Psalms

Psalm 52:1–7

¹For the choirmaster. A Maskil^a of David. After Doeg the Edomite went to Saul and told him, “David has gone to the house of Ahimelech.”

Why do you boast of evil, O mighty man?

The loving devotion of God endures all day long.

²Your tongue devises destruction

like a sharpened razor,

O worker of deceit.

³You love evil more than good,

falsehood more than speaking truth.

Selah

⁴You love every word that devours,

O deceitful tongue.

⁵Surely God will bring you down to everlasting ruin;

He will snatch you up and tear you away from your tent;

He will uproot you from the land of the living.

Selah

⁶The righteous will see and fear;

they will mock the evildoer, saying,

⁷“Look at the man

who did not make God his refuge,

but trusted in the abundance of his wealth

and strengthened himself by destruction.”

Footnotes

a 52:1 Maskil is probably a musical or liturgical term; used for Psalms 32, 42, 44–45, 52–55, 74, 78, 88–89, and 142.

Read all of Psalm 52

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

Psalm 52:1

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
For the choirmaster	לַמְנַצֵּ֗חַ	lam·naṣ·ṣê·aḥ	Preposition-l, Article; Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine singular	H5329 be pre-eminent, enduring
A Maskil	מַשְׂכִּ֥יל	maś·kîl	Noun - masculine singular	H4905 contemplative poem
of David	לְדָוִֽד׃	lə·ḏā·wiḏ	Preposition-l; Noun - proper - masculine singular	H1732 David
After Doeg	דּוֹאֵ֣ג	dō·w·’êḡ	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H1673 Doeg
the Edomite	הָאֲדֹמִי֮	hā·’ă·ḏō·mî	Article; Noun - proper - masculine singular	H130 Edomite
went	בְּב֤וֹא׀	bə·ḇō·w	Preposition-b; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct	H935 come in, come, go in, go
to Saul	לְשָׁ֫א֥וּל	lə·šā·’ūl	Preposition-l; Noun - proper - masculine singular	H7586 Shaul
and told	וַיַּגֵּ֪ד	way·yag·gêḏ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H5046 be conspicuous
him	ל֑וֹ	lōw	Preposition; third person masculine singular
David	דָ֝וִ֗ד	ḏā·wiḏ	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H1732 David
has gone	בָּ֥א	bā	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H935 come in, come, go in, go
to	אֶל־	’el-	Preposition	H413 motion to
the house	בֵּ֥ית	bêṯ	Noun - masculine singular construct	H1004 house
of Ahimelech	אֲחִימֶֽלֶךְ׃	’ă·ḥî·me·leḵ	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H288 Achimelek
Why	מַה־	mah-	Interrogative	H4100 what? how? aught
do you boast	תִּתְהַלֵּ֣ל	tiṯ·hal·lêl	Verb - Hitpael - Imperfect - second person masculine singular	H1984 shine
of evil	בְּ֭רָעָה	bə·rā·‘āh	Preposition-b; Adjective - feminine singular	H7451 bad, evil
O mighty man	הַגִּבּ֑וֹר	hag·gib·bō·wr	Article; Adjective - masculine singular	H1368 strong, mighty
The loving devotion	חֶ֥סֶד	ḥe·seḏ	Noun - masculine singular construct	H2617 goodness, kindness
of God	אֵ֝֗ל	’êl	Noun - masculine singular	H410 god
all	כָּל־	kāl-	Noun - masculine singular construct	H3605 the whole, all
day long	הַיּֽוֹם׃	hay·yō·wm	Article; Noun - masculine singular	H3117 day

Psalm 52:2

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Your tongue	לְשׁוֹנֶ֑ךָ	lə·šō·w·ne·ḵā	Noun - common singular construct; second person masculine singular	H3956 tongue
devises	תַּחְשֹׁ֣ב	taḥ·šōḇ	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular	H2803 think, account
destruction	הַ֭וּוֹת	haw·wō·wṯ	Noun - feminine plural	H1942 desire
like a sharpened	מְ֝לֻטָּ֗שׁ	mə·luṭ·ṭāš	Verb - Pual - Participle - masculine singular	H3913 hammer, sharpen, whet
razor	כְּתַ֥עַר	kə·ṯa·‘ar	Preposition-k; Noun - masculine singular	H8593 razor, sheath
O worker	עֹשֵׂ֥ה	‘ō·śêh	Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular construct	H6213 do, make
of deceit	רְמִיָּֽה׃	rə·mî·yāh	Noun - feminine singular	H7423 deceit, treachery

Psalm 52:3

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
You love	אָהַ֣בְתָּ	’ā·haḇ·tā	Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular	H157 love
evil	רָּ֣ע	rā‘	Adjective - masculine singular	H7451 bad, evil
more than good	מִטּ֑וֹב	miṭ·ṭō·wḇ	Preposition-m; Noun - masculine singular	H2896 pleasant, agreeable, good
falsehood	שֶׁ֓קֶר׀	še·qer	Noun - masculine singular	H8267 deception, disappointment, falsehood
more than speaking	מִדַּבֵּ֖ר	mid·dab·bêr	Preposition-m; Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct	H1696 speak
truth	צֶ֣דֶק	ṣe·ḏeq	Noun - masculine singular	H6664 rightness, righteousness
Selah	סֶֽלָה׃	se·lāh	Interjection	H5542 lift up

Psalm 52:4

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
You love	אָהַ֥בְתָּ	’ā·haḇ·tā	Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular	H157 love
every	כָֽל־	ḵāl	Noun - masculine singular construct	H3605 the whole, all
word	דִּבְרֵי־	diḇ·rê-	Noun - masculine plural construct	H1697 speech, word
that devours	בָ֗לַע	ḇā·la‘	Noun - masculine singular	H1105 swallowing, devouring, thing swallowed
O deceitful	מִרְמָֽה׃	mir·māh	Noun - feminine singular	H4820 deceit, treachery
tongue	לְשׁ֣וֹן	lə·šō·wn	Noun - common singular construct	H3956 tongue

Psalm 52:5

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Surely	גַּם־	gam-	Conjunction	H1571 also, moreover, yea
God	אֵל֮	’êl	Noun - masculine singular	H410 god
will bring you down	יִתָּצְךָ֪	yit·tā·ṣə·ḵā	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular; second person masculine singular	H5422 pull down, break down
to everlasting ruin	לָ֫נֶ֥צַח	lā·ne·ṣaḥ	Preposition-l; Noun - masculine singular	H5331 eminence, enduring, everlastingness, perpetuity
He will snatch you up	יַחְתְּךָ֣	yaḥ·tə·ḵā	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular; second person masculine singular	H2846 snatch up
and tear you away	וְיִסָּחֲךָ֣	wə·yis·sā·ḥă·ḵā	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine singular; second person masculine singular	H5255 pull or tear away
from	מֵאֹ֑הֶל	mê·’ō·hel	Preposition-m; Noun - masculine singular	H168 tent
He will uproot you	וְשֵֽׁרֶשְׁךָ֨	wə·šê·reš·ḵā	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular; second person masculine singular	H8327 deal with the roots
from the land	מֵאֶ֖רֶץ	mê·’e·reṣ	Preposition-m; Noun - feminine singular construct	H776 earth, land
of the living	חַיִּ֣ים	ḥay·yîm	Adjective - masculine plural	H2416 alive, living
Selah	סֶֽלָה׃	se·lāh	Interjection	H5542 lift up

Psalm 52:6

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
The righteous	צַדִּיקִ֥ים	ṣad·dî·qîm	Adjective - masculine plural	H6662 just, righteous
will see	וְיִרְא֖וּ	wə·yir·’ū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H7200 see
and fear	וְיִירָ֗אוּ	wə·yî·rā·’ū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H3372 fear
they will mock	יִשְׂחָֽקוּ׃	yiś·ḥā·qū	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural	H7832 laugh

Psalm 52:7

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Look at	הִנֵּ֤ה	hin·nêh	Interjection	H2009 lo! behold!
the man	הַגֶּ֗בֶר	hag·ge·ḇer	Article; Noun - masculine singular	H1397 man
who did not	לֹ֤א	lō	Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
make	יָשִׂ֥ים	yā·śîm	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H7760 put, place, set
God	אֱלֹהִ֗ים	’ĕ·lō·hîm	Noun - masculine plural	H430 God
his refuge	מָֽע֫וּזּ֥וֹ	mā·‘ūz·zōw	Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H4581 place or means of safety, protection
but trusted	וַ֭יִּבְטַח	way·yiḇ·ṭaḥ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H982 trust
in the abundance	בְּרֹ֣ב	bə·rōḇ	Preposition-b; Noun - masculine singular construct	H7230 multitude, abundance, greatness
of his wealth	עָשְׁר֑וֹ	‘ā·šə·rōw	Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H6239 be or become rich
strengthened himself	יָ֝עֹ֗ז	yā·‘ōz	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H5810 be strong
by destruction	בְּהַוָּתֽוֹ׃	bə·haw·wā·ṯōw	Preposition-b; Noun - feminine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H1942 desire