Psalms 52:1--54:7 
ContextFor the music director; a well-written song 2 by David. It was written when Doeg the Edomite went and informed Saul: “David has arrived at the home of Ahimelech.” 3
52:1 Why do you boast about your evil plans, 4 O powerful man?
God’s loyal love protects me all day long! 5
52:2 Your tongue carries out your destructive plans; 6
it is as effective as a sharp razor, O deceiver. 7
52:3 You love evil more than good,
lies more than speaking the truth. 8 (Selah)
52:4 You love to use all the words that destroy, 9
and the tongue that deceives.
52:5 Yet 10 God will make you a permanent heap of ruins. 11
He will scoop you up 12 and remove you from your home; 13
he will uproot you from the land of the living. (Selah)
52:6 When the godly see this, they will be filled with awe,
and will mock the evildoer, saying: 14
52:7 “Look, here is the man who would not make 15 God his protector!
He trusted in his great wealth
and was confident about his plans to destroy others.” 16
52:8 But I 17 am like a flourishing 18 olive tree in the house of God;
I continually 19 trust in God’s loyal love.
52:9 I will continually 20 thank you when 21 you execute judgment; 22
I will rely 23 on you, 24 for your loyal followers know you are good. 25
For the music director; according to the machalath style; 27 a well-written song 28 by David.
53:1 Fools say to themselves, 29 “There is no God.” 30
They sin and commit evil deeds; 31
none of them does what is right. 32
53:2 God looks down from heaven 33 at the human race, 34
to see if there is anyone who is wise 35 and seeks God. 36
they are all morally corrupt. 38
None of them does what is right, 39
not even one!
53:4 All those who behave wickedly 40 do not understand 41 –
those who devour my people as if they were eating bread,
and do not call out to God.
53:5 They are absolutely terrified, 42
even by things that do not normally cause fear. 43
For God annihilates 44 those who attack you. 45
You are able to humiliate them because God has rejected them. 46
53:6 I wish the deliverance 47 of Israel would come from Zion!
When God restores the well-being of his people, 48
may Jacob rejoice, 49
may Israel be happy! 50
For the music director, to be accompanied by stringed instruments; a well-written song 52 by David. It was written when the Ziphites came and informed Saul: “David is hiding with us.” 53
54:1 O God, deliver me by your name! 54
Vindicate me 55 by your power!
54:2 O God, listen to my prayer!
Pay attention to what I say! 56
54:3 For foreigners 57 attack me; 58
ruthless men, who do not respect God, seek my life. 59 (Selah)
54:4 Look, God is my deliverer! 60
The Lord is among those who support me. 61
54:5 May those who wait to ambush me 62 be repaid for their evil! 63
As a demonstration of your faithfulness, 64 destroy them!
54:6 With a freewill offering I will sacrifice 65 to you!
I will give thanks to your name, O Lord, for it is good!
54:7 Surely 66 he rescues me from all trouble, 67
and I triumph over my enemies. 68
1 sn Psalm 52. The psalmist confidently confronts his enemy and affirms that God will destroy evildoers and vindicate the godly.
2 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 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 tn Heb “Why do you boast in evil?”
5 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 tn Heb “destruction your tongue devises.”
7 tn Heb “like a sharpened razor, doer of deceit.” The masculine participle עָשָׂה (’asah) is understood as a substantival vocative, addressed to the powerful man.
8 tn Or “deceit more than speaking what is right.”
9 tn Heb “you love all the words of swallowing.” Traditionally בַּלַּע (bala’) 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 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 tn Heb “will tear you down forever.”
12 tn This rare verb (חָתָה, khatah) occurs only here and in Prov 6:27; 25:22; Isa 30:14.
13 tn Heb “from [your] tent.”
14 tn Heb “and the godly will see and will fear and at him will laugh.”
15 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 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, ’azaz, “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 (vayya’az), 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, ’oshro, “his wealth”).
17 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 tn Or “luxuriant, green, leafy.”
19 tn Or, hyperbolically, “forever and ever.”
20 tn Or, hyperbolically, “forever.”
21 tn Or “for.”
22 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 tn Or “wait.”
24 tn Heb “your name.” God’s “name” refers here to his reputation and revealed character.
25 tn Heb “for it is good in front of your loyal followers.”
26 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
27 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 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 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 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 tn Heb “they act corruptly, they do evil [with] injustice.” Ps 14:1 has עֲלִילָה (’alilah, “a deed”) instead of עָוֶל (’aval, “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 tn Heb “there is none that does good.”
33 sn The picture of the
34 tn Heb “upon the sons of man.”
35 tn Or “acts wisely.” The Hiphil is exhibitive.
36 tn That is, who seeks to have a relationship with God by obeying and worshiping him.
37 tn Heb “all of it turns away.” Ps 14:1 has הָכֹּל (hakkol) instead of כֻּלּוֹ, and סָר (sar, “turn aside”) instead of סָג (sag, “turn away”).
38 tn Heb “together they are corrupt.”
39 tn Heb “there is none that does good.”
40 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 tn This refers metonymically to God, the one who lives in Zion and provides deliverance for Israel.
48 tn Heb “turns with a turning [toward] his people.” The Hebrew term שְׁבוּת (shÿvut) is apparently a cognate accusative of שׁוּב (shuv).
49 tn The verb form is jussive.
50 tn Because the parallel verb is jussive, this verb, which is ambiguous in form, should be taken as a jussive as well.
51 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 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 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 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 tn The imperfect verbal form is used here to express the psalmist’s wish or request.
56 tn Heb “to the words of my mouth.”
57 tc Many medieval Hebrew
58 tn Heb “rise against me.”
59 tn Heb “and ruthless ones seek my life, they do not set God in front of them.”
60 tn Or “my helper.”
61 tn Or “sustain my life.”
62 tn Heb “to those who watch me [with evil intent].” See also Pss 5:8; 27:11; 56:2.
63 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 tn Heb “in [or “by”] your faithfulness.”
65 tn The cohortative verbal form expresses the psalmist’s resolve/vow to praise.
66 tn Or “for,” indicating a more specific reason why he will praise the
67 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 tn Heb “and on my enemies my eyes look.”
