Deeper Commentary

Psa 52:1 For the Chief Musician. A contemplation by David, when Doeg the Edomite came and told Saul, David has come to Abimelech’s house- This incident caused the slaughter of the 85 priests of Abimelech's family (1 Sam. 22:18). These are David's reflections upon this.

Doeg being detained before Yahweh in 1 Sam. 21:7 may have been because he had made a vow, or possibly, was becoming a proselyte. This then adds more background to David's ranting against him in Ps. 52:1-4 as being a liar, using deceitful words. What were these words? No specific lie of Doeg is recorded, but the accusation of being a serious liar makes sense if he had made false vows to Yahweh. Psalm 52 was likely later rewritten, under inspiration, during the exile; for Edom was a much hated ally of the Babylonians who eagerly destroyed Jerusalem and murdered the priests (Lam. 4:21,22; Mal. 1:2–5; Joel 3:19; Ez. 25:12; 35:3,15; Ps. 137:7; Obadiah 11).

Why do you boast of mischief, mighty man? God’s grace endures continually- Doeg apparently boasted about the slaughter of the priests. "Mighty man" is the word used of Goliath the "champion" (1 Sam. 17:51). As his proud boasts had been brought down by God's grace working through David, so David believed Doeg would eventually be conquered likewise; see on :2 for another allusion to Goliath. We can also look to past precedents in our lives for encouragement as to how God will finally come through for us. Betrayal and having another man boasting against you is here answered by the recollection that God's grace is eternal. Betrayal and boasting are for a brief moment. God's grace gives us eternal life. This is one window onto how to cope with betrayal and abuse.

Psa 52:2 Your tongue plots destruction, like a sharp razor, working deceitfully- David was to later plot the destruction of Uriah by his words; and when he repented of this in Ps. 32:2, he says that lack of deceit / guile (s.w.) is only possible through imputed righteousness. David's intolerance of "deceitful" persons (Ps. 52:2; 101:7; 120:3) must be compared with the fact that he himself was only counted as not deceitful by grace; for he was very deceitful regarding Uriah. "Razor" is the same word used for the sheath of Goliath's sword (1 Sam. 17:51); the same verse speaks of Goliath as the "champion", s.w. "mighty man" in :1.

The power of 'mere' words is yet again shown. As James says, the tongue is a fire that consumes. The tongue is elsewhere compared to swords, spears and arrows (Ps. 55:21; 57:4,; 59:7; 64:3; cp. Prov. 26:18). Words are never "mere" words, in God's book.

Psa 52:3 You love evil more than good, lying rather than speaking the truth. Selah- "Lying" reflects again David's deep sense of injustice (see on Ps. 35:7). He uses the word for "false witness", as if they were breaking one of the ten commandments; and he uses it often, heaping condemnation upon any who dare lie / bear false witness about him (Ps. 38:19; 52:3; 63:11; 101:7; 119:29,69,86,118; 120:2; 144:8,11). And yet David lied and deceived in order to get Uriah killed so that he could take his wife for himself. Surely reflection upon that sin made him realize that his zeal to condemn dishonesty was at best misplaced; to lament it is one thing, but David was to be taught that he had himself done the very thing he so condemned.

The Bible often reduces spirituality down to whether we love God and good, and hate evil and sin. Mic. 3:2 condemns those “who hate the good and love the evil”. Paul says that all who "love His appearing" shall be saved; the wicked are "lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God" (2 Tim. 3:4), and Paul in Romans 7 sums up all his spiritual struggles by saying that he hates his sins but loves the law of God and the spiritual life. Here we have another example. To love God is not to never sin. Many of these passages suggest there is a degree of loving God and good, but the love of sin and evil is greater. They are "lovers of pleasure [more than being] lovers of God" (2 Tim. 3:4) It's a question of where the balance is. This feature of many of these passages cuts deep into our self examination.

The historical record shows Doeg as being strictly truthful in what he said to Saul about David. "David came to Nob to Ahimelech the priest" (1 Sam. 21:2) and this is exactly what Doeg says: "I saw the son of Jesse come to Nob to Ahimelech the priest." (1 Sam. 22:8). Doeg informs that the priest gave David the sword of Goliath. That is exactly what happened: "The sword of Goliath... is here... David said, "There is none like it; give it to me"" (1 Sam. 21:10). Doeg informs Saul that the priest provided David with food, and that was the case: "The priest gave him holy bread" (1 Sam. 21:7). But David repeatedly claims that Doeg was a liar and had a "deceitful tongue". We could assume that in fact Doeg said other things about David which aren't recorded, and here we have a typical case of where the Biblical evidence must be put together in order to get the complete picture. Or it could be that even by saying things which are truthful, we can do so in a way that is in fact proactively destructive ["devouring", :4) and deceitful- in the sense of being unfaithful to David. We wonder why David's anger is not so much with Saul but with Doeg. It was Saul who commanded Doeg to kill Abimelech and the priests because of Doeg's informing on him. Possibly he as it were forbad himself to curse Saul- and so he redirects his anger with Saul onto Doeg. Rather than taking a more spiritual attitude. We also wonder why David's anger is with Doeg for being a liar, rather than a murderer: "The king said to Doeg, You turn and attack the priests! Doeg the Edomite turned and attacked the priests, and he killed on that day eighty-five people who wore a linen ephod. He struck Nob, the city of the priests, with the edge of the sword, men, women, children and nursing babies, and cattle, donkeys and sheep" (1 Sam. 22:18,19). David apparently never mentions this, but rather rants about Doeg being such a liar. Possibly Doeg had become a proselyte, and therefore was deceitful to then kill Yahweh's priests. 

We also observe that it was David at this time who was the liar. But he likes to focus on Doeg as a liar. Doeg was more a murderer, seeking to ingratiate himself to Saul his boss in return for power and wealth- than a liar. I suggest that David is making Doeg out to be a liar and punishing him because this is what David is guilty of. Rather like the pastor committing adultery who beats up on a member of his congregation for falling into sexual sin. The evidence for David's lying at the time is significant. He lies to Abimelech: "The king has commissioned me with a matter and said to me, "Let no one know anything of the matter with respect to which I am sending you and about which I have commissioned you" (1 Sam. 21:3). David was in fact fleeing from Saul, who was determined to kill him (1 Sam. 20:30-42). He totally fabricates words which he claims Saul had spoken and that he is quoting verbatim. Neither did he receive any commission from king Saul. This was all deliberate deception. When asked why he is travelling alone, David lies by saying that his "young men" are going to meet up with him soon at a pre-arranged location: "And as for the young men, I have made an appointment for such and such a place" (1 Sam. 21:3). David wants the priest to believe that David is accompanied by an entourage from the king. When asked by the priest if the young men for whom he asks food are ceremonially clean, David tells another lie: "Indeed women have been kept from us as always when I go on an expedition; the vessels of the young men are holy even when it is a common journey; how much more today will their vessels be holy?" (1 Sam. 21:5). The record is clear that David was alone and didn't have these "young men" actually with him. David comes to Nob alone (1 Sam. 21:1,2), and leaves Nob alone (1 Sam. 21:11). Then he alone flees to Philistine territory unaccompanied (1 Sam 21:11-16), and he leaves Philistine territory alone (1 Sam. 22:1). No one joins him until we learn from 1 Sam. 22:1,2 that after reaching the cave of Adullam, "his brothers and all his father's house heard and came down there, and there were gathered to him any man in distress". David's reason as to why he had no sword is so blatantly untrue that surely Abimelech must have wondered whether David was being truthful: "I took in hand neither my sword nor my weapons because the king's commission was urgent" (1 Sam. 21:9). If indeed he was commissioned by Saul to do something that needed a weapon, surely he would have taken the weapon with him. David's lies therefore led Ahimelech to a position which cost Ahimelech and his family their lives. Hence David later rues that he was responsible for their deaths, and we could even argue that Psalm 52 is David's self hatred over this matter, condemning himself as a liar.

Psa 52:4 You love all devouring words, you deceitful tongue- Doeg is here addressed as if he is his own tongue. As "the word was God", so a man is his words. This points up the critical importance of our words.

Psa 52:5 God will likewise destroy you forever- Doeg would be destroyed "likewise" by the sword, as the priests were slain by the sword; but "forever", perhaps implying that David understood the destruction of the 85 priests as not being "forever" in that they would be resurrected.

He will take you up, and pluck you out of your tent, and root you out of the land of the living. Selah- "Tent" is appropriate as Doeg lived in a tent as an itinerant herdsman (1 Sam. 21:7).

Psa 52:6 The righteous also will see it, and fear, and laugh at him, saying- This is best understood as the language of the last judgment, as there is no evidence that it happened to Doeg in this life. There is a Biblical theme that the judgment seat will be before all; the righteous will see the wicked walking naked in their shame; and will see the destruction of Doeg, resurrected and condemned to the second death. But again we see David as out of step with God, who takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked. Prov. 24:17 is clear: "Don't rejoice when your enemy falls; don't let your heart be glad when he is overthrown". Hence Job calls a curse upon himself "if I have rejoiced at the destruction of him who hated me" (Job 31:29). To rejoice in the condemnation of the wicked, rather than feeling sorry for them, is in fact the very reason for the condemnation of Babylon- see notes throughout Is. 47.

Psa 52:7 Behold, this is the man who didn’t make God his strength, but trusted in the abundance of his riches, and strengthened himself in his wickedness- Doeg clearly was motivated by a love of riches, and was rewarded by Saul materially for bringing about the betrayal of David and the slaughter of the priests. Trust in wealth is so clearly condemned in the Bible (Ps. 49:6), and the Lord brings out the parallel between having wealth and trusting in it. Whatever wealth you have, you will tend to trust in. Seeing God wants us to live life trusting / believing in Him, no surprises that He rarely gives wealth to His people, contrary to Pentecostal teachings.

Psa 52:8 But as for me, I am like a green olive tree in God’s house. I trust in God’s grace forever and ever- At the time of the Psalm (:1), David was still on the run from Saul. But he felt as if he was in the sanctuary. The "house" of God was not then built; perhaps this was added in the exile, to encourage the exiles that like David they by God's eternal grace could likewise effectively be in His "house"- even whilst in exile from it.

Psa 52:9 I will give You thanks forever, because You have done it. I will hope in Your name, for it is good, in the presence of Your saints- David speaks of that yet future as if it is yet done. This is how God sees things, and the invitation to have faith is an invitation to see things from His perspective. David sees himself at the last day in the presence of other faithful ones, thanking God for His judgments upon the wicked.