John Calvin Commentary Psalms 52:1

"Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man? The lovingkindness of God [endureth] continually." — Psalms 52:1 (ASV)

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.