John Calvin Commentary Psalms 52

Why boastest thou of thy wickedness? The success that crowned Doeg's treachery must have considerably tended to stagger David’s faith. He seems to have adopted the tone of holy defiance with which the psalm begins, to arm himself more effectively against this temptation. He starts by charging Doeg with an aggravation of his guilt, in boasting of the power he had acquired through an act of consummate villainy.

This power may have been significant enough to attract the attention given to it here. Although he is only said to have been “master of the king’s herdsmen,” the designation does not imply that he was personally occupied in herding cattle, but may have been an honorary title, just as in modern courts we speak of “The Master of the Horse.” He is reminded that there was no reason for him to applaud himself in his greatness as long as he abused it for wicked purposes. Nor should he be vain of any new honor the king might have conferred on him for his recent crime, as integrity is the only sure path to power and advancement.

Any triumph obtained by violence, treachery, or other unjustifiable means is short-lived. In the second part of the verse, he points to the true cause of the blindness and stupidity that lead men to glory in their wickedness: they despise the poor and the humble, imagine that God will not condescend to concern Himself on their behalf, and therefore seize the opportunity to oppress them with impunity.

They take no account of the providence that God exercises over His own children. David, in holy confidence, challenges such proud boasters with dishonoring the goodness of God. And as the Divine goodness does not always follow the same steady course—occasionally seeming to be interrupted, and sometimes appearing as if it were cut off altogether—David repels any temptation this might suggest by asserting that, whatever appearances may indicate to the contrary, it is exercised daily.

This is evidently the meaning he intends to convey: that any partial obstructions that may occur in its display can never prevent its constant renewal. He was confident that he would experience in the future what he had found in the past, for God cannot become weary in helping His people or alleviating their miseries. And although He may allow them to fall into affliction again and again, He is always equally ready to extend to them the deliverance they need.

Your tongue reckons up mischiefs: David is not to be considered as here venting a flood of reproaches against his adversary, as many who have been unjustly injured are in the habit of doing, merely to gratify a feeling of revenge. He brings these charges against him in the sight of God, in order to encourage himself in the hopefulness of his own cause. For it is plain that the further our enemies proceed in the practice of iniquity, they proportionally provoke the anger of the Lord, and are nearer to that destruction which must result in our deliverance.

His object, therefore, is not to blacken Doeg's character in the world's estimation, but rather to set before his own eyes the divine punishment which the flagrant offenses he specifies were certain to draw down upon his head. Among these he singles out, as especially worthy of reprobation, the hidden treachery for which he had been responsible in accomplishing the destruction of the priesthood.

Referring to his secret and malicious information, he likens his tongue to a sharp razor, as elsewhere (Psalms 120:4), where the tongues of the wicked are compared to sharp arrows. It is added, working deceitfully. These words are considered by some as referring to the razor that cuts subtly, and not with an open wound like a sword; but perhaps they may be more properly construed as applying to the tongue, although there can be no doubt of the reason for the comparison.

The term בלע, balang, in the fourth verse, which has been translated destruction, I prefer to understand in the sense of hiding or concealment. He seems to allude to the drawing back of the tongue when we swallow and, under this figure, to describe the deceitfulness of Doeg’s words, by which he devoured the unsuspecting and the innocent. David's great purpose, as I have already remarked in the preceding verses, is to encourage himself in the hope of deliverance by dwelling upon the extreme character of the wickedness his enemy had displayed.

God shall likewise destroy thee for ever. From these words it becomes even more evident that his purpose in dwelling on the aggravated guilt of Doeg was to prove the certainty of his approaching doom, and this more for his own conviction and comfort than with the aim of alarming the offender's conscience.

Accordingly, he declares his conviction that God would not allow his treachery to pass unpunished, though God might for a time connive at its perpetration. The ungodly are inclined, as long as their prosperity continues, to indulge in undisturbed security; and the saint of God, when he sees the power they possess and witnesses their proud contempt for divine judgments, is too often overwhelmed with unbelieving fears.

But to establish his own mind in the truth he announces, it is noticeable that the Psalmist piles one expression upon another, — God shall destroy thee, take thee away, pluck thee out, root thee out, — as if by this abundance of words he would convince himself more effectively that God was able to overthrow this adversary with all his boasted might and authority.

In adding that God would root him out of his dwelling-place or tent, and out of the land of the living, he implies that the wicked will be destroyed by God, however securely they may seem to repose in the nest of some comfortable mansion and in the vain hope of living on earth forever. Possibly he may allude, by mentioning a tent, to Doeg's profession, as shepherds live in tents.

The righteous also shall see, and fear. He here offers, as another reason why the ruin of Doeg might be expected, that an important purpose would be achieved by it, insofar as it would promote religion in the hearts of the Lord’s people and afford them a refreshing display of Divine justice.

If it takes place, it would be witnessed by the ungodly as well as by the righteous; but there are two reasons why the Psalmist represents it as being seen especially by the latter. The wicked are incapable of profiting from the judgments of God, being blind to the plainest manifestations of Himself that He has made in His works; therefore, it was only the righteous who could see it.

Besides, the primary purpose God has in view when He humbles the pride of the ungodly is the comfort of His own people, so that He may show them the care with which He watches over their safety. Therefore, it is they whom David represents as witnessing this spectacle of Divine justice.

And when he says that they would fear, this does not mean that they would tremble or experience any servile fear, but that their reverential regard for God would be increased by this proof of His care for their interests.

When left exposed to the injurious treatment of their enemies, they are prone to be distressed with doubts about the concern He takes in the government of the world. But such contrary illustrations have the effect of reviving their discouraged zeal and promoting that fear, which is by no means inconsistent with the joy spoken of at the end of the verse.

They are led to reverence Him more when they see that He is the avenger of cruelty and injustice. On the other hand, when they perceive that He appears in defense of their cause and joins battle with them against their adversaries, they are naturally filled with the most triumphant joy.

The beautiful play on the words see and fear in Hebrew cannot be transferred to our language; the form of the expression suggests that they would see, and see effectively.

Lo! this is the man that made not God his strength. Some think that these words are given as what should afterwards be proverbially applied to Doeg; but they do not appear to have been intended in that restricted sense. They merely express the lesson which the people of God would learn from the judgment.

It would teach them, on the one hand, to be patient under the insolence of the ungodly, which is so quickly humbled; and, on the other, to beware of indulging a similarly infatuated spirit themselves. They would laugh at their destruction, yet not by insulting them, but by rejoicing more and more in the confidence of God's help, and more cheerfully renouncing the vain pleasures of this world.

This is the lesson to be learned from such dispensations of providence: they should recall our wandering affections to God. The verse is introduced with an exclamation, Lo! this is the man, etc.; for David would have us look upon this one instance as vividly representing to us the end of all who despise the Lord. It may be remarked that it is no small point of practical wisdom to thus generalize individual providences.

The two clauses, made not God his strength, and, trusted in the abundance of his riches, are mutually connected. For no one can be said to sincerely rely on God except one who has been emptied of all confidence in his own resources. As long as people imagine that they have something of their own in which they can boast, they will never turn to God. Just in proportion as we arrogate to ourselves do we derogate from him. And it is not only wealth, but any other earthly possession, which, by engrossing our confidence, may prevent us from seeking the Lord.

The noun הוה, havah, which most interpreters have rendered wickedness, and some slaughter or destruction, seems, in this place, rather to mean substance. Such repetitions of the same sentiment in different words are common with the Psalmist; and, according to this translation, the verse will flow connectedly, reading: the man who trusts in his riches, and strengthens himself in his substance, defrauds God of his just glory.