Psalms 52

Listen to Psalms 52

1 Why do you boast about your crimes, great warrior? Don’t you realize God’s justice continues forever?

2 All day long you plot destruction. Your tongue cuts like a sharp razor; you’re an expert at telling lies.

3 You love evil more than good and lies more than truth. Interlude

4 You love to destroy others with your words, you liar!

5 But God will strike you down once and for all. He will pull you from your home and uproot you from the land of the living. Interlude

6 The righteous will see it and be amazed. They will laugh and say,

7 “Look what happens to mighty warriors who do not trust in God. They trust their wealth instead and grow more and more bold in their wickedness.”

8 But I am like an olive tree, thriving in the house of God. I will always trust in God’s unfailing love.

9 I will praise you forever, O God, for what you have done. I will trust in your good name in the presence of your faithful people.

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Psalms 52 Commentary

Chapter 52

The enemies of the truth and the church described, Their destruction. (1-5) The righteous rejoice. (6-9)

Verses 1-5 Those that glory in sin, glory in their shame. The patience and forbearance of God are abused by sinners, to the hardening of their hearts in their wicked ways. But the enemies in vain boast in their mischief, while we have God's mercy to trust in. It will not save us from the guilt of lying, to be able to say, there was some truth in what we said, if we make it appear otherwise than it was. The more there is of craft and contrivance in any wickedness, the more there is of Satan in it. When good men die, they are transplanted from the land of the living on earth, to heaven, the garden of the Lord, where they shall take root for ever; but when wicked men die, they are rooted out, to perish for ever. The believer sees that God will destroy those who make not him their strength.

Verses 6-9 Those wretchedly deceive themselves, who think to support themselves in power and wealth without God. The wicked man trusted in the abundance of his riches; he thought his wickedness would help him to keep his wealth. Right or wrong, he would get what he could, and keep what he had, and ruin any one that stood in his way; this he thought would strengthen him; but see what it comes to! Those who by faith and love dwell in the house of God, shall be like green olive-trees there. And that we may be as green olive-trees, we must live a life of faith and holy confidence in God and his grace. It adds much to the beauty of our profession, and to fruitfulness in every grace, to be much in praising God; and we never can want matter for praise. His name alone can be our refuge and strong tower. It is very good for us to wait on that saving name; there is nothing better to calm and quiet our spirits, when disturbed, and to keep us in the way of duty, when tempted to use any crooked courses for our relief, than to hope, and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord. None ever followed his guidance but it ended well.

Taken from Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (Concise)