Fathers

Psalms 52

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Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man? the goodness of God endureth continually. Thy tongue deviseth mischiefs; like a sharp razor, working deceitfully. Thou lovest evil more than good; and lying rather than to speak righteousness. Selah. Thou lovest all devouring words, O thou deceitful tongue. 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. The righteous also shall see, and fear, and shall laugh at him: 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. But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God: I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever. 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.

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What the Fathers say

Psalms 52:4

Western Saints

Augustine of Hippo

"You have loved malice above benignity" [Psalm 52:4]. Before you was benignity; herself you should have loved. For you were not going to expend anything, nor were you going to fetch something to love by a distant voyage. Benignity is before you, iniquity before you: compare and choose. But perchance you have an eye wherewith you see malignity, and hast no eye wherewith you see benignity. Woe to the iniquitous heart. What is worse, it does turn away itself, that it may not see what it is able to see. …

Exposition on Psalm 52 ↗

Thomas Aquinas

As to internal matters, he says, "You have loved all words of ruin," drawing others into death, as Doeg did; and again into the evil of guilt: 1 Cor. 15: "Evil conversations corrupt good morals." Or, precipitating yourself; and therefore he says, "with a deceitful tongue." And you who are talkative and deceitful, or you do this through a deceitful tongue: Jer. 9: "A wounding arrow is their tongue; it has spoken deceit."

Exposition on the Psalms of David ↗