The Word Made Fresh
(For the worship leader: a composition of David when Doeg the Edomite told Saul, “David has come to the house of Abimelech.”)
1Why are you boasting, you who are mighty,
because of the mischief you do against those who are godly?
2You are constantly planning destruction.
You troublemakers cut others down with your sharp words.
3You would rather have evil than good.
You would rather lie than speak the truth.
4You love to speak damaging words
with your lying tongues.
5But God will destroy you for good,
tearing down your tents and ripping you out of the land.
6Those who live right will see this, and be afraid,
but they will laugh at the enemy.
7They will say, “Look at those who would spurn God,
who put their trust in their wealth
and thought they could hide in their riches.”
8But I am like a growing olive tree in God’s house.
I will always trust in God’s constant love.
9I will give thanks to you forever because of what you have done.
I will praise your good name in the presence of the faithful.
Commentary
Superscription: the reference to Doeg the Edomite recalls the story in 1 Samuel 22:9-10. This psalm is the 5th of the so-called “Maskil” psalms (see the note at Psalm 32). It is the 39th psalm attributed to David.
1-4: A description of a wicked person who plots against a godly one.
5-7: God will deal with such people, says the psalm, in a rather violent manner. We see in verse 7 that the goal of monetary gain has played a role in the specific situation the psalmist has in mind, although in the story of Doeg the Edomite no mention is made of monetary gain.
8-9: Having been rescued from the lies of the wicked, the psalmist gives a public thanksgiving to God.
Takeaway
Throughout the Psalms there is an abiding faith that God will provide, that God will protect, that God will rescue. Not a bad attitude for anyone’s prayer life.