Psalm 52: Like a Green Olive Tree in God's House
A rebuke of a deceitful tongue contrasted with quiet trust in God's mercy.
Psalm 52 confronts a 'mighty man' who boasts in mischief and loves lying words more than righteousness, a sharp contrast to David's own confession in Psalms 51. The tongue is compared to 'a sharp razor, working deceitfully.'
<To the chief music-maker. Maschil. Of David. When Doeg the Edomite came to Saul saying, David has come to the house of Ahimelech.> Why do you take pride in wrongdoing, lifting yourself up against the upright man all the day?
Purposing destruction, using deceit; your tongue is like a sharp blade.
You have more love for evil than for good, for deceit than for works of righteousness. (Selah.)
Destruction is in all your words, O false tongue.
But God will put an end to you for ever; driving you out from your tent, uprooting you from the land of the living. (Selah.)
The upright will see it with fear, and will say, laughing at you:
See, this is the man who did not make God his strength, but had faith in his goods and his property, and made himself strong in his wealth.
But I am like a branching olive-tree in the house of God; I have put my faith in his mercy for ever and ever.
I will give you praise without end for what you have done; I will give honour to your name before your saints, for it is good.