Psalm , Sarah Barry
LIKE A FLOURISHING OLIVE TREE
Passage: Psalm 52:1~9  
Key verse: 8
Psalm 52[a]For the director of music. A maskil[b] of David. When Doeg the Edomite(A) had gone to Saul and told him: “David has gone to the house of Ahimelek.”
1 Why do you boast of evil, you mighty hero?
Why do you boast(B) all day long,(C)
you who are a disgrace in the eyes of God?
2 You who practice deceit,(D)
your tongue plots destruction;(E)
it is like a sharpened razor.(F)
3 You love evil(G) rather than good,
falsehood(H) rather than speaking the truth.[c]
4 You love every harmful word,
you deceitful tongue!(I)
5 Surely God will bring you down to everlasting ruin:
He will snatch you up and pluck(J) you from your tent;
he will uproot(K) you from the land of the living.(L)
6 The righteous will see and fear;
they will laugh(M) at you, saying,
7 “Here now is the man
who did not make God his stronghold(N)
but trusted in his great wealth(O)
and grew strong by destroying others!”
1 Why do you boast of evil, you mighty hero?
Why do you boast(B) all day long,(C)
you who are a disgrace in the eyes of God?
2 You who practice deceit,(D)
your tongue plots destruction;(E)
it is like a sharpened razor.(F)
3 You love evil(G) rather than good,
falsehood(H) rather than speaking the truth.[c]
4 You love every harmful word,
you deceitful tongue!(I)
5 Surely God will bring you down to everlasting ruin:
He will snatch you up and pluck(J) you from your tent;
he will uproot(K) you from the land of the living.(L)
6 The righteous will see and fear;
they will laugh(M) at you, saying,
7 “Here now is the man
who did not make God his stronghold(N)
but trusted in his great wealth(O)
and grew strong by destroying others!”
Footnotes
- Psalm 52:1 In Hebrew texts 52:1-9 is numbered 52:3-11.
- Psalm 52:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
- Psalm 52:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 5.
Cross references
- Psalm 52:1 : 1Sa 21:7; 22:9
- Psalm 52:1 : Ps 10:3; 94:4
- Psalm 52:1 : Ps 44:8
- Psalm 52:2 : S Ps 50:19
- Psalm 52:2 : Ps 5:9
- Psalm 52:2 : S Nu 6:5
- Psalm 52:3 : Ex 10:10; 1Sa 12:25; Am 5:14-15; Jn 3:20
- Psalm 52:3 : Ps 58:3; Jer 9:5; Rev 21:8
- Psalm 52:4 : Ps 5:9; 10:7; 109:2; 120:2, 3; Pr 10:31; 12:19
- Psalm 52:5 : S Dt 29:28; S Job 40:12; Isa 22:19; Eze 17:24
- Psalm 52:5 : S Dt 28:63
- Psalm 52:5 : S Job 28:13
- Psalm 52:6 : S Job 22:19
- Psalm 52:7 : S 2Sa 22:3
- Psalm 52:7 : S Ps 49:6; S Pr 11:28; Mk 10:23
- Psalm 52:8 : S Ps 1:3; S Rev 11:4
- Psalm 52:8 : Ps 6:4; 13:5
- Psalm 52:9 : S Ps 30:12
- Psalm 52:9 : S Dt 7:6; Ps 16:3
- Psalm 52:9 : S Job 7:6; Ps 25:3
- Psalm 52:9 : Ps 54:6
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source:  BibleGateway
1. The man who was uprooted from the land (1-7)
The man who does not make God his stronghold, but trusts in wealth will be uprooted from the land. Doeg the Edomite (1Sa 22:6-23) was such a man. He was a man who grew strong by destroying others. He boasted of being a mighty man, but his might was based on evil plots and on destructive lies. God will deal with such men in his own time and in his own way. God's people do not have to seek revenge, nor do they need to harbor hatred in their hearts.
2. Like a flourishing olive tree (8-9)
The man who trusts in God's unfailing love will flourish like a fruitful olive tree. David was such a man. He was a fugitive, constantly hunted and harassed by King Saul, but he could say, 'I trust in God's unfailing love forever and ever. I will praise you forever for what you have done'; his hope was in God.
Prayer: Lord, I trust your unfailing love. Let me flourish like an olive tree.
One Word: Be like a flourishing olive tree