of dedication about when Israel would “confess” the name of the Lord
and turn from their sin (I Kings 8:33,35). Likewise, “Ezra was praying and confessing”
(Ezra 10:1). Daniel said, “I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed,” and his
“confession” included a full recognition of God’s attributes and works (Daniel 9:4). This
is the primary focus of this form of “praise” and the Psalms include numerous examples
of it (105:1; 106:1; 107:1; 118:1; 136:1; etc.). So David’s praise was a humble and
thankful recognition, or confession, of what God had done. But what had God done?
Evidently David recognized that God had done everything. The entire episode upon
which this psalm reflected was “done” by God. David understood God’s sovereign and
providential involvement in every detail of his life.

Finally, if God’s unfailing love is our dwelling place, the persecuted can hope in God
(verse 9). “In your name I will hope, for your name is good.” “Hoping” usually implies
and includes “waiting,” which is what this word suggests. It was even used in a negative
sense when someone was “lying in wait” to ambush a defenseless victim. David knew
something about this. “They conspire, they lurk, they watch my steps, eager to take my
life (they wait for my soul, KJV)” (Psalm 56:6). The psalmist complained in Psalm
119:95, “The wicked are waiting to destroy me.” So this “hoping” involves a willingness
 15

to wait in expectation that what is hoped for will eventually come. But most of the time it
is descriptive of someone “lying in wait for God,” or waiting upon God. This was
David’s meaning here and many other texts express the same theme. “Wait for the Lord;
be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord” (Psalm 27:14). “For evil men will be cut
off, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land” (Psalm 37:9). “I waited
patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry” (Psalm 40:1). “I wait for the
Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope” (Psalm 130:5).

We have noticed that David said, “In your name I will hope,” yet it is significant that he
never used God’s “proper” name in this psalm. He referred to “God” five times, but he
did not use “LORD (Jehovah)” even once. The closest he came to doing so is in this
reference to “your name.” Why he stopped short of including the name of the LORD in
this psalm is pure speculation. But perhaps the more important point is that he specified
“your name.” Doeg the Edomite presumably resided his hope in the name of King Saul.
Scripture does not say this in so many words, but we may safely assume it as David likely
did. Doeg hoped to gain a secure place in the house of Saul. So when David came to
think of God’s unfailing love as securing him a place of safety in God’s house, it was
sufficient for him to say, “In your name I will hope.” Of course the name of God, whether
spoken or not, refers to God himself. It represents everything he is and does. Thus the
commandment said, “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain” (Exodus
20:7, ESV). David exclaimed, “O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the
earth!” (Psalm 8:1). “Our help is in the name of the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth”
(Psalm 124:8). And Solomon said, “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous
run to it and are safe” (Proverbs 18:10). And let us not forget that David added, “for your
name is good.” He said the same thing in another place. “I will praise your name, O Lord,
for it is good” (Psalm 54:6). Goodness is a characteristic not just of God’s name, but of
God himself. “Good and upright is the Lord” (Psalm 25:8). “Taste and see that the Lord is
good” (Psalm 34:8). We reflected on the contrast between good and evil above in verses 1
and 3, reminding ourselves that God pronounced the original creation “good” because it
perfectly reflected the nature and purpose of its Creator.

In the concluding words of the psalm David vowed, “I will praise you in the presence of
your saints.” The NIV has reached back to the beginning of this verse in order to link
David’s “praise” with “the presence of the saints.” But “in the presence of your saints”
can just as well be understood in connection with the “hope” that precedes it or even with
the “your name is good” that immediately precedes it. In any case the point is the same.
David had no intention of keeping these matters to himself. David composed the psalm
for the devotion and worship of the people of God. He did not write it merely for himself.
The word for “saints” is a form of the word for “unfailing love” in verse 8. The saints are
therefore those who, with David, have discovered themselves to be the objects of God’s
unfailing love. Thus David could say, “To the faithful/saints you show yourself faithful”
(Psalm 18:25); “Sing to the Lord, you saints of his” (Psalm 30:4); “Love the Lord, all his
saints!” (Psalm 31:23); “For the Lord loves the just and will not forsake his faithful
ones/saints” (Psalm 37:28).
16

Psalm 52 is the record of David’s thoughts about the betrayal of Doeg the Edomite and
the persecution coming from King Saul. David’s response was to trust in God’s unfailing
love. The title of the psalm invites us to anticipate a greater betrayal when Judas led the
persecutors of the Lord Jesus Christ directly to him. He was willing to do this in
exchange for the thing in which he trusted, “thirty silver coins” (Matthew 26:15). As
David trusted in the unfailing love of God, so Jesus, David’s greater Son, “entrusted
himself to him who judges justly” (I Peter 2:23). Jesus declared that his food was “to do
the will of him who sent me and to finish his work” (John 4:34). He said, “I seek not to
please myself but him who sent me” (John 5:30). He spoke the words that the Father gave
him to speak (John 14:24). He came into the world to do the Father’s will (John 6:38).
When he prayed in Gethsemane he said, “Yet not as I will, but as you will” (Matthew
26:39). The Lord Jesus Christ always spoke and acted with the full awareness that God
the Father had sent him into the world to fulfill the Old Testament scriptures. “These are
the Scriptures that testify about me,” was his claim (John 5:39). After his resurrection he
appeared to two of his disciples walking on the road. “And beginning with Moses and all
the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning
himself.” Then he met with them all and said to them, “This is what I told you while I
was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of
Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms” (Luke 24:27, 44). According to Hebrews 10:7 when
he came into the world he said, “Here I am – it is written about me in the scroll – I have
come to do your will, O God.” Thus we must understand that what Old Testament saints
did in part, Jesus came to do in full. The godliness that they exhibited imperfectly
because of sin, weakness, and failure, Jesus demonstrated with unqualified perfection. He
faithfully trusted and obeyed his Father in order to provide a perfect righteousness for
those who trust him. None of the Old Testament saints, not even David, could be saved
by virtue of doing their best or trying their hardest. They knew that trusting in animal
sacrifices and a human priesthood could not save them. They needed a real atonement,
not a symbolic one. They needed a perfect righteousness and a sinless high priest. Jesus
came in answer to those needs. “For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in
every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to
God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people” (Hebrews 2:17).

April, 1971
Revised November, 2007.

Why boast thyself, O mighty man,

 17

Of mischief and of wrong?

The loving kindness of our God
Endureth all day long.

Thy tongue doth slanders mischievous

Devise in subtlety,
And like a razor, sharp to cut,
It works deceitfully.

Thou lovest evil more than good,

Thou lovest to speak wrong;
Thou lovest all devouring words,
O thou deceitful tongue.

So God will hurl thee down for aye,

Will take thee with His hand,
Will pluck thee from thy dwelling place,
And root thee from the land.

The righteous shall behold and fear,

Shall laugh at him and say:
Lo, this the man who hath not made
Our God his strength and stay.

Yea, this the man who placed his trust

In wealth’s abundant store;
And in his very wickedness
Confirmed himself the more.

But I within the house of God

Am like an olive tree;
And in the mercy of the Lord
My trust shall ever be.

Forever I will give Thee thanks,

What Thou hast done proclaim;
And in the presence of Thy saints
Will hope in Thy good name.

(William B. Bradbury)