Psalm 52:3

3 You love evil rather than good, falsehood rather than speaking the truth.^[a]

Psalm 52:3 in Other Translations

3 Thou lovest evil more than good; and lying rather than to speak righteousness. Selah.

3 You love evil more than good, and lying more than speaking what is right. Selah

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

3 You love evil more than good, you call black white.

3 Thou lovest evil more than good, And lying rather than to speak righteousness. [Selah

3 You prefer evil to good. You prefer lying to speaking the truth. Selah

3 You love evil instead of good, lying instead of speaking truthfully. Selah

3 You love evil instead of good. You would rather lie than tell the truth. "Selah"

Psalm 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 ) .

Psalm 52:3 In-Context

1 Why do you boast of evil, you mighty hero? Why do you boast all day long, you who are a disgrace in the eyes of God?

2 You who practice deceit, your tongue plots destruction; it is like a sharpened razor.

3 You love evil rather than good, falsehood rather than speaking the truth.

4 You love every harmful word, you deceitful tongue!

5 Surely God will bring you down to everlasting ruin: He will snatch you up and pluck you from your tent; he will uproot you from the land of the living.

Cross References

• 1. Exodus 10:10; 1 Samuel 12:25; Amos 5:14-15; John 3:20
• 2. Psalms 58:3; Jeremiah 9:5; Revelation 21:8

Footnotes

• [a] The Hebrew has "Selah" (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 5.