1 To the choirmaster. A maskil of David, when Doeg the Edomite came and told Saul, and said to him, “David has come to the house of Ahimelech.” Why do you boast in evil, mighty man? The loyal love of God is all the day.
Eusebius of Caesarea · AD 339 The 33rd Psalm was spoken by David when he "changed his countenance before Abimelech, and he sent him away, and he left." The current Psalm would be the one following that Psalm in historical sequence.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "Why doth he glory in malice that is mighty?" (ver. 1). Observe, my brethren, the glorying of malignity, the glorying of evil men. Where is glorying? "Why doth he glory in malice that is mighty?" That is, he that in malice is mighty, why doth he glory? There is need that a man be mighty, but in goodness, not in malice. Is it any great thing to glory in malice?
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 Here begins the second group of fifty. And as was said at the beginning of the book, the first fifty pertains to the penitent; this second fifty pertains to those who are making progress.
Why Do You Boast of Evil? 2 Destructions your tongue devises, like a sharpened razor, worker of deceit.
Eusebius of Caesarea · AD 339 The material we have before us was spoken much earlier in time than the history pertaining to the 50th Psalm. For [the history of Doeg] took place, and [the words] were spoken, while Saul was still alive, and before David's kingship.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "In iniquity the whole day upon injustice has your tongue thought" [Psalm 52:2]: that is, in the whole of time, without weariness, without intermission, without cessation.
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 "All day long your tongue devises injustice," etc. Here he shows the second point which he set forth above: namely, that they not only glory in their malice, but think about how they may do evil.
3 You have loved evil more than good, falsehood more than speaking righteousness. Selah.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 There follows then what? All your might and all your thought of iniquity all the day, and meditation of malignity in your tongue without intermission, has performed what, done what? "As with a sharp razor you have done deceit" [Psalm 52:3]. See what do evil men to Saints, they scrape their hair. What is it that I have said?
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 "You have loved." Here he treats of the affection of the wicked, or of the sinner, for harming his neighbor. And this affection consists in two things: namely, in external and internal matters. First, therefore, in external matters he shows the withdrawal of justice.
4 You have loved all devouring words, tongue of deceit.
Gregory of Nazianzus · AD 390 The old confusion of tongues was beneficial when people, who were of one language in wickedness and impiety, just as some still are, were building the tower. But by the confusion of their language, the unity of their intention was broken up and their undertaking destroyed. Much more worthy of praise is the present miraculous unity of language [at Pentecost].
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "You have loved malice above benignity" [Psalm 52:4]. Before you was benignity; herself you should have loved. For you were not going to expend anything, nor were you going to fetch something to love by a distant voyage. Benignity is before you, iniquity before you: compare and choose.
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 As to internal matters, he says, "You have loved all words of ruin," drawing others into death, as Doeg did; and again into the evil of guilt: 1 Cor. 15: "Evil conversations corrupt good morals." Or, precipitating yourself; and therefore he says, "with a deceitful tongue." And you who are talkative and deceitful, or you do this through a deceitful tongue: Jer.
5 God also will break you down forever; he will snatch you and tear you from your tent, and uproot you from the land of the living. Selah.
Eusebius of Caesarea · AD 339 And he will scrape you away from the tent, and will uproot you from the land of the living forever—so that the righteous, when they see it, will be afraid and will mock him, saying, "Look!
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 Because of this there follows in the Psalm, "You have loved all words of sinking under" [Psalm 52:5]. Rescue therefore yourself, if you can, from sinking under. From shipwreck you are fleeing, and dost embrace lead! If you will not sink, catch at a plank, be borne on wood, let the Cross carry you through.
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 "Therefore." Above, the Psalmist treated of the malice of sinners; here, however, he treats of their punishment: and concerning this he does two things. First he sets forth the punishment of those wicked ones. Second he shows the usefulness of their punishment, at "The just shall see." Concerning the first he does two things. First he sets forth the punishment of the wicked.
6 And the righteous will see and fear, and they will laugh at him:
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "Wherefore God shall destroy you at the end" [Psalm 52:6]: though now you seem to flourish like grass in the field before the heat of the sun.
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 "The just shall see." Here is set forth the fruit of punishment: for God punishes here and foretells punishments for the benefit of the just. First, on account of the fear of punishment, because "they shall fear." And this can be applied to the state of the present life, in which the just fear by having reverence for God, and they fall from the state in which they are: Rom.
7 “See the man who did not make God his refuge, but trusted in the abundance of his riches; he was strong in his destruction.”
Eusebius of Caesarea · AD 339 And this was said as though to Doeg, who was a Syrian by descent, but lived in the midst of Israel—and, I suppose, perhaps even entered the tabernacle of God along with the multitude, pretending to be pious.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "And the just shall see, and shall fear; and over him they shall laugh" (ver. 7). Shall fear when? Shall laugh when? Let us therefore understand, and make a distinction between those two times of fearing and laughing, which have their several uses. For so long as we are in this world, not yet must we laugh, lest hereafter we mourn.
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 Their pride, because they did not hope in God but trusted in themselves, and they shall say: the just shall say, "Behold the man who did not set God as his helper," that is, did not consider that he needed the help of God: Ps. 11: "Our lips," etc. Deut.
8 But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God; I have trusted in the loyal love of God forever and ever.
Origen of Alexandria · AD 253 But do you wish that I show you from the Scriptures that these several virtues, which we mentioned above, are called trees or shrubs? I bring forward as witness the most wise Solomon, saying concerning wisdom: "it is a tree of life", he says, "to all who embrace it".
Cyril of Jerusalem · AD 386 You are being armed not with perishable but with spiritual weapons. The paradise in which you are being planted is the soul's paradise, wherein you will be named with a name you did not have before. You were a catechumen till now, but now you are to be called believer.
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 "But I am like a fruitful olive tree." Here he treats of the holiness of the good. And first he shows what they do in the present. Second, what they promise, at "I will praise you." The saints do a twofold good in the present Church.
9 I will give you thanks forever, because you have acted; and I will wait for your name, for it is good, before your loyal ones.
Eusebius of Caesarea · AD 339 Now, he pointed out that the end of the one who is powerful in wickedness is uprooting and destruction. For it was necessary for the root that bears bitter fruit to be †------ off† by the wise farmer of the universe.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 Therefore that man having been condemned that "has trusted in the multitude of his riches, and has prevailed in his vanity:" for what more vain, than he that thinks coin more to avail than God?
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 "I will praise you." Here he promises what he will do: and he promises two things. One refers to the past: and it is thanksgiving for benefits conferred; for this reason he says, "I will praise you forever," that is, I will render praises to you.