Outline of Chapter 52:

       Inscription       Psalm 52 Inscription

       vv.    1–4        Doeg’s Evil Lying Tongue

       v.      5           What God will do to Doeg

       vv.    6–7        The Righteous Will Observe and Take Note of the Futility of Doeg’s Life

       vv.     8–9        David Presents His Own Trust in God by Way of Contrast

Although in the outline, I have made this psalm very specific in its application (David as the growing believer and Doeg as the self-serving, lying sack of shit), this of course has much wider application to the believer who is growing in God’s grace and knowledge as versus the man who will lie and commit other sins of the tongue in order to get whatever it is that he wants in life. There are men who will say or do anything in order to improve their lives, to gain the approbation of others and in order to advance their positions.

Charts and Maps:

       Introduction    The Use of Elohim and Jehovah in the Psalms

       Introduction    The Elohimic Maskil

       v.      4           Doeg’s Options:

       v.      7           A Summary of Psalm 52:7

       v.      8           How David and Doeg Are Polar Opposites

       v.      8           Psalm 52 Organized by Parallel Thoughts

       v.      9           Doeg’s Evil

       v.      9           Similarities Between Doeg and the Man of Sin to Come

       v.      9           A Summary of Barnes’ Thesis on When Do You Convey Information and When Do You Keep Your Mouth Shut?

I ntroduction: Psalm 52 is one of the most excoriating of the psalms. The occasion for this psalm is when Doeg the Edomite goes to Saul and tells him where David is, which results in the slaughter of the priests of Nob. David rakes Doeg over the coals in the psalm, probably more than any other individual. I suspect that David and Doeg had some sort of a relationship—they knew each other, were friendly toward one another. Doeg is called the chief of Saul’s shepherds in I Sam. 21:7, and David, in his younger days had been a shepherd for his family’s flock. So we would have expected David to look up Doeg early on during his tenure at the palace. If you found yourself at a dinner party with 20 people that you barely knew, you might gravitate toward those whose vocation is similar to yours. David did the same thing. He was not a brown-noser, he was not originally a soldier, he was not an old friend of Saul’s—but he was a shepherd, so no doubt, David looked up the king’s shepherd and we might expect that they knew each other well.

To help draw you a picture, Saul was estranged from the spiritual aspects of Israel since his second fall out with Samuel. He had done things that were the prerogative of a priest (offering sacrifices); so when Samuel cut Saul off, Saul ended any sort of relationship that he might have had with the priests and the Tent of God. In fact, during Saul’s kingship, he made no attempt to bring the Ark of God to the Tent of God, and he offered no support to the priests of God. So, we have no relationship between Saul and those in the priestly line (which will become apparent when he slaughters them). Therefore, there is probably no one in Saul’s regime who has a spiritual edge to them, apart from Jonathan (and David and Jonathan became quick friends). Therefore, apart from Jonathan, the man in Saul’s cabinet that David would have the most in common with would be Doeg. So we can expect that David spend some time with Doeg. Whether they had anything else in common, we don’t know. We know for certain that Doeg did not possess any of David’s integrity.

David went to Nob, the city of the priests, soon after he left his royal home (I Sam. 19:12 21:1). He had already been to the city of prophets. He had no real plan, apart from getting some food to eat and Goliath’s sword. Because Saul had no real contact with the priests, David knew that he could go there, and not be recognized by any of Saul’s men—as they would not be there. However, David was surprised to see Doeg the Edomite (I Sam. 21:7). Doeg, as we have seen in I Sam. 23, was a man who desperately wanted to fit in. He was an outsider, an Edomite, so, even though Saul was not a supporter of the spiritual side of Israel, Doeg still went to Nob, the city of priests, with the intention of fitting in better in Israel. Apparently, several of Saul’s servants had been there, but they had gone (David very likely observed this); with the exception of Doeg. So, while talking to Ahimelech, the priest, David looks over the man’s shoulder and sees a familiar face, Doeg. There is no indication that they talked, waved, or did anything to acknowledge seeing one another. David had told Ahimelech that he was on a secret mission from Saul, so he didn’t need anyone else contradicting that story...so David certainly did not call Doeg over to talk. So they parted, Doeg and David, wordlessly, not even acknowledging the other’s presence. However, they both kept this fact in mind.

Doeg did not run right to Saul and say, “David’s at Nob. You need to hurry, or you will miss him.” It is clear that Doeg waited, and David not only left Nob, but had been to and left Gath as well. Saul called a cabinet meeting and threw a royal fit about David. I Sam. 22:5–10. Doeg, deciding that his information might provide him with an in with Saul, says, “Well, I believe that I saw David at Nob.” Now, Doeg has to be careful. That was a few weeks ago. Doeg can’t bring this up, and let it stay at that. Otherwise, Saul would have Doeg executed for not telling him sooner. He has to deflect Saul’s anger to the priests. “He [Ahimelech] inquired of Jehovah for him [David], gave him food and gave him Goliath’s sword.” (I Sam. 22:10). David is long-gone from there, so what does Doeg hope to accomplish? He simply wants to be on Saul’s good side. And he has to deflect any animosity that Saul might put on him. In other words, the content of Doeg’s information is completely self-serving. I should add that Doeg probably contemplated the following, “What if Saul finds out that David was in Nob the same time that I was? I had better tell Saul before he finds out this information on his own.” So part of Doeg’s decision to reveal this to Saul could have been motivated by self-preservation. Doeg knows what a madman Saul is; if Saul ever suspected that Doeg knew something about David but did not reveal it, Doeg would be executed for certain. Knowing that Saul was a madman, Doeg gave little consideration to what Saul would do to the inhabitants of Nob when he went there to find David long gone. In fact, the end result will not only be that Saul slaughters the priests of Nob, but that Doeg will do the actual slaughtering himself.

The result of all this is David’s psalm, an ode to Doeg, a man that David apparently once counted as a friend and ally, but who was now willing to sell his own mother, so to speak, for Saul’s approbation and for his own self-preservation. So, what you should expect is that David will speak rather strongly and negatively about Doeg, and his actions. What Doeg did was an immoral betrayal. David will pull no punches.

I originally introduced this psalm at the time that Doeg stands up and tells Saul, “I’ve seen David in Nob.” However, that is not when David actually wrote this. David didn’t sit straight up in his bed one night and suddenly say, “Doeg’s selling out the priests” as if from some dream. He wrote this psalm because of this act of Doeg’s. However, David will become aware of the act when the last living priest, Abiathar ben Ahimelech (probably a teenager at the time), comes to David and tells him about the slaughter of Nob (I Sam. 22:20–23). This would have been the actual time of David writing this psalm. Therefore, even though many commentaries make reference to this psalm back in I Sam. 22:9, it more properly belongs here, after I Sam. 22:22, after we have seen what Doeg has done.

One of the reasons that I read several commentaries when I prepare this, is that they occasionally give me a fresh perspective or thought or question to pursue. Although I have several commentaries which have been gathered by the e-Sword guy (Rick Meyers), when I read McGee’s take on this psalm, he provided a completely different initial view: McGee suggests that this psalm introduces a series of psalms about the man of sin to come, the antichrist (Psalms 52–55). McGee, for those who don’t know him, taught the entire Bible over a period of 5 years on the radio, book by book, although not always verse by verse (which would have been an impossible task). This trip was done several times, and now it is rebroadcast nearly two decades after McGee passed away to be with God. McGee never did go crazy with eschatology; he taught it when he came to it, and avoided making wild predictions. In fact, he writes, Many wild things are being said today in the field of prophecy. There is fanaticism in the great department of eschatology, the doctrine of future things; and some things are being said that should not be said. Because of the anxiety and uncertainly of this day and age in which we live, many folk are turning to the Word of God. Prophetic conferences are springing up everywhere, sponsored by churches that never before were interested in prophecy. Many speakers are attempting to be sensational by making prophetic statements that have no foundation in the Word of God. However, like I said, when McGee got to a prophetic passage, he did not shy away from it. And what McGee suggests is that, we have all of these villains in the life of David who have cropped up, and as David wrote about them, he wrote also about the man of sin as well. That is, there was a double meaning that could be inferred in David’s writings. While I hesitate only slightly in supporting McGee’s position here, there is doubtless many parallels between Doeg and the man of sin to come.

Psalm 52 Inscription

Here is how others have translated this verse:

Early translations:

The Septuagint                      For the end, [a psalm] of instruction by David, when Doeg the Idumean came and told Saul, and said to him, “David is gone to the house of Abimelech.”

Thought-for-thought translations; paraphrases:

CEV                                       [A special psalm by David for the music leader. He wrote this when Doeg from Edom went to Saul and said, “David has gone to Ahimelech’s house.”]

NJB                                        For the choirmaster Poem Of David When Doeg the Edomite went and warned Saul, ‘David has gone to Abimelech’s house.’

NLT                                For the choir director: A psalm of David, regarding the time Doeg the Edomite told Saul that Ahimelech had given refuge to David.

TEV                                       God’s Judgment and Grace [Hebrew Title: A poem by David, after Doeg the Edomite went to Saul and told him that David had gone to the house of Ahimelech]

Mostly literal renderings (with some occasional paraphrasing):

God’s Word™                         For the choir director; a maskil; a psalm by David when Doeg (who was from Edom) told Saul that David had come to Ahimelech’s home.

JPS (Tanakh)                        For the leader. A maskil of David, when Doeg the Edomite came and informed Saul, telling him, “David came to Ahimelech’s house.” [In the JPS, this is vv. 1–2].

Literal, almost word-for-word, renderings:

The Amplified Bible                To the Chief Musician. A skillful song, or a didactic or reflective poem. [A Psalm] of David, when Doeg the Edomite came and told Saul, David has come to the house of Ahimelech.

NASB                                    For the choir director. A Maskil of David, when Doeg the Edomite came and told Saul, and said to him, “David has come to the house of Ahimelech.”

Young's Updated LT              To the Overseer. —An instruction by David, in the coming in of Doeg the Edomite, and he declares to Saul, and says to him, “David came in to the house of Ahimelech.”

What is the gist of this verse? David dedicates this psalm to God. It is a psalm of instruction written on the occasion that Doeg the Edomite revealed to Saul that David had been in Nob speaking with Ahimelech, the priest.

In the Hebrew, the first half of this inscriptions (parts a and b) are v. 1, and parts c and d are v. 2. Our English v. 1 is the Hebrew v. 3. In the Greek, this inscription (or title) and the verse that follows make up v. 1.

Translation: To the Preeminent One. As you can see, there are a variety of renderings for this Piel participle, including music leader, overseer, choirmaster, and chief musician. This psalm could be dedicated to God and it could be for the Overseer of the Music. What we have in Psalm 59, if you recall, is that David wrote: To the Preeminent One: do not destroy [me]! Although we could interpret this as being dedicated to Saul, who was out to destroy David, or to God, Who has the power to destroy David; this would hardly be applicable to the Chief Musician or to the Choir Director. Given the use of this word in Psalm 59, which was written prior to Psalm 56, we may reasonably give nâtsach a similar meaning here as found in Psalm 59; hence, the psalm is dedicated or written to God. Now, if we go with this understanding, the first question would be, why not dedicate this psalm to Elohim or to Jehovah? In the psalms, there are a number of style differences and word usage tends to be different as well. This does not preclude the use of Elohim or Jehovah, it simply recognizes that there may be words used in the psalms which also refer to God, but are not used elsewhere in that manner. Again, go back to Psalm 59—there are few traditional interpretations of the word nâtsach which make sense. However, as a dedication to God, this makes perfect sense.

Translation: An instructive psalm by David,... Although many good translations tend to transliterate this as maskil, I think that we can safely refer to this as an instructive psalm, given that there is no question about this words ties to the Hiphil (causal stem) of sâkal, which means to instruct, to make prudent, to teach. We find this used in the titles of Psalms  32, 42, 44, 45, 52–55, 74, 78, 88, 89, and 142. David is specifically mentioned in half of those psalms, with the following exceptions: no one is listed as the author for Psalms 42 44 45; Asaph is named as the writer of Psalms 74 78, Heman for Psalm 88 and Ethan for Psalm 89. After we cover a few more of these instructive psalms of David, then we will look at them as a whole.

Translation: When Doeg the Edomite came to Saul and made [it] known that [lit., and made known to Saul and so he says]... We have already discussed the history of this. Doeg the Edomite was an outsider to Israel and was the chief shepherd of the royal herds. David and Doeg no doubt knew one another and probably had an association which was cordial, if not friendly. However, Doeg, in order to get on Saul’s good side (and to cover his own butt), makes it known to Saul that David had been in Nob, the city of the priests.

Translation: ...David had gone to the house of Ahimelech. As we will study in the remainder of I Sam. 22, Doeg will deftly guide Saul’s rage to fall upon Ahimelech, so that, once Doeg has revealed this information to Saul, Saul’s anger will seethe against Ahimelech (you see, when Doeg reveals this information to Saul, he takes the chance that Saul will be pissed at him, so he has to deflect Saul’s anger toward someone else). David probably does not know much more at this time than the fact that Doeg sold him out and sold out these priests. I don’t believe that there is another psalm which reveals such intense anger against an enemy than this psalm.

One of the things which we noted in the exegesis of I Sam. 22:10, was the fact that Doeg embellished his story to Saul somewhat. He told Saul that the High Priest of Nob, Ahimelech, helped David by giving him guidance from God. This was patently untrue, and we noted the reasons why we knew his testimony was false (which included v. 3 of this psalm). To remind you, Doeg told Saul that David had receive a weapon from Ahimelech, as well as bread (both of which are true) and also said that David received divine guidance through Ahimelech. It was this addition to the actual facts which upset Saul the most. However, this was Doeg’s plan—if Saul thought that David has simply deceived Ahimelech the priest, and that Doeg held back this information that David had been to Nob, then Saul might take his anger out on Doeg. However, since Doeg distorted David and Ahimelech’s meeting, making it sound as though Ahimelech was in collusion with David. The result of this lie will be that Saul will first kill all of the priests, and then he will go into Nob and slaughter all of their families—their wives and children—and all of their livestock. Although we haven’t covered this in I Sam. 22 yet, Saul will call of all of the priests to come to him. Then, when they arrive, he will accuse them and order their deaths. Even Saul’s hardened soldiers will not lift their swords against the priests, so Doeg will personally kill all 85 of them. This is how evil and depraved that Doeg is. He is willing to do anything in order to receive Saul’s approbation.

At least one commentator (Spurgeon) suggested that Doeg hated David. This is not the case. Had that been the case, Doeg would have given up David long ago—or brought him in from Nob when he saw him. Doeg weighed the options and determined that letting Saul know what David had been was the best way to advance his career. He did not tell Saul when he got back from Nob, and surely Doeg knew of Saul’s interest in David’s capture. Doeg waited till part way through this meeting before he spoke up. He was weighing the pros and cons. He didn’t hate David; he just recognized that this would properly further his career, and garner a little approbation from Saul.

Doeg’s Evil Lying Tongue

Here is how others have handled this verse:

Early translations:

The Septuagint                      Why do you, O mighty man, boast of iniquity in mischief? All the day... [This is part of v. 1; also the Greek lacks the phrase the grace of God].

Thought-for-thought translations; paraphrases:

CEV                                       You people may be strong and brag about your sins,

but God can be trusted day after day.

NAB                                       Why do you glory in evil,

you scandalous liar?

All day long...

NJB                                        Why take pride in being wicked,

you champion in villainy, all day long....

NLT                                You call yourself a hero, do you?

Why boast about this crime of yours,

you who have disgraced God’s people?

REB                                       You mighty man, why do you boast all the day of your infamy against God’s loyal servant? [against: probable reading; compare Syriac; Hebrew omits].

Mostly literal renderings (with some occasional paraphrasing):

God’s Word™                         Why do you brag about the evil you’ve done, you hero?

The mercy of God lasts all day long!

JPS (Tanakh)                        Why do you boast of your evil, brave fellow?

God’s faithfulness never ceases [lit., is all the day]. [This is v. 3 in the JPS].

Literal, almost word-for-word, renderings:

The Amplified Bible                Why boast you of mischief done against the loving-kindness of God [and the godly], O mighty [sinful] man, day after day?

Updated Emphasized Bible   Why do you boast of wickedness, O mighty man?

║The lovingkindness of God║ [lasts] all the day.

NASB                                    Why do you boast in evil, O mighty man?

The lovingkindness of God endures all day long.

NRSV                                    Why do you boast, O mighty one,

of mischief done against the godly? All the day... [A correction was made in the text, as the transmission of the text was determined to be faulty. Compare the Syriac targum. Heb. the kindness of God].

Young's Updated LT              What, do you boast in evil, O mighty one?

The kindness of God is all the day.

Whenever you see a slew of translations, that means that rendering this verse is going to be difficult. You will see that there were several general approaches. Several translations took the phrase all day long and placed it with the following verse (e.g., NAB, NJB, NRSV). Many assert that the second line is not “God’s grace [endures] all day long.” There is good contextual evidence for this approach. Whereas, it is not unusual for a writer of poems or psalms to contrast the godly with the wicket, God’s path versus man’s path; we would expect this parallel to run for several verses. However, vv. 2–4 do not have a similar parallel, nor does God’s grace seem to be a prominent theme of this psalm. Therefore, it is possible that the second half of this verse is the result of a faulty transmission of text.

What is the gist of this verse? David sets up a contrast between a man of great power who boasts in his evil, and God, Who’s grace is continual and consistent. There is some debate with regards to second statement about God’s grace.

Translation: How can you boast in [your] evil, man of [worldly] strength [and power]? Calling Doeg a mighty man or a soldier is a dig. It is irony. Doeg is the head shepherd, an important position in Saul’s cabinet, but he is not a warrior. Saul looked Doeg over and decided, “Rather than put you on the front lines, I think you’ll do better overseeing my livestock.” Doeg would have no power and no position, apart from Saul. Doeg probably thinks that he has done well or that he has done right to inform on David. His informing Saul about David and Ahimelech the priest was evil, and even more so, as he and David had a relationship before and he knows David’s character.

Translation: God’s grace [is] all day long [lit., all the day]. Although this is a true statement, and although this is what we have in the Hebrew, God’s grace is missing from the Greek, so that all the day goes along with v. 2.

Both approaches make ample sense. Interpreting the Hebrew: David first asks, “How can you possibly boast in [your] evil, you man of strength?” There is nothing to boast about. In contrast, God and His grace, which sustain and protect David, are continual. That is, if you are going to boast, why not boast in God’s grace? Doeg had nothing that he could boast about. On the other hand, God’s grace, trumped Doeg’s evil. No matter what Doeg planned, no matter what evil he does, how could he boast about it when that evil is nullified by God’s grace?

Interpretation of the Greek: David excoriates Doeg for several verses: in vv. 1–4, David does nothing but talk about just how vicious, self-serving and evil that Doeg is. Then, in v. 5, we find out what God will do to Doeg. This is a much cleaner approach: first Doeg and his approach to life, and then what God would do to Doeg. If we have this contrast between God’s grace and Doeg in v. 1, we would expect that to be followed throughout. This approach appears to be less disjointed and easier to follow—it is much easier to outline, actually. I find this second approach to be the most sensible.

Here is how others have translated this verse:

Early translations:

The Septuagint                      [All the day] your tongue has devised unrighteousness; like a sharpened razor, you have brought about deceit.

Thought-for-thought translations; paraphrases:

CEV                                       You plan brutal crimes,

and your lying words cut like a sharp razor.

NAB                                       [All day long] you plot destruction;

your tongue is like a sharpened razor,

you skillful deceiver.

NJB                                        [all day long plotting crime?

Your tongue is razor-sharp,

you artist in perfidy.

NLT                                All day long you plot destruction.

Your tongue cuts like a sharp razor;

you’re an expert at telling lies.

TEV                                       You make plans to ruin others;

your tongue is like a sharp razor.

You are always inventing lies.

Mostly literal renderings (with some occasional paraphrasing):

God’s Word™                         Your tongue makes up threats.

It’s like a sharp razor, you master of deceit.

JPS (Tanakh)                        Your tongue devises mischief,

like a sharpened razor that works treacherously.

Literal, almost word-for-word, renderings:

NASB                                    Your tongue devises destruction,

Like a sharp razor, O worker of deceit.

Young's Updated LT              You tongue devises mischiefs,

Like a sharp razor, working deceit.

What is the gist of this verse? Doeg carefully considers and devises plans and engineers deceits which carefully exalt him over the shoulders (and sometimes dead bodies) of others.

Translation: You devise [lit., think] ruin [destruction and injury]. It is possible that all day long belongs with this phrase, giving us, You devise ruin [destruction and injury] all day long. What Doeg will do will go far beyond what we have seen so far. He doesn’t just turn David in; he doesn’t just rat on David. When every man in Saul’s entourage will refuse to kill the priests of Nob, Doeg will come forward and he will kill them all himself. There is no evil act that Doeg would not do to further his own career.

Recall that what Doeg did was not impulsive. He didn’t let it slip out where he saw David. He didn’t run to Saul with this information as soon as he got it. He thought this through, and presented it in such a way as to gain him the most mileage. Some people may have seen David, told Saul, and then thought back on this mistake, saying, “I wish I hadn’t told him that.” Or even, “Maybe I shouldn’t have revealed that information to Saul.” When Doeg revealed this information to Saul, it was cool and calculated, and he added information which was untrue in order to deflect Saul’s anger. More on that later.

Application: The business world is filled with men who will do anything to get ahead; they will do any evil thing in order to further the interests of their company (as long as those interests further their own). You cannot approach your business apart from your spiritual life. Other men should be able to take you at your word. A handshake should be sufficient to seal any deal with you (although I don’t recommend that in many cases). A believer should be able to be taken at their word, and there should not be some hidden agenda.

Application: Some lawyers will do anything to justify themselves. When a criminal defense lawyer puts a criminal back on the street, he will blame the prosecutor or police for not doing their job. He will say it’s the system; he will blame anyone else. However, he will do his very best to free criminals because that will make him rich. He will do his best to see that a criminal does not have to account for his own actions, because if he didn’t, he would not get any more cases.

Translation: Your tongue is a sharp razor, [you] master [lit., doer] of deceit. Doeg initiated his evil with his tongue. He did not need to speak up. There was no need for him to turn David in. There was no need for him to expose the priests of Nob, as though they had done anything wrong.

Clarke comments: Like a sharp razor, working deceitfully - Which instead of taking off the beard, cuts and wounds the flesh; or as the operator who, when pretending to trim the beard, cuts the throat. And Barnes comments: His slanders were like a sharp knife with which one stabs another. So we say of a slanderer that he “stabs” another in the dark.

The analogy to the razor is apt; a razor is a small instrument capable of shaving off an entire beard and just as capable of inflicted great damage; even death. Similarly, the tongue is a small member of the body, but capable of initiating great destruction to a person’s life. James 3:6–8: And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. So the tongue is set among our members, spotting all the body and inflaming the course of nature, and being inflamed by hell. For every kind of animals, and of birds, and of reptiles, and of sea-animals, is tamed, and has been tamed by mankind. But no one can tame the tongue, it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. One of the great themes of the Bible is the viciousness and destructiveness of the tongue. We studied the Sins of the Tongue back in Lev. 19:16.

What Doeg did was to mix lies in with the truth. It was the truth that he had seen David in Nob. It was true that Ahimelech, the High Priest, gave David a sword and bread; however, Ahimelech had been deceived by David, into thinking that he was furthering some cause of Saul’s. So he had done nothing wrong. Doeg could not simply tell Saul the truth and nothing else. If he said, “You know, I saw David last month in Nob” then Saul would have killed Doeg because he knew where David was, and didn’t tell Saul until it was too late. He couldn’t even tell Saul that Ahimelech gave David a sword and food, and let it go at that, because that could have been gotten by deception (which it was). Doeg had to add the detail that Ahimelech procured divine guidance for David (I Sam. 22:10). That nails Ahimelech down as a co-conspirator. And Saul’s anger, which might have been directed at Doeg, is now focused firmly on Ahimelech (and Saul will bear some gratitude for Doeg’s information).

Here is how others have translated this verse:

Early translations:

The Septuagint                      You have loved wickedness more than goodness; unrighteousness better than to speak righteousness. Pause.

Thought-for-thought translations; paraphrases:

CEV                                       You would rather do evil than good,

and tell lies than speak the truth.

NLT                                You love evil more than good

and lies more than truth.

Mostly literal renderings (with some occasional paraphrasing):

JPS (Tanakh)                        You prefer evil to good,

the lie, to speaking truthfully.

Literal, almost word-for-word, renderings:

NASB                                    You love evil more than good,

                                              Falsehood more than speaking what is right.               [Selah.

Young's Updated LT              You have loved evil rather than good,

Lying, than speaking righteousness. Selah.

What is the gist of this verse? Doeg prefers evil over good and he would rather tell a lie than tell the truth.

Translation: You love evil more than [you love] good;... The implication of this verse is, Doeg can distinguish between right and wrong. David has spent time with him and Doeg has gone to the city of priests. In fact, he has even remained there for additional training or encouragement (I Sam. 21:7). However, when it comes to making a choice, Doeg chooses evil over good.

Translation: ...[and] deception more than speaking righteousness. Pause. Doeg could choose to stand up for what is right or he can choose to back that which is wrong. All of Saul’s men will oppose killing these priests of Nob. Doeg will step forward and kill them with his own hand. Interestingly enough, David does not even focus on this aspect of Doeg’s character. Just like anyone else, when I look back at I Sam. 22, the fact that Doeg is willing to kill all of these priests is an act which is horrendous and vile. But David focuses in on Doeg’s tongue. David focuses in on what Doeg said.

How do we tie Doeg’s extreme behavior to what he has said; to how he has falsely spoken of David? Visualize the scene that is taking place. Doeg has lied to Saul about the circumstances and situation of David’s visit to Nob. Although he claims that Ahimelech, the High Priest, offered David guidance from God, Doeg did not actually witness that. If Doeg is caught in a lie, he could pay for his life. Furthermore, this lie was key. This is the lie which would deflect Saul’s anger from Doeg (for not telling him earlier about David) to Ahimelech, the priest. So, how does Doeg preserve this lie? He is willing to kill the priests with his own hand. He cannot chance that Ahimelech will spout out the truth and sway Saul. So, not only did Doeg kill all of the priests himself, but he killed the High Priest first—Ahimelech—so that there would be no chance that his lie will be preserved.

To sum up these previous three verses, Doeg preferred lies over the truth, darkness over light and evil over that which is right and good. Barnes comments: He preferred a lie to the truth; and, when he supposed that his own interest would be subserved by it, he preferred a falsehood that would promote that interest, rather than a simple statement of the truth. The “lying” in this case was that which was “implied” in his being desirous of giving up David, or betraying him to Saul - as if David was a bad man, and as if the suspicions of Saul were well-founded. He preferred to give his countenance to a falsehood in regard to him, rather than to state the exact truth in reference to his character. His conduct in this was strongly in contrast with that of Ahimelech, who, when arraigned before Saul, declared his belief that David was innocent; his firm conviction that David was true and loyal. “For” that fidelity he lost his life, 1Sam. 22:14. Doeg was willing to lend countenance to the suspicions of Saul, and practically to represent David as a traitor to the king.

What I did not find—and what I am unable to explain—is the insertion of the word Selah, or pause or musical pause at this point. One would expect a pause at the end of a topic, which would be the end of v. 4, rather than the end of this verse. My reasonable explanation here is, we have 5 lines (if v. 1b is really a part of 2a), followed by a Selah, followed by 4 (or 5) lines, followed by a Selah. Perhaps, given the melody, there was a musical balance which was served by inserting the musical break at that point. V. 4 picks up the general theme and leads us into v. 5, which tells us what God will do to such a one. That is, v. 4 is a summary of vv. 1–3, but placed with v. 5 to give a musical balance (something which we have lost in time). This is followed by two sets of 5 lines each, but lacking the intervening Selah. This would allow for a musical balance, and, more or less, a topical balance (again, v. 4 seems to be misplaced, unless is simply summarizes the previous 3 verses in order to give continuity to the second set of 5 lines).

Here is how others have translated this verse:

Early translations:

The Septuagint                      You have loved all words of destruction, [as well as] a deceitful tongue.

Thought-for-thought translations; paraphrases:

CEV                                       You love to say cruel things,

and your words are a trap.

NLT                                You love to say things that harm others, you liar!

REB                                       ...you love all malicious talk and slander.

Mostly literal renderings (with some occasional paraphrasing):

God’s Word™                         You love every destructive accusation, you deceitful tongue!

JPS (Tanakh)                        You love all pernicious words,

treacherous speech.

Literal, almost word-for-word, renderings:

The Amplified Bible                You love all destroying and devouring words, O deceitful tongue.

NASB                                    You love all words that devour,

O deceitful tongue.

Young's Updated LT              You have loved all devouring words,

O you deceitful tongue.

What is the gist of this verse? If we have two lines here, the David is saying that Doeg loves words that will consume, as well as a deceitful tongue. If there is but one line here, then David is addresses the tongue of Doeg, and tells him, You love consuming words.

Translation: You love all words [that] devour [and destroy];... Doeg chooses words which deliberately destroy the lives of others. He does not care that his words are so destructive...in fact, he chooses words with that end in mind.

One could make the argument that, all Doeg did was tell a white lie; he exaggerated the truth. He covered his own ass—what’s wrong with that? After all, prevailing human viewpoint is, look out for #1. Doeg’s choice to lie about David would result in the deaths of hundreds of innocent men, women and children. You cannot place this blame on Saul, even though Saul gave the order. Saul’s men knew that Saul was a little tetched. They even brought David in originally to soothe his tendencies. Given that this was well-known, Saul’s men did not choose to share everything with Saul. If there was something that would set Saul off, these men held back. If he issued an order that was too crazy, these men stepped back. We know that because Saul will order these soldiers to kill the priests from Nob and they will refuse to carry out this order (I Sam. 22:17). Doeg will follow Saul’s orders, and thus ingratiate himself to Saul as well as remove the living evidence that what he told Saul was a lie. Because so many innocent people died from Doeg’s lie, David excoriates Doeg in this passage.

Translation: ...[you love] a deceitful tongue. This could be seen in two ways. The pausal form of bela׳ (which is according to Owen) would suggest that this is a new line, in which case the lack of a verb would suggest that we insert a verb. The most reasonable verb to insert would be the previous verb you love. If we take this as being two lines, we have 4 stanzas of 5 lines each; and this v. 4 parallels the thinking of v. 3.

The second interpretation is that this is a vocative, and that David so addresses Doeg as O deceitful tongue! This would give us: You love all words [that] devour [and destroy], O deceitful tongue. This would be known as a metonymy, where David is not really referring to Doeg’s deceitful tongue, but he is talking about Doeg when he deceives.

What God Will Do to Doeg

Here is how others have translated this verse:

Early translations:

The Septuagint                      Therefore may God destroy you forever; may He pluck you up and utterly remove you from [your] dwelling, and your root from the land of the living. Pause.

Thought-for-thought translations; paraphrases:

CEV                                       God will destroy you forever!

He will grab you and drag you from your homes.

You will be uprooted and left to die.

NLT                                But God will strike you down once and for all.

He will pull you from you home

and drag you from the land of the living.Interlude

REB                                       So may God fling you to the ground, [So may God: or So God will]

sweep you away, leave you ruined and homeless,

uprooted from the land of the living.[Selah

Mostly literal renderings (with some occasional paraphrasing):

God’s Word™                         But God will ruin you forever.

He will grab you and drag you out of your tent.

He will pull your roots out of this world of the living. Selah

JPS (Tanakh)                        So God will tear you down for good,

will break you and pluck you from your tent,

and root you out of the land of the living.

Literal, almost word-for-word, renderings:

The Amplified Bible                God will likewise break you down and destroy you for ever; He will lay old of you and pluck you out of your tent, and uproot you from the land of the living. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!

NASB                                    But [or, Also] God will break you down forever;

He will snatch you up, and tear you away from your tent,

                                              And uproot you from the land of the living.            [Selah.

Young's Updated LT              Also—God breaks you down forever,

He takes you, and pulls you out of the tent,

And He has uprooted you

Out of the land of the living. Selah.

What is the gist of this verse? Now David tells Doeg what will happen to him. Doeg was making a life for himself in Israel, but God will uproot him from Israel and from life itself.

Translation: Furthermore, God will tear you down forever;... A person who behaves as Doeg has will face God’s wrath. This man will be torn down forever. God will destroy him and whatever he has built for himself.

You will recall that I mentioned McGee’s viewpoint on this psalm, that it is as much about the man of sin during the Tribulation as it is about Doeg the Edomite. Although I have not spend any time with that viewpoint apart from the introduction, I will cover the Parallels Between the Man of Sin and Doeg at the end of this exegesis. However, now would be a good time to reintroduce that thought. No one gets away with anything on this earth. It may appear to us that they do, but they don’t. God will tear down or beat down Doeg; and God will tear down the man of sin during the Tribulation. He will become the most powerful man on earth, whose rule can be opposed by no man; yet God will take him down.

Translation: ...He will seize you and tear you out from [your] tent;... Someday, God will essentially reach down and grab Doeg and pull him out from his tent, away from his family and possessions. In fact, away from everything that Doeg has schemed and fought for. We have an illustration of this in the book of Esther. Haman, second in command in the greatest empire in the world at that time, decided that he would pick on God’s people the Jews (Esther 1–6). It is as though this passage was written for him: God will seize you and tear you out from your tent and He will uproot you from the land of the living.

Translation: ...He will uproot you from the land of the living. Pause. There will be a time when Doeg dies. The perfect tense here means that God has already determined that time. It is a certainty. This means, everything that Doeg has done, to put him where he is, is for naught. Every lie, every time that Doeg spoke up to further his own career at the detriment of other—all the gain from these things—will be lost to Doeg forever.

I also need to point out the internal evidence that we have here. We have just studied Psalm 142, and we found in that psalm the phrase the land of the living. David is looking for Doeg to die...maybe not today or tomorrow, but he is looking for Doeg to die and to face God in judgment. That is Doeg being snatched from the land of the living. However, in Psalm 142, David’s emphasis is upon his own portion in this life; and God is there for him in the land of the living (Psalm 52:5). Finding this same phrase suggests to us that these psalms could have been written by the same person during the same time period.

Application: If you are willing to cheat and lie and cut corners in order to gain material abundance, realize that God will remove that from you; particularly if you have done evil against another believer (as, you would not be hearing this unless you are a believer). It will not last. God is fully capable of destroying whatever tiny little empire that you build for yourself. Don’t be deceived, God is not mocked. Whatever a man sows, so will he reap (Gal. 6:7). The world tells you that you need to look out for #1, and that you have to step on other people in order to get where you are going; but that is not what God desires for you. Furthermore, God will uproot you from this that you build for yourself when it is based upon what you have taken from others, and He will judge you.

We noted a pause at the end of v. 3, and then there is another one here. In vv. 1–3 we were introduced to Doeg, a man of lies, and man who devises evil against others so that he could elevate himself. At the end of v. 5, we have now seen what God will do to such a man. So, one observes this man of lies, and he pauses, perhaps pondering the ideals of justice; then one observes what God does to this man, and he pauses again, recognizing God’s ultimate justice.

The Righteous Will Observe and Take Note of the Futility of Doeg’s Life

Here is how others have translated this verse:

Early translations:

The Septuagint                      And the righteous will see and fear, and will laugh at him, and say,...

Thought-for-thought translations; paraphrases:

CEV                                       When good people see this fearsome sight,

they will laugh and say,...

NJB                                        The upright will be awestruck as they see it,

they will mock him,...

NLT                                The righteous will see it and be amazed.

They will laugh and say,...

Mostly literal renderings (with some occasional paraphrasing):

God’s Word™                         Righteous people will see └this┘ and be struck with fear.

They will laugh at you and say,...

JPS (Tanakh)                        The righteous, seeing it, will be awestruck;

they will jibe at him, saying,...

Literal, almost word-for-word, renderings:

The Amplified Bible                The [uncompromisingly] righteous also shall see it, and be in reverent fear and awe, but about you will [scoffingly] laugh, saying,...

Emphasized Bible                  The righteous shall both see and fear,

And <over him> shall laugh:...

NASB                                    And the righteous will see and fear,

And will laugh at him, saying,...

Young's Updated LT              And the righteous see,

And fear, and laugh at him.

What is the gist of this verse? Believers, called righteous here, observe what happens to Doeg; they simultaneously fear and respect God, and they laugh at Doeg.

Translation: And righteous ones will see and be in awe [or, fear],... Bob Thieme often remarked as to how a person with doctrine could look at history and properly evaluate it. Here, righteous men, referring not only to believers, but those who have matured, can look at Doeg, and his life, and what God has done to him, and properly understand that our God is a God of power and direct involvement. Because of what happens to Doeg, they will fear and be in awe of God’s power.

I want you to observe something else here: David does not call upon anyone besides God to execute judgment against Doeg; nor does he do so himself. The ideal in this life is to pray for your enemies, as Christ died for them just like He died for you. Here, by his actions, it is clear that Doeg is not a believer, even though he spent time with the priests at Nob. He is an opportunist and he will use God, if it suits him. Therefore, David has no problem with this imprecatory prayer—that is, a prayer asking for Doeg’s destruction. But, if you are the vigil ante type, take note that David takes no direct action himself.

Translation: ...and they will laugh in regards to him. Doeg has chosen the path that he chose in order to get the attention of Saul and to better his lot in life. Righteous men observe this and properly mock him or hold Doeg in derision. Men who step on others in order to better themselves, do not become quiet consumers and gatherers of wealth; they desire approbation. They want others to look up to them and to be jealous. They want others to desire what they have. So, Doeg did more than the evil that we will observe in I Sam. 22; Doeg would lord this over the people around him. He would strut his stuff; he would show off; he would do the touchdown dance in the end zone. His entire attitude was, “I am greater than you; I have more than you.” So when he falls, all those around him laugh and hold him in derision. They may have been jealous and angered and intimidated before, but when Doeg goes down, they will laugh at him and mock him.

Earlier, I used the illustration of Mordecai and Haman from the book of Esther. Haman was the #2 man in the Persian empire; however, he could not get Mordecai, a Jew, to bow down to him in worship. So Haman sought to not only kill all of the Jews in Persia, but to personally impale Mordecai himself. God will see to it that Mordecai, the righteous, will observe Haman, the man of evil, be impaled (Esther 7).

We have another parallel passage from the viewpoint of God: Psalm 2:1–4: Why do the nations rage, and the peoples meditate on a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers plot together, against Jehovah and against His anointed, saying, Let us break their bands in two and cast away their cords from us. He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; Jehovah shall mock at them. See also Psalm  58:10 64:9-10 Prov. 1:26

Here is how others have translated this verse:

Early translations:

The Septuagint                      Behold, the man who has not made God his help, but has trusted in the abundance of his wealth, and strengthened himself in his vanity.

Thought-for-thought translations; paraphrases:

CEV                                       “Just look at them now! Instead of trusting God,

they trusted their wealth and their cruelty.”

NAB                                       “That one did not take God as a refuge,

but trusted in great wealth,

relied on devious plots.”

NJB                                        ‘So much for someone who would not place his reliance in God,

but relied on his own great wealth, and made himself strong by crime.’

NLT                                “Look what happens to mighty warriors

who do not trust in God.

They trust in their wealth instead

and grow more and more bold in their wickedness.”

Mostly literal renderings (with some occasional paraphrasing):

God’s Word™                         “Look at this person who refused to make God his fortress!

Instead, he trusted his great wealth

and became strong through his greed.”

JPS (Tanakh)                        “Here was a fellow who did not make God his refuge,

but trusted in his great wealth,

relied upon his mischief.”

Literal, almost word-for-word, renderings:

The Amplified Bible                See, this is the man who made not God his strength — his stronghold and high tower; but trusted and confidently relied on the abundance of his riches, seeking refuge and security for himself through his wickedness.

Updated Emphasized Bible   Lo! The man who did not make God his refuge, —

But trusted in the abundance of his riches,

Encourages himself [or, makes himself bold] in his wealth.^b [^b So it should be (with Aramaic Translation and Syriac version)]

NASB                                    “Behold, the man who would not make God his refuge,

But trusted in the abundance of his riches,

And was strong in his evil desire [or, his destruction].

NRSV                                    “See the one who would not take refuge in God,

but trusted in abundant riches, and sought refuge in wealth!” [as per Syriac targum; Hebrew in his destruction].

Young's Updated LT              “Lo, the man who makes not God his strong place,

And trusts in the abundance of his riches,

He is strong in his mischiefs.”

What is the gist of this verse? This appears to be a quotation of the righteous man, who sees Doeg’s fall. He observes, “This is a man who did not depend upon God. He trusted in his own riches. He continues to strengthen his own lusts.”

Translation: “Observe the man who [lit., he] does not make God his refuge,... We have God taking Doeg down in v. 5. In v. 6, the mature believer observes God’s takedown of Doeg and he laughs at Doeg, but he also fears God. In this verse, we have what the mature believer says, as he watches Doeg. Here, in v. 7, he makes apt, correct observations. He describes exactly what he sees in Doeg. The mature believer tells us why he laughs at Doeg and why he simultaneously fears God.

People have all sorts of things which they trust in. David has learned, as we have seen in this and previous psalms, that his only safety is in God. However, this psalm is about the scoundrel Doeg, whose safety and security lie in his own wealth. In a free enterprise society, many people put their faith in their wealth. The more a society is socialized, the more others will have tendency to put their faith and security in their government. There are some whose security is in their job, in their family, in the approbation they receive, in their power.

As a member of Saul’s staff and as a man to whom Saul is beholden, Doeg certainly received financial consideration. For this reason, even though we found him in Nob, city of the priests, Doeg’s interest and financial safety are his money and material gains, not God. This is the observation of the mature believer.

Translation: ...that he trusts in the abundance of his riches. As mentioned, Doeg no doubt was far richer than the average person. He would do anything for Saul’s approbation—he would even kill every priest of God. So he was no doubt remunerated for his dedication. And here is where he places his trust—in his financial gain, in his money—instead of in God. Again, the mature believer has observed that Doeg was faced with spiritual enlightenment—he spent time with the priests at Nob, but instead, he has chosen to trust in his own personal wealth.

Let me again allude to McGee’s suggestion that this is also a reference to the antichrist during the Tribulation. Like today, politicians must be rich in order to make it in the political arena. The antichrist will be rich and he will become a popular and beloved leader. It will be his personal wealth which will help to put him into office.

We actually have several parallel verses; the first is Psalm 40:4: Blessed is the man who makes Jehovah his trust and does not turn to the proud, nor to those who turn aside to a lie. Also Psalm 49:6–9: Those who trust in their wealth, and their many riches, boast themselves. A man cannot at all redeem a brother, nor give to God a ransom for him, for the redemption of their soul is precious, and it ceases forever, yea, he shall yet live forever; he shall never see corruption. The psalmist examines the wealth of a rich man, and points out that no rich man has enough to redeem his brother; meaning that his riches are not enough to purchase salvation. Or, let’s look at Prov. 18:10–11: The name of Jehovah is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe. The rich man's wealth is his strong city, and as a high wall in his own mind. Recall that Psalm 52:7 are said the to be the words of the righteous man. In Proverbs, we have the contrast between what the righteous man depends upon and what the rich man depends upon.

Barnes comments: From this it would seem that Doeg was a rich man, and that, as a general thing, in his life, and in his plans of evil, he felt confident in his wealth. He had that spirit of arrogance and self-confidence which springs from the conscious possession of property where there is no fear of God; and into all that he did he carried the sense of his own importance as derived from his riches. In the particular matter referred to in the psalm the meaning is, that he would perform the iniquitous work of giving “information” with the proud and haughty feeling springing from wealth and from self-importance - the feeling that he was a man of consequence, and that whatever such a man might do would be entitled to special attention.

Application: Our faith, our trust, our dependence should be upon God. This is not some ethereal, inexplicable thing. God has told us who He is in His Word. We know God’s character in His Word. We know what God will do in many situations, as this is covered in His Word. We have promises from God; we have divine operating assets given to us from God. God and His Word should be the center of our lives. When difficult circumstances come upon us, we should be able to look to God’s Word for comfort and guidance and eventual deliverance, either from or while in these difficult circumstances.

Translation: He is strengthened in his desire [or, He becomes stronger in his lust; or, He is strengthened in his ruin].” This final word has a veritable plethora of meanings; plus, it is not even certain that this is the proper word. However, a man who would kill all the priests of God merely to gain Saul’s approbation is a man ruled by his own lusts or desires. He desires money and wealth, and performing Saul’s tasks is the easiest way to gain that. He gives full reign to the lust pattern of his soul. We all know of various businessmen or salesmen who will alter or distort the truth in order to make a deal or to close a sale. They are acting without personal honor and allowing the lusts of their soul to guide them. Perhaps they want to move ahead in their profession, perhaps they needed the bonus from the extra sale. For whatever reason, they are not willing to be honest and forthright. The very same dishonest businessmen as salesmen will then boast of their deals, of their sales; they strengthen themselves in following their lusts and placing their personal desires before all else.

I have said that this word has a couple of meanings. The psalmist chose such a word, because, as Doeg strengthens himself in his own lusts, he also insures his own eventual ruin, fall or calamity. As he strengthens or intensifies his lusts, he also further guarantees his own fall. These go hand-in-hand. In poetry, the writer is often more inclined to venture out into sarcasm, veiled meanings, and double meanings.

David Presents His Own Trust in God by Way of Contrast

In this Psalm, David spends a great deal of time excoriating the evil Doeg (vv. 1–7) and much less time presenting the way that things should be done (vv. 8–9). In these final two verses, David presents his own life by contrast. Now, recall that Doeg has the approbation of Saul and he is rich and successful. David has the approbation of God and he is on the run from Saul. Doeg is rich, powerful and he has a nice home. David is without financing, he is a fugitive and he has no home. However, both of these men will suffer/enjoy a reversal of fortune. Doeg depends upon a man, Saul, to advance him in life; David depends upon God for all things.

Here is how others have translated this verse:

Early translations:

The Septuagint                      But I am as a fruitful olive in the house of God; I have trusted in the mercy of God forever, even for evermore.

Thought-for-thought translations; paraphrases:

CEV                                       But I am like an olive tree growing in God’s house,

and I can count on his love forever and ever.

Mostly literal renderings (with some occasional paraphrasing):

JPS (Tanakh)                        But I am like a thriving olive tree in God’s house;

I trust in the faithfulness of God forever and ever.

Literal, almost word-for-word, renderings:

The Amplified Bible                But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God; I rust and confidently rely on the loving-kindness and the mercy of God for ever and ever.

Updated Emphasized Bible   But ║I║ am like a flourishing olive-tree in the house of God,

I have put confidence in the lovingkindness of God for times age-abiding and beyond.

NASB                                    But as for me, I am like a green olive tree in the house of God;

I trust in the lovingkindness of God forever and ever.

Young's Updated LT              And I, as a green olive in the house of God,

I have trusted in the kindness of God,

To the age and forever.

What is the gist of this verse? David now speaks of himself as a green olive tree in the house of God (a young, growing believer) who has trusted in God’s grace and kindness forever.

Translation: But I am like a green olive tree in the house of Elohim;... The olive tree is a symbol found throughout Scripture. Although most of the references in the Old Testament are literal, it should be obvious that David is not saying that he is a literal olive tree in God’s house. After all, very few people actually allow a tree to be grown inside a house. So, we need to examine: The Olive Tree in Scripture. Our conclusion is that David, as a green olive tree, is a growing but not mature believer (compare Psalm 1:3 Jer. 11:16). Once an olive tree reaches maturity, they will produce olives for another couple hundred years. Once David reaches maturity, he will produce for a long time as well (in fact, for thousands of years).

There is also the statement here, the house of Elohim. Since this is a difficult phrase to interpret, we need to therefore examine The House of Elohim. This is not so much a study of the Tabernacle or Temple of God, as it is a study of the occurrences of the phrase House of Elohim or the House of Jehovah in Scripture. Our conclusion is that this is generally a literal reference; however, there are a few instances, e.g. this one, where it simply refers to fellowship with God (compare Psalm 27:4–5). The reason this imagery is suggested, is that Doeg observed David at the House of Elohim (reasonably assuming that it was set up and functioning in Nob).

Barnes weighs in with the following: The particular allusion here is to the “courts” of the tabernacle. An olive tree would not be cultivated in the tabernacle, but it might in the “courts” or “area” which surrounded it. The name “house of God” would be given to the whole area, as it was afterward to the entire area in which the temple was. A tree thus planted in the very courts of the sanctuary would be regarded as sacred, and would be safe as long as the tabernacle itself was safe, for it would be, as it were, directly under the divine protection. So David had been, notwithstanding all the efforts of his enemies to destroy him.

Given what we have just studied, David is a young, growing believer. He is not mature enough to produce much; however, he is receiving the greatest of care and his production will last for hundreds of years (in all actuality, it will last for thousands and thousands of years). That David is a growing believer is indicated by the phrase House of God. Since David is out running from Saul, and since we have no mention of him returning to Nob (which Saul will destroy), we know that this is the more rare Metaphorical use of the phrase.

Translation: I will trust in the grace of God forever and [to] perpetuity. This is our point of reference in the plan of God: God’s grace. Apart from His grace, we have nothing. Although grace is often called God benevolent favor, it is all that God is free to do for us on the basis of the cross. It is unclear as to how much David or any other Old Testament saint understood about the cross. The cross in Scripture was hidden, and the reason is obvious: if Satan realized that Jesus dying for our sins on the cross would be the pivotal point in history, which gave freedom and grace to all, then Satan would not have masterminded all that occurred leading up to the cross. He would have done everything possible to keep the cross from happening. However, because the cross is the central point of human history, the Old Testament has to be clear, in retrospection, that this is within the plan of God. When we examine Abraham’s offering of Isaac, Psalm 22 or God’s suffering servant in Isa. 53, it is clear that the cross was not some aberration or simply a miscarriage of justice. God clearly knew the end from the beginning and allowed us to see that He knew what was to come.

Having examined this psalm as a whole, we will better understand v. 9 now, as it completes all of the parallelisms introduced earlier.

Here is how others have translated this verse:

Early translations:

The Septuagint                      I will give thanks to You forever, for You have done [it]; and I will wait on Your name, for [it is] good before your saints.

Thought-for-thought translations; paraphrases:

CEV                                       I will always thank God for what he has done;

I will praise his good name when his people meet.

NLT                                I will praise you forever, O God,

for what you have done.

I will wait for your mercies

in the presence of your people.

REB                                       I shall praise you for ever for what you have done,

and glorify your name among your loyal servants,

for that is good.

TEV                                       I will always thank you, God, for what you have done;

in the presence of your people

I will proclaim that you are good.

Mostly literal renderings (with some occasional paraphrasing):

God’s Word™                         I will give thanks to you forever

for what you have done.

In the presence of your godly people,

I will wait with hope in your good name.

JPS (Tanakh)                        I praise You forever, for You have acted;

I declare that Your name is good [Meaning of Heb. uncertain; others “I will wait for Your name for it is good”]

in the presence of Your faithful ones.

Literal, almost word-for-word, renderings:

The Amplified Bible                I will thank You and confide in You for ever, because You have done it [delivered me and kept me safe]. I will wait, hope and expect in Your name, for it is good, in the presence of Your saints [Your kind and pious ones].

Updated Emphasized Bible   I will praise You to times age-abiding,

Because You did effectually work, —

And I will wait on Your Name,

Because it is good,

In the presence of Your men [some codices: man] of lovingkindness.

Keil and Delitzsch (revised)   I will give thanks to You forever, that You have accomplished it;

And I will wait on Your name, because it is so gracious, in the presence of Your saints.

NASB                                    I will give You thanks forever,

because You have done it,

And I will wait on Thy name,

for it is good, in the presence of Thy godly ones.

Young's Updated LT              I thank You to the age, because You have done it,

And I wait on Your name for it is good before Your saints.

What is the gist of this verse? David gives thanks to God (or praises and celebrates Him) forever. God’s reputation is the true good of this life, and His believers are observed by angels.

Translation: I thank [praise or celebrate] you forever when [or, because] You have done [this]. David is thanking God because He will take Doeg down and God will remove him from his home and uproot him from the land of the living (v. 5). On the other hand, God will plant David, as a green olive tree in the House of God. What God will do is a complete reversal of fortune on both David and Doeg. David is thanking God and praising God for that right now. David praises God for what He will do. This is faith rest; David knows God’s promises and David knows what Doeg’s end will be destruction, while his will be prosperity. David is on the run, and Doeg is in a position of power and approbation. David recognizes that all of that will change.

Translation: Furthermore, I will wait on Your name... David will wait on God’s name or reputation. The idea is, David knows that God will do this and David knows that God’s timing is perfect. David does not even set up a time table with respect to God; he is willing to wait for God and depend upon God’s reputation and character. Recall that Doeg has just received a reward and promotion from Saul (or we may assume that he has, based upon his information and actions in I Sam. 22); and David is still out in the wilds of Judea plotting his next move. David has no home, his family will be shipped to another land, and he will be a fugitive for several years. Here, David says to God, “I will wait on Your name.” David trusts God. He does not look at his circumstances and say, “This is crap, Lord. Doeg has a nice house and promotion, and I’m here in some cave with a bunch of semi-reprobates. This is total crap!” David is willing to wait on God.

There are several parallel verses; allow me to quote a few of them: Psalm 20:1: May Jehovah hear you in the day of trouble, the name of the God of Jacob set you on high. And Psalm 25:3: Yea, let none who wait on You be ashamed; let them be ashamed who sin without cause. Psalm 25:21: Let purity and uprightness keep me; for I wait on You. Psalm 37:7: Rest in Jehovah, and wait patiently for Him; do not fret yourself because of him who prospers in his way, because of him who practices wickedness. (In fact, there are many similar sentiments to be found in Psalm 37; see vv. 9, 34). Isa. 8:17: And I will wait on Jehovah, who hides His face from the house of Jacob; and I will look for Him.