Amplified Bible
Psalms 52:2
2Your tongue devises destruction, Like a sharp razor, working deceitfully.
Psalms 52:2 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Thy tongue deviseth mischiefs; like a sharp razor, working deceitfully.
- New International Version (NIV)You who practice deceit, your tongue plots destruction; it is like a sharpened razor.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Your tongue plots destruction, like a sharp razor, you worker of deceit.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Your tongue devises destruction, Like a sharp razor, working deceitfully.
Context of Psalms 52:2
1Why do you boast of evil, O mighty man? The lovingkindness of God endures all day long. Your tongue devises destruction, Like a sharp razor, working deceitfully. 3You love evil more than good, And falsehood more than speaking what is right. Selah. 4You love all words that devour, O deceitful tongue.
Read all of Psalms 52Psalms 52:2 word by word
הַ֭וּוֹת תַּחְשֹׁ֣ב לְשׁוֹנֶ֑ךָ כְּתַ֥עַר מְ֝לֻטָּ֗שׁ עֹשֵׂ֥ה רְמִיָּֽה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Psalms 52:2
- Psalms 50:19You give your mouth to evil And your tongue frames deceit.
- Psalms 64:2Hide me from the secret counsel and conspiracy of the ungodly, From the scheming of those who do wrong,
- Psalms 140:2They devise evil things in their hearts; They continually [gather together and] stir up wars.
- Proverbs 6:16These six things the Lord hates; Indeed, seven are repulsive to Him:
- Proverbs 30:14There is a generation (class of people) whose teeth are like swords And whose jaw teeth are like knives, To devour the afflicted from the earth And the needy from among men.
- Jeremiah 9:3“They bend their tongue like their bow; [Their] lies and not truth prevail and grow strong in the land; For they proceed from evil to evil, And they do not know and understand and acknowledge Me,” says the Lord.
- Jeremiah 18:18Then [my enemies] said, “Come and let us work out schemes against Jeremiah. Surely the law is not going to be lost to the priest [as Jeremiah predicts], nor the counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come and let us strike him with our tongue [by making charges against him before the king], and let us ignore anything he says.”
- Matthew 26:59Now the chief priests and the whole Council (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court) tried to get false witnesses to testify against Jesus, so that they might [have a reason to] put Him to death.
- Acts 6:11Then [to attack him another way] they secretly instructed men to say, “We have heard this man [Stephen] speak blasphemous (slanderous, sacrilegious, abusive) words against Moses and against God.”
- Acts 24:1Five days later, the high priest Ananias came down [from Jerusalem to Caesarea] with some elders and an attorney named Tertullus [acting as spokesman and counsel]. They presented to the governor their [formal] charges against Paul.
- Revelation 12:10Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom (dominion, reign) of our God, and the authority of His Christ have come; for the accuser of our [believing] brothers and sisters has been thrown down [at last], he who accuses them and keeps bringing charges [of sinful behavior] against them before our God day and night.
- Psalms 57:4My life is among lions; I must lie among those who breathe out fire— The sons of men whose teeth are spears and arrows, And their tongue a sharp sword.
- Psalms 59:7Look how they belch out [insults] with their mouths; Swords [of sarcasm, ridicule, slander, and lies] are in their lips, For they say, “Who hears us?”
- Proverbs 12:18There is one who speaks rashly like the thrusts of a sword, But the tongue of the wise brings healing.
- Proverbs 18:21Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it and indulge it will eat its fruit and bear the consequences of their words.
- Psalms 109:2For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful are opened against me; They have spoken against me with a lying tongue.
Commentaries on Psalms 52:2
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2Deviseth mischiefs - Lies and slanders proceeding from the tongue argue the desperate wickedness of the heart. Like a sharp razor, working deceitfully - Which instead of taking off the beard, cuts and wounds the flesh; or as the operator who, when pretending to trim the beard, cuts the throat.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2Thy tongue deviseth mischiefs - The word rendered “mischiefs” means (a) desire, cupidity: Proverbs 10:3; then (b) fall, ruin, destruction, wickedness: Psalm 5:9; Psalm 38:12. The meaning here is, that he made use of his tongue to ruin others. Compare Psalm 50:19. The particular thing referred to here is the fact that Doeg sought the ruin of others by giving “information” in regard to them. He “informed” Saul of what Ahimelech had done; he informed him…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-4Liars deceive themselves by thinking they can be heroes with their words. They see themselves as innocent, even though they love evil and cause harm. Those who speak curses, sarcasm, bitterness, arrogant boasting, and lies (Psalms 31:18; 34:13; 59:7, 12; 120:2–3; 140:3, 9) create chaos, isolation, and destruction (James 3:5). Their sharp words cut like swords and daggers (Psalms 55:21; 57:4; 64:3), the fangs of a snake (140:3), or a razor.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22. tongue--for self. mischiefs--evil to others (Psa 5:9; 38:12). working deceitfully--(Psa 10:7), as a keen, smoothly moving razor, cutting quietly, but deeply.Read the comment
Topics related to Psalms 52:2
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Psalms 52
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- The Treasury of David
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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