The judgement on the person with a malicious tongue
Psalmist David by Gustave Doré (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Psalm 52:1-9. The background to this psalm is found in 1 Samuel 21:1–9; 22:2–23. Doeg ’s betrayal of Abimelech leads to the slaughter of the priests. The psalm expresses David ’s righteous anger at this, and it is also the denunciation of a practised liar. There are contrasts drawn in the psalm. There is the contrast between the man who boasts in the mischief he has done, and the man who boasts of the mercy and goodness of God—‘Why boasteth thyself?’, v. 1—‘I trust in the mercy of God ’, v. 8. The ‘mighty man’ is like a tree rooted up, v. 5, but the psalmist is like an evergreen tree , ever flourishing, v. 8. The former will be snatched from his tent by God; the latter, as an olive tree , abides in the house of God. Verses 1 to 5 describe the Condemnation of the Malicious Tongue. Doeg’s story had been told with malicious intent and fatal results. ‘O thou deceitful tongue ’, says the psalmist, boldly identifying the offe...