Psalms 52:1

Bible in Basic English (1941)

<To the chief music-maker. Maschil. Of David. When Doeg the Edomite came to Saul saying, David has come to the house of Ahimelech.> Why do you take pride in wrongdoing, lifting yourself up against the upright man all the day?

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

לַמְנַצֵּ֗חַ מַשְׂכִּ֥יל לְדָוִֽד׃

Transliteration

To the měnaṣṣēaḥ, a maśkîl of Dāwid.

Grammar Details

• *lǎ-*: preposition 'to/for' with definite article
• *měnaṣṣēaḥ*: participle, masculine singular, Piel form - director/choirmaster/chief musician
• *maśkîl*: noun, masculine singular - skillful composition/contemplative poem/instruction
• *lě-*: preposition 'to/for/of'
• *Dāwid*: proper noun - David

Word Meanings

• *měnaṣṣēaḥ*: choirmaster/chief musician/conductor/victor
• *maśkîl*: contemplative poem/skillful composition/instruction/didactic psalm

Referenced Verses

• Ps 94:4 : 4 Words of pride come from their lips; all the workers of evil say great things of themselves.
• 1 Sam 21:7 : 7 Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, kept back before the Lord; his name was Doeg, an Edomite, the strongest of Saul's runners.
• Ps 103:17 : 17 But the mercy of the Lord is eternal for his worshippers, and their children's children will see his righteousness;
• Ps 107:1 : 1 O give praise to the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy is unchanging for ever.
• Ps 137:1-2 : 1 By the rivers of Babylon we were seated, weeping at the memory of Zion, 2 Hanging our instruments of music on the trees by the waterside.
• Prov 6:14 : 14 His mind is ever designing evil: he lets loose violent acts.
• Prov 6:18 : 18 A heart full of evil designs, feet which are quick in running after sin;
• Isa 59:4 : 4 No one puts forward an upright cause, or gives a true decision: their hope is in deceit, and their words are false; they are with child with sin, and give birth to evil.
• 1 Sam 22:9-9 : 9 Then Doeg, the Edomite, who was by the side of the servants of Saul, in answer said, I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech, the son of Ahitub. 10 And he got directions from the Lord for him, and gave him food, and put in his hand the sword of Goliath the Philistine. 11 Then the king sent for Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and for all the men of his father's family who were priests in Nob: and they all came to the king. 12 And Saul said, Give ear now, O son of Ahitub. And answering he said, Here I am, my lord. 13 And Saul said to him, Why have you made designs against me with the son of Jesse, giving him food and a sword and getting directions from the Lord for him, and helping him to take up arms against me, and to be on the watch to make a secret attack on me as he is doing now? 14 Then Ahimelech answering said to the king, Who among all your servants is so true to you as David, who is the king's son-in-law, and is a captain of your armed men, and has a place of honour in your house? 15 Is this the first time I have got directions from God for him? Far be the thought! let the king make no such statement against his servant or my father's family, for your servant has no knowledge, great or small, of this thing. 16 And the king said, You will certainly be put to death, Ahimelech, you and all your father's family. 17 Then the king said to the runners who were waiting near him, Put the priests of the Lord to death; because they are on David's side, and having knowledge of his flight, did not give me word of it. But the king's servants would not put out their hands to make an attack on the Lord's priests. 18 Then the king said to Doeg, You are to put the priests to death. And Doeg the Edomite, turning on the priests and attacking them, put to death that day eighty-five men who took up the ephod. 19 And Nob, the town of the priests, he put to the sword, all the men and women, children and babies at the breast, and oxen and asses and sheep.
• Ps 7:14 : 14 That man is a worker of evil; the seed of wrongdoing has given birth to deceit.
• Ps 10:2-3 : 2 The evil-doer in his pride is cruel to the poor; let him be taken by the tricks of his invention. 3 For the evil-doer is lifted up because of the purpose of his heart, and he whose mind is fixed on wealth is turned away from the Lord, saying evil against him.
• Gen 6:4-5 : 4 There were men of great strength and size on the earth in those days; and after that, when the sons of God had connection with the daughters of men, they gave birth to children: these were the great men of old days, the men of great name. 5 And the Lord saw that the sin of man was great on the earth, and that all the thoughts of his heart were evil.
• Gen 10:8-9 : 8 And Cush was the father of Nimrod, who was the first of the great men of the earth. 9 He was a very great bowman, so that there is a saying, Like Nimrod, a very great bowman.
• Exod 22:9 : 9 In any question about an ox or an ass or a sheep or clothing, or about the loss of any property which anyone says is his, let the two sides put their cause before God; and he who is judged to be in the wrong is to make payment to his neighbour of twice the value.
• Ps 36:3-6 : 3 In the words of his mouth are evil and deceit; he has given up being wise and doing good. 4 He gives thought to evil on his bed; he takes a way which is not good; he is not a hater of evil. 5 Your mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens, and your strong purpose is as high as the clouds. 6 Your righteousness is like the mountains of God; your judging is like the great deep; O Lord, you give life to man and beast.
• Ps 54:3 : 3 For men who are going after me have come out against me, violent men are purposing to take my soul; they have not put God before their eyes. (Selah.)
• Ps 59:7 : 7 See, hate is dropping from their lips; curses are on their tongues: they say, Who gives attention to it?
• Ps 10:7 : 7 His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and false words: under his tongue are evil purposes and dark thoughts.
• Jer 9:8 : 8 His tongue is an arrow causing death; the words of his mouth are deceit: he says words of peace to his neighbour, but in his heart he is waiting secretly for him.
• Mic 7:3 : 3 Their hands are made ready to do evil; the ruler makes requests for money, and the judge is looking for a reward; and the great man gives decisions at his pleasure, and the right is twisted.
• Rom 1:30 : 30 Hated by God, full of pride, without respect, full of loud talk, given to evil inventions, not honouring father or mother,
• 2 Tim 3:2 : 2 For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, uplifted in pride, given to bitter words, going against the authority of their fathers, never giving praise, having no religion,
• 1 John 4:7-8 : 7 My loved ones, let us have love for one another: because love is of God, and everyone who has love is a child of God and has knowledge of God. 8 He who has no love has no knowledge of God, because God is love.