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Psalm 52[a]

For the music director, a well-written song[b] by David. It was written when Doeg the Edomite went and informed Saul: “David has arrived at the home of Ahimelech.”[c]

52 Why do you boast about your evil plans,[d] O powerful man?
God’s loyal love protects me all day long.[e]
Your tongue carries out your destructive plans;[f]
it is as effective as a sharp razor, O deceiver.[g]
You love evil more than good,
lies more than speaking the truth.[h] (Selah)
You love to use all the words that destroy,[i]
and the tongue that deceives.
Yet[j] God will make you a permanent heap of ruins.[k]
He will scoop you up[l] and remove you from your home;[m]
he will uproot you from the land of the living. (Selah)
When the godly see this, they will be filled with awe,
and will mock the evildoer, saying:[n]
“Look, here is the man who would not make[o] God his protector.
He trusted in his great wealth
and was confident about his plans to destroy others.”[p]
But I[q] am like a flourishing[r] olive tree in the house of God;
I continually[s] trust in God’s loyal love.
I will continually[t] thank you when[u] you execute judgment;[v]
I will rely on[w] you,[x] for your loyal followers know you are good.[y]

Psalm 53[z]

For the music director, according to the machalath style;[aa] a well-written song[ab] by David.

53 Fools say to themselves,[ac] “There is no God.”[ad]
They sin and commit evil deeds;[ae]
none of them does what is right.[af]
God looks down from heaven[ag] at the human race,[ah]
to see if there is anyone who is wise[ai] and seeks God.[aj]
Everyone rejects God;[ak]
they are all morally corrupt.[al]
None of them does what is right,[am]
not even one!
All those who behave wickedly[an] do not understand[ao]
those who devour my people as if they were eating bread,
and do not call out to God.
They are absolutely terrified,[ap]
even by things that do not normally cause fear.[aq]
For God annihilates[ar] those who attack you.[as]
You are able to humiliate them because God has rejected them.[at]
I wish the deliverance[au] of Israel would come from Zion!
When God restores the well-being of his people,[av]
may Jacob rejoice,[aw]
may Israel be happy![ax]

Psalm 54[ay]

For the music director, to be accompanied by stringed instruments; a well-written song[az] by David. It was written when the Ziphites came and informed Saul: “David is hiding with us.”[ba]

54 O God, deliver me by your name.[bb]
Vindicate me[bc] by your power.
O God, listen to my prayer.
Pay attention to what I say.[bd]
For foreigners[be] attack me;[bf]
ruthless men, who do not respect God, seek my life.[bg] (Selah)
Look, God is my deliverer.[bh]
The Lord is among those who support me.[bi]
May those who wait to ambush me[bj] be repaid for their evil.[bk]
As a demonstration of your faithfulness,[bl] destroy them.
With a freewill offering I will sacrifice[bm] to you.
I will give thanks to your name, O Lord, for it is good.
Surely[bn] he rescues me from all trouble,[bo]
and I triumph over my enemies.[bp]

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 52:1 sn Psalm 52. The psalmist confidently confronts his enemy and affirms that God will destroy evildoers and vindicate the godly.
  2. Psalm 52:1 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.
  3. Psalm 52:1 tn Heb “when Doeg the Edomite came and told Saul and said to him, ‘David has come to the house of Ahimelech.’”sn According to the superscription, David wrote this psalm during the period when Saul was seeking his life. On one occasion Doeg the Edomite, Saul’s head shepherd (1 Sam 21:7), informed Saul of David’s whereabouts (see 1 Sam 21-22).
  4. Psalm 52:1 tn Heb “Why do you boast in evil?”
  5. Psalm 52:1 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.
  6. Psalm 52:2 tn Heb “destruction your tongue devises.”
  7. Psalm 52:2 tn Heb “like a sharpened razor, doer of deceit.” The masculine participle עָשָׂה (ʿasah) is understood as a substantival vocative, addressed to the powerful man.
  8. Psalm 52:3 tn Or “deceit more than speaking what is right.”
  9. Psalm 52:4 tn Heb “you love all the words of swallowing.” Traditionally בַּלַּע (balaʿ) has been taken to mean “swallowing” in the sense of “devouring” or “destructive” (see BDB 118 s.v. בָּלַע). HALOT 135 s.v. 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.
  10. Psalm 52:5 tn 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.
  11. Psalm 52:5 tn Heb “will tear you down forever.”
  12. Psalm 52:5 tn This rare verb (חָתָה, khatah) occurs only here and in Prov 6:27; 25:22; Isa 30:14.
  13. Psalm 52:5 tn Heb “from [your] tent.”
  14. Psalm 52:6 tn Heb “and the godly will see and will fear and at him will laugh.”
  15. Psalm 52:7 tn 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.”
  16. Psalm 52:7 tn 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, ʿazaz, “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 (vayyaʿaz), 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, ʿoshro, “his wealth”).
  17. Psalm 52:8 tn 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.
  18. Psalm 52:8 tn Or “luxuriant, green, leafy.”
  19. Psalm 52:8 tn Or, hyperbolically, “forever and ever.”
  20. Psalm 52:9 tn Or, hyperbolically, “forever.”
  21. Psalm 52:9 tn Or “for.”
  22. Psalm 52:9 tn 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.
  23. Psalm 52:9 tn Or “wait on.”
  24. Psalm 52:9 tn Heb “your name.” God’s “name” refers here to his reputation and revealed character.
  25. Psalm 52:9 tn Heb “for it is good in front of your loyal followers.”
  26. Psalm 53:1 sn Psalm 53. This psalm is very similar to Ps 14. The major difference comes in v. 5, which corresponds to, but differs quite a bit from, Ps 14:5-6, and in the use of the divine name. Ps 14 uses “the Lord” (יְהוָה, yehvah, “Yahweh”) in vv. 2a, 4, 6, and 7, while Ps 53 employs “God” (אֱלֹהִים, ’elohim) throughout, as one might expect in Pss 42-83, where the name “Yahweh” is relatively infrequent. The psalmist observes that the human race is morally corrupt. Evildoers oppress God’s people, but the psalmist is confident of God’s protection and anticipates a day when God will vindicate Israel.
  27. Psalm 53:1 tn The meaning of the Hebrew term מָחֲלַת (makhalat, “machalath”) is uncertain; perhaps it refers to a particular style of music, a tune title, or a musical instrument. The term also appears in the heading of Ps 88.
  28. Psalm 53:1 tn The meaning of the Hebrew term מַשְׂכִּיל (maskil) is uncertain. See the note on the phrase “well-written song” in the superscription of Ps 52.
  29. Psalm 53:1 tn Heb “a fool says in his heart.” The singular is used here in a collective or representative sense; the typical fool is envisioned.
  30. Psalm 53:1 sn There is no God. This statement is probably not a philosophical assertion that God does not exist, but rather a confident affirmation that he is unconcerned about how men live morally and ethically (see Ps 10:4, 11).
  31. Psalm 53:1 tn Heb “they act corruptly, they do evil [with] injustice.” Ps 14:1 has עֲלִילָה (ʿalilah, “a deed”) instead of עָוֶל (ʿaval, “injustice”). The verbs describe the typical behavior of the wicked. The subject of the plural verbs is “sons of man” (v. 2). The entire human race is characterized by sinful behavior. This practical atheism—living as if there is no God who will hold them accountable for their actions—makes them fools, for one of the earmarks of folly is to fail to anticipate the long range consequences of one’s behavior.
  32. Psalm 53:1 tn Heb “there is none that does good.”
  33. Psalm 53:2 sn The picture of the Lord looking down from heaven draws attention to his sovereignty over the world.
  34. Psalm 53:2 tn Heb “upon the sons of man.”
  35. Psalm 53:2 tn Or “acts wisely.” The Hiphil is exhibitive.
  36. Psalm 53:2 tn That is, who seeks to have a relationship with God by obeying and worshiping him.
  37. Psalm 53:3 tn Heb “all of it turns away.” Ps 14:1 has הָכֹּל (hakkol, “the whole/all”) instead of כֻּלּוֹ (kullo, “all of it”) and סָר (sar, “turn aside”) instead of סָג (sag, “turn away”).
  38. Psalm 53:3 tn Heb “together they are corrupt.”
  39. Psalm 53:3 tn Heb “there is none that does good.”
  40. Psalm 53:4 tn Heb “the workers of wickedness.” See Pss 5:5; 6:8. Ps 14:4 adds כֹּל (kol, “all of”) before “workers of wickedness.”
  41. Psalm 53:4 tn Heb “Do they not understand?” The rhetorical question expresses the psalmist’s amazement at their apparent lack of understanding. This may refer to their lack of moral understanding, but it more likely refers to their failure to anticipate God’s defense of his people (see vv. 5-6).
  42. Psalm 53:5 tn Heb “there they are afraid [with] fear.” The perfect verbal form is probably used in a rhetorical manner; the psalmist describes the future demise of the oppressors as if it were already occurring. The adverb שָׁם (sham, “there”) is also used here for dramatic effect, as the psalmist envisions the wicked standing in fear at a spot that is this vivid in his imagination (BDB 1027 s.v.). The cognate accusative following the verb emphasizes the degree of their terror (“absolutely”).
  43. Psalm 53:5 tn Heb “there is no fear.” Apparently this means the evildoers are so traumatized with panic (see v. 5b) that they now jump with fear at everything, even those things that would not normally cause fear. Ps 14:5 omits this line.
  44. Psalm 53:5 tn Heb “scatters the bones.” The perfect is used in a rhetorical manner, describing this future judgment as if it were already accomplished. Scattering the bones alludes to the aftermath of a battle. God annihilates his enemies, leaving their carcasses spread all over the battlefield. As the bodies are devoured by wild animals and decay, the bones of God’s dead enemies are exposed. See Ps 141:7.
  45. Psalm 53:5 tn Heb “[those who] encamp [against] you.” The second person masculine singular pronominal suffix probably refers to God’s people viewed as a collective whole. Instead of “for God scatters the bones of those who encamp against you,” Ps 14:5 reads, “for God is with a godly generation.”
  46. Psalm 53:5 tn Once again the perfect is used in a rhetorical manner, describing this future judgment as if it were already accomplished. As in the previous line, God’s people are probably addressed. The second person singular verb form is apparently collective, suggesting that the people are viewed here as a unified whole. Ps 14:6 reads here “the counsel of the oppressed you put to shame, even though God is his shelter,” the words being addressed to the wicked.
  47. Psalm 53:6 tn This refers metonymically to God, the one who lives in Zion and provides deliverance for Israel.
  48. Psalm 53:6 tn Heb “turns with a turning [toward] his people.” The Hebrew term שְׁבוּת (shevut) is apparently a cognate accusative of שׁוּב (shuv).
  49. Psalm 53:6 tn The verb form is jussive.
  50. Psalm 53:6 tn Because the parallel verb is jussive, this verb, which is ambiguous in form, should be taken as a jussive as well.
  51. Psalm 54:1 sn Psalm 54. The psalmist asks God for protection against his enemies, confidently affirms that God will vindicate him, and promises to give thanks to God for his saving intervention.
  52. Psalm 54:1 tn The meaning of the Hebrew term מַשְׂכִּיל (maskil) is uncertain. See the note on the phrase “well-written song” in the superscription of Ps 52.
  53. Psalm 54:1 tn Heb “Is not David hiding with us?”sn According to the superscription, David wrote this psalm during the period when Saul was seeking his life. On one occasion the Ziphites informed Saul that David was hiding in their territory (see 1 Sam 23:19-20).
  54. Psalm 54:1 tn God’s “name” refers here to his reputation and revealed character, which would instill fear in the psalmist’s enemies (see C. A. Briggs and E. G. Briggs, Psalms [ICC], 2:17).
  55. Psalm 54:1 tn The imperfect verbal form is used here to express the psalmist’s wish or request.
  56. Psalm 54:2 tn Heb “to the words of my mouth.”
  57. Psalm 54:3 tc Many medieval Hebrew mss read זֵדִים (zedim, “proud ones”) rather than זָרִים (zarim, “foreigners”). This is a case of confusing ד (dalet) and ר (resh). The term זֵדִים (zedim) occurs in parallelism with עָרִיצִים (ʿaritsim, “violent ones”) in Ps 86:14 and Isa 13:11. However, זָרִים (zarim) is parallel to עָרִיצִים in Isa 25:5; 29:5; Ezek 28:7; 31:12.
  58. Psalm 54:3 tn Heb “rise against me.”
  59. Psalm 54:3 tn Heb “and ruthless ones seek my life, they do not set God in front of them.”
  60. Psalm 54:4 tn Or “my helper.”
  61. Psalm 54:4 tn Or “sustain my life.”
  62. Psalm 54:5 tn Heb “to those who watch me [with evil intent].” See also Pss 5:8; 27:11; 56:2.
  63. Psalm 54:5 tn The Kethib (consonantal text) reads a Qal imperfect, “the evil will return,” while the Qere (marginal reading) has a Hiphil imperfect, “he will repay.” The parallel line has an imperative (indicating a prayer/request), so it is best to read a jussive form יָשֹׁב (yashov, “let it [the evil] return”) here.
  64. Psalm 54:5 tn Heb “in [or “by”] your faithfulness.”
  65. Psalm 54:6 tn The cohortative verbal form expresses the psalmist’s resolve/vow to praise.
  66. Psalm 54:7 tn Or “for,” indicating a more specific reason why he will praise the Lord’s name (cf. v. 6).
  67. Psalm 54:7 tn The perfects in v. 7 are probably rhetorical, indicating the psalmist’s certitude and confidence that God will intervene. The psalmist is so confident of God’s positive response to his prayer, he can describe God’s deliverance and his own vindication as if they were occurring or had already occurred.
  68. Psalm 54:7 tn Heb “and on my enemies my eyes look.”