A Vile Villain
1 (To the chief Musician, Maschil, A Psalm of David, when Doeg the Edomite came and told Saul, and said unto him, David is come to the house of Ahimelech.) Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man? the goodness of God endureth continually.
2 Thy tongue deviseth mischiefs; like a sharp razor, working deceitfully.
3 Thou lovest evil more than good; and lying rather than to speak righteousness. Selah.
4 Thou lovest all devouring words, O thou deceitful tongue.
5 God shall likewise destroy thee for ever, he shall take thee away, and pluck thee out of thy dwelling place, and root thee out of the land of the living. Selah.
6 The righteous also shall see, and fear, and shall laugh at him:
7 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.
8 But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God: I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever.
9 I will praise thee for ever, because thou hast done it: and I will wait on thy name; for it is good before thy saints.
A Vile Villain
Before reading Psalm 52, one should acquaint themselves with the full context of this story found in 1st Samuel Chapter 22.
Elizabeth Expands:
We begin the chapter with David and his men on the run. Saul is set on ending David’s life, and he and any loyal to him are at very real risk of death. In the chapter before, David goes to Ahimelech the priest and demands food and weapons, ending up taking the hallowed bread that had been set aside for the Lord, and the sword of Goliath that had been dedicated to God. Doeg is mentioned here, almost as a throw-away line, “’Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before the LORD; and his name was Doeg, an Edomite, the chiefest of the herdmen that belonged to Saul” (1 Samuel 21:7).
Now, in the fated chapter 22, Saul demands of his men to know who had equipped David to escape Saul’s wrath and get to safety. Doeg steps up and explains the events of the prior chapter. Saul then calls the priest before him to demand an explanation. Dissatisfied with it, he demands that his servants kill the priest. When the servants refused to harm the Lord’s chosen priests, the king ordered Doeg instead, and Doeg did it at once. He went to Nob, called “the city of the priests” and killed all living things in its borders; every human of all ages, and every animal of the farm and field. The sole survivor of this horrible genocide fled to David to tell him everything. “And David said unto Abiathar, I knew it that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul: I have occasioned the death of all the persons of thy father’s house” (1 Samuel 22:22).
Debra Hill
I was truly shocked by the disgraceful and murderous acts of Doeb. It is appalling what he was willing to do to gain favor from King Saul, betray David, and enrich his own treasures. David does not mince words as he addresses, in words dripping with sarcasm, the treachery of this vile villain. David gets right to the point as he begins questioning Doeb. “Why boasteth thyself in mischief, O mighty man” (52:1). We start with a clear picture of how David sees Doeb. Doeb is seen as arrogant, boasting about the wrong he has done. David ironically scoffs at Doeb by calling him “mighty,” while outlining the many ways he is far from it. David reminds Doeb that “the goodness of God endureth continually” (52:1). First, David speaks of Doeb’s betrayal when he told Saul that he had seen him with the priest. His tongue is sharp and it was quick to run to tell evil. “Thou loveth evil more than good”(52:3). He calls him a liar as well, far from righteous. David goes on to criticize the unruly and wicked tongue of Doeb. “Thou loveth all devouring words, O thou deceitful tongue” (52:4).
David warns Doeb that God will enact judgement against him for his lies and betrayal. “God will pluck thee out of your dwelling place and root thee out of the land of the living”(52:5). Doeb will pay with his own life for all the lives he took. The righteous will witness what God has done, and in fear of the all-powerful God, they will laugh with satisfaction at the fate of Doeb. They will say, “lo, this is the man that made not God his strength but trusted in the abundance of his riches” (52:7). One can assume that Doeb was greatly rewarded by Saul for doing his bidding. David compares himself to Doeb and says, like a green olive tree, he trusts in the mercy of God, not in his own wealth. Then David praises God, because He has done all He promised to do. He will wait on the name of the Lord, even for Him to enact vengeance on this enemy.
Until I read Psalm 52, I was not fully acquainted with the details of what happened between David, King Saul and Doeb the Edomite. What a terrible man was Doeb who seemed to be motivated by greed and power. His murderous slaying of the priests, his family, and women and children to feed into Saul’s paranoia against David and everyone was absolutely horrific. I don’t understand this type of evil, but I know it exists. David confronts this evil head-on and calls it every awful thing it is. But David also trusts that the righteous God will judge and avenge the evil that appears to be victorious over the righteous. I, too, turn in hope and faith to Jesus who says, “overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21). Also, “don’t worry, He has overcome the world” (John 16:33). I thank God that through Jesus Christ, even the most wicked amongst us can believe on Him and be saved. Let me continue to pray for the lost to find the amazing grace that God has given to all who repent and believe on Him.
I would love to hear what this Psalm brings to mind for you! Write back to me in Facebook comment or blog reply.
Disclaimer: The intention of this project is not to teach, but rather to share. Please use due diligence in studying the word of God, and seek guidance from your local religious leaders for any questions or concerns.
Meet Elizabeth Baber
Elizabeth Baber is the latest addition to the Debra Hill Sings team, working as the head Virtual Assistant for the wonderful woman herself. Elizabeth would identify as an author(ess), spreadsheet fanatic, and all-around geek. The majority of her time is spent serving Central Virginia’s low-vision patients as a technician with the MedRVA Foundation.
When not at work, she can be found cooking with her fiancé, coaching Teen Bible Quizzing, wrestling novel ideas, running an online Dungeons and Dragons server, or trying her hand at one of a hundred rotating crafting hobbies.
Some of her work can be found on her website: www.writingonwords.com and you can contact her at elizabeth@writingonwords.com.
Debra Hill
Debra Hill is an independent inspirational singer, author, songwriter, and writer. As a blind performer, she adds a personal story of God’s faithfulness. Her life exemplifies that Christ’s power will work to lift all regardless of circumstances.
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