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Wisdom & Poetry · WORLD ENGLISH BIBLE

Psalm 52

Psalm 52 is read especially through the theme of trust & refuge, within Book II (Psalms 42–72). Its language invites attentive prayer before quick application.

Trust & RefugeWisdomKingship
Psalms overview
Old Testament

Psalm 52

1For the Chief Musician. A contemplation by David, when Doeg the Edomite came and told Saul, “David has come to Ahimelech’s house.” Why do you boast of mischief, mighty man? God’s loving kindness endures continually.

2Your tongue plots destruction, like a sharp razor, working deceitfully.

3You love evil more than good, lying rather than speaking the truth. Selah.

4You love all devouring words, you deceitful tongue.

5God will likewise destroy you forever. He will take you up, and pluck you out of your tent, and root you out of the land of the living. Selah.

6The righteous also will see it, and fear, and laugh at him, saying,

7“Behold, this is the man who didn’t make God his strength, but trusted in the abundance of his riches, and strengthened himself in his wickedness.”

8But as for me, I am like a green olive tree in God’s house. I trust in God’s loving kindness forever and ever.

9I will give you thanks forever, because you have done it. I will hope in your name, for it is good, in the presence of your saints.

READ IN CONTEXT

Understanding Psalm 52

Psalm 52 is read especially through the theme of trust & refuge, within Book II (Psalms 42–72). Its language invites attentive prayer before quick application. Read it within the complete five-book Psalms collection, then compare its prayer language with the types of prayer found across Scripture. Classification is a reading aid rather than a replacement for the Psalm's own movement and tension.

Collection

Book II (Psalms 42–72). The five-book shape of the Psalter helps readers hear individual prayers within a deliberately arranged collection.

Themes detected

Trust & Refuge, Wisdom, Kingship. Read for these themes while remaining open to tension and secondary movements.

TEXT-DERIVED READING NOTES

What to notice in Psalm 52

Psalm 52 contains 9 verses and about 176 words in this translation. These observations come from the chapter itself; they are prompts for close reading, not claims about its only possible meaning.

The opening movement

Verse 1 begins: “For the Chief Musician. A contemplation by David, when Doeg the Edomite came and told Saul, “David has come to Ahimelech’s house.” Why do you boast of mischief, mighty…” Ask what situation, voice, image, or argument this opening establishes for everything that follows.

The closing movement

Verse 9 closes: “I will give you thanks forever, because you have done it. I will hope in your name, for it is good, in the presence of your saints.” Compare the ending with the opening and note what changed, resolved, intensified, or remained open.

Vocabulary worth tracing

Recurring or prominent content words include will, god’s, forever, david, house, loving. Follow where each word appears and whether its meaning shifts with the speaker or setting.

COMMON QUESTIONS

About Psalm 52

Which Bible translation is shown here?+

This page reproduces the World English Bible Protestant edition (WEBP), a modern-English translation dedicated to the public domain.

How should I cite a specific verse?+

Use the book, chapter, and verse—for example, Psalms 52:1—and name the World English Bible if the wording matters. Each verse number above is a direct anchor link.

Does the chapter number define the complete literary unit?+

Not always. Chapter and verse numbers were added for navigation. Check the paragraphs, scenes, poetic stanzas, or argument before and after this chapter.

What kind of Psalm is this?+

Our reading profile emphasizes trust & refuge, with related themes of Trust & Refuge, Wisdom, Kingship. Many Psalms blend genres or move between moods, so this label is a guide rather than a rigid classification.

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