Psalm 52:7 - Printer Friendly

ESV: "See the man who would not make God his refuge, but trusted in the abundance of his riches and sought refuge in his own destruction!"

NIV: "Here now is the man who did not make God his stronghold but trusted in his great wealth and grew strong by destroying others!"

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.'

CSB: "Here is the man who would not make God his refuge, but trusted in the abundance of his riches, taking refuge in his destructive behavior."

NLT: 'Look what happens to mighty warriors who do not trust in God. They trust their wealth instead and grow more and more bold in their wickedness.'

KJV: Lo, this is the man that made not God his strength; but trusted in the abundance of his riches, and strengthened himself in his wickedness.

NKJV: “Here is the man who did not make God his strength, But trusted in the abundance of his riches, And strengthened himself in his wickedness.”

David depicts the words spoken by godly people when they see a wicked person suffer the natural consequences of their own sin (Psalm 52:5–6). They will point to this as an example of what happens when someone arrogantly trusts their own resources, instead of relying on God. The word translated "refuge" here is from the Hebrew root word mā'ūz'. This literally refers to strength and implies a secure location such as a fortress. No worldly wealth or power will matter for someone not reconciled to the Lord God (Proverbs 11:4; Hebrews 4:13).

Paul directed Timothy to warn rich people not to put undue trust in their possessions. Rather, they should set their hopes on God. He states that God richly provides believers with everything to enjoy (1 Timothy 6:17). Jesus told a story about a farmer whose fields produced abundant crops. Instead of thanking God for the harvest and trusting in Him, the farmer trusted in his crops for security and enjoyment. He told his soul to relax, eat, drink, and be merry because of the abundant crops. However, he didn't expect God to demand his soul that night. He was not rich toward God (Luke 12:16–21).

Psalm 52:5–9 closes the song condemning Doeg, the herdsman who betrayed innocent priests to their deaths (Psalm 52:1; 1 Samuel 22:9–10, 17–19). David predicts God's punishment of the evil man. He expects the Lord to snuff out Doeg's life, to the satisfaction of the righteous. In contrast, David is confident God will prosper him, because he prefers what is good and right. In response to God's goodness, David will thank and praise Him.

David addresses "mighty man," possibly with a touch of sarcasm. This person brags about his intentions, and his words destroy others. However, God will punish this wicked person by bringing about his death. The righteous will see this judgment and mock those who trusted in their resources instead of trusting in the Lord. By contrast, David trusts God's unfailing love forever, resulting in his continuous praise of the Lord. This song was written in response to the treachery of Doeg, who betrayed one of David's allies (1 Samuel 22:9–10) and killed many priests (1 Samuel 22:17–19).

This psalm describes the wicked character of someone addressed as "mighty man." This was Doeg, a herdsman who supported King Saul against David. Doeg slaughtered the household of Ahimelech because Ahimelech helped David by giving him provisions (1 Samuel 21:1–9; 22:6–23). While not as famous as others, this is one of the "imprecatory psalms" which call for God's judgment against evildoers (Psalm 35; 69; 109).

The book of Psalms is composed of individual songs, hymns, or poems, each of which is a ''Psalm'' in and of itself. These works contain a wide variety of themes. Some Psalms focus on praising and worshipping God. Others cry out in anguish over the pain of life. Still other Psalms look forward to the coming of the Messiah. While some Psalms are related, each has its own historical and biblical context.