New King James Version
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 Living Translation (NLT)All day long you plot destruction. Your tongue cuts like a sharp razor; you’re an expert at telling lies.
Context of Psalms 52:2
1Why do you boast in evil, O mighty man? The goodness of God endures continually. Your tongue devises destruction, Like a sharp razor, working deceitfully. 3You love evil more than good, Lying rather than speaking righteousness. Selah 4You love all devouring words, You 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 plots of the wicked, From the rebellion of the workers of iniquity,
- Psalms 140:2Who plan evil things in their hearts; They continually gather together for war.
- Proverbs 6:16These six things the Lord hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him:
- Proverbs 30:14There is a generation whose teeth are like swords, And whose fangs are like knives, To devour the poor from off the earth, And the needy from among men.
- Jeremiah 9:3“And like their bow they have bent their tongues for lies. They are not valiant for the truth on the earth. For they proceed from evil to evil, And they do not know Me,” says the Lord.
- Jeremiah 18:18Then they said, “Come and let us devise plans against Jeremiah; for the law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come and let us attack him with the tongue, and let us not give heed to any of his words.”
- Matthew 26:59Now the chief priests, the elders, and all the council sought false testimony against Jesus to put Him to death,
- Acts 6:11Then they secretly induced men to say, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.”
- Acts 24:1Now after five days Ananias the high priest came down with the elders and a certain orator named Tertullus. These gave evidence to the governor against Paul.
- Revelation 12:10Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down.
- Psalms 57:4My soul is among lions; I lie among the sons of men Who are set on fire, Whose teeth are spears and arrows, And their tongue a sharp sword.
- Psalms 59:7Indeed, they belch with their mouth; Swords are in their lips; For they say, “Who hears?”
- Proverbs 12:18There is one who speaks like the piercings of a sword, But the tongue of the wise promotes health.
- Proverbs 18:21Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.
- Psalms 109:2For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful Have 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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries