Psalms 52:3

3 Thou lovedest malice more than benignity; and wickedness more than to speak equity. (Thou lovedest evil more than good; and lying more than telling the truth.)

Psalms 52:3 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 52:3

Thou lovest evil more than good
Indeed not good at all; such comparatives being strong negatives; see ( Psalms 118:8 Psalms 118:9 ) ; a wicked man loves evil, and nothing else; his carnal mind being enmity to all that is good

[and] lying rather than to speak righteousness;
as appears by his affirming that Ahimelech inquired of the Lord for David, when he did not, ( 1 Samuel 22:10 1 Samuel 22:15 ) ; and by suffering some things to pass for truths which were falsehoods, when it lay in his power to have disproved them: and such a lover of lies is antichrist; see ( 1 Timothy 4:2 ) ( 2 Thessalonians 2:11 ) .

Selah; on this word, (See Gill on Psalms 3:2). The Targum renders the word "Selah" here "for ever", as in ( Psalms 52:5 ) .

Psalms 52:3 In-Context

1 To victory, the psalm of David, when Doeg (the) Idumaean came, and told to Saul, and said to him, David came into the house of Ahimelech. What hast thou glory in malice; which art mighty in wickedness? (To victory, the song of David, when Doeg the Edomite came, and told Saul, and said to him, David went into the house of Ahimelech. Why hast thou glory in evil, or in wickedness, mighty man? but the goodness of God endureth forever.)

2 All day thy tongue thought unrightfulness; as a sharp razor thou hast done guile. (Thy tongue speaketh unrighteousness, sharp like a razor; yea, thou hast been deceitful.)

3 Thou lovedest malice more than benignity; and wickedness more than to speak equity. (Thou lovedest evil more than good; and lying more than telling the truth.)

4 Thou lovedest all words of casting down; with a guileful tongue. (Thou with a deceitful, or a lying, tongue.)

5 Therefore God shall destroy thee into the end, he shall draw thee out by the root, and he shall make thee to pass away from thy tabernacle; and thy root from the land of living men. (And so God shall destroy thee, or ruin thee, forever, yea, he shall draw thee out, and he shall make thee go far away from thy home; he shall root thee out from the land of the living.)