Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
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Psalms
Book: Psalms
Chapter: 52
Overview:
The enemies of the
Truth and the
Church described, Their
Destruction.
(1-5) The righteous rejoice.
(6-9)
1-5 Those that
Glory in
Sin,
Glory in their shame. The patience
and forbearance of
God are abused
By sinners, to the hardening
of their hearts in their wicked ways. But the enemies in vain
boast in their mischief, while we have
God's
Mercy to trust in.
It will not save us from the guilt of lying, to be able to say,
there was some
Truth in what we said, if we make it appear
otherwise than it was. The more there is of craft and
contrivance in any wickedness, the more there is of
Satan in it.
When good men die, they are transplanted from the land of the
living
On Earth, to
Heaven, the garden of the
Lord, where they
shall take root for ever; but when wicked men die, they are
rooted out, to perish for ever. The believer sees that
God will
destroy those who make not him their strength.
6-9 Those wretchedly deceive themselves, who think to support
themselves in power and wealth without
God. The wicked
Man
trusted in the abundance of his riches; he thought his
wickedness would help him to keep his wealth. Right or wrong, he
would get what he could, and keep what he had, and ruin any one
that stood in his way; this he thought would strengthen him; but
see what it comes to! Those who
By Faith and
Love Dwell in the
House of
God, shall be like green
Olive-trees there. And that we
may be as green
Olive-trees, we must live a
Life of
Faith and
holy confidence in
God and his
Grace. It adds much to the beauty
of our profession, and to fruitfulness in every
Grace, to be
much in praising
God; and we never can want matter for praise.
His name alone can be our
Refuge and strong tower. It is very
good for us to wait
On that saving name; there is nothing better
to calm and quiet our spirits, when disturbed, and to keep us in
the way of duty, when tempted to use any crooked
Courses for our
relief, than to
Hope, and quietly wait for the
Salvation of the
Lord. None ever followed his guidance but it ended
Well.