Psalms 52:1 «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.
A Psalm of David] Or the same time and argument, likely, with Psalms 58:1,11
Maschil] Or, to teach that the end of the wicked is evil; Redarguit pravos mores, saith the Syriac.
When Doeg the Edomite] When Abiathar escaping the slaughter slave, the blood hound (as Edomite may signify), came and told David what was befallen the priests and their city. This was no small affliction to David; the rather, because by telling the priest a lie, himself had occasioned the massacre. Hereupon, for the comfort of himself and other good people who were startled at this sad accident, and might be deterred thereby from helping David, he penned this psalm.
When Doeg the Edomite came and told Saul, &c.] Doeg is a fit name for a courtier; for it signifieth a solicitous or bushy headed fellow, a petty officier, a progging companion, an informer, one that listeneth after rumours, and carrieth tales to curry favour. An Edomite he was by nation; but a proselyte in pretence at least, and one that was at that time detained before the Lord, either by virtue of some vow, or because it was the sabbath day and he would not travel on it, or to perform some other religious service, 1 Samuel 21:7 : this dissembled sanctity was double iniquity; and he became a type of Judas, as some make him.
He came and told Saul] Like a parasite and a tale bearer as he was: when as he should rather have told Ahimelech, that David was out of Saul's favour, and sought for to the slaughter, as Kimchi here noteth on Psalms 52:3, but he concealed that, that he might accuse Ahimelech; and so slew three at once (saith another Rabbi), viz. himself, Saul, and Ahimelech, calumniatorem, calumniatum et calumniam audientem.
And said, David is come to the house of Ahimelech] Few words, but full of poison; leviter volant non leviter vulnerant. Verba Doegi erant pauci, sod multum nocua (Kimchi). See the story more at large 1 Samuel 22:9. The Rabbis say (from Leviticus 14:44, where the same word is used of the leprous house, that is here, Psalms 52:5, of Doeg's doom) that he was for this fact smitten with leprosy; and afterwards sent to hell, which they gather from Psalms 120:4 (Midrash Tillin).
Ver. 1. Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, thou mighty man] Or, thou giant; for so he seemed to himself when he had slain tot inermes nec repugnantes, so many naked men, not making any resistance, though they were the priests of Jehovah; and afterwards had smitten the innocent inhabitants of the city of Nob, together with the women, the infants, and the cattle; like another Ajax flagellifer or Hercules furens; and now vaunted himself in that mischievous prowess.
Egregiam vero laudem, &c.
The Hebrew word for boasting here signifieth also madness, when it is taken in the worse sense, as Jer 46:9 Proverbs 2:14; and to boast of his heart's desire is the note of an atheist, Psalms 10:3 .
The goodness of God endureth continually] Maugre thy spitefulness, God is good to Israel, to the pure in heart, and will be so. The Rabbis make this the sense, If Ahimelech had not relieved me, God would have stirred up some other to have done it (R. Solomon). Some others understand it thus, The goodness of God towards thee, a wicked wretch, endureth all the day. This should lead thee to repentance. But thou, after thy hardness, &c., Romans 2:5 .