Psalm 52: Overview

St Alphonsus Liguori summarised this psalm as follows:

The psalmist deplores the corruption of mankind, and prays God to deliver his people from the persecution of the wicked. He speaks also of God s goodness in waiting for sinners to do penance; and at the same time he sighs for the coming of the Redeemer to deliver man from the slavery of the devil, typified by the captivity of Babylon.

The title, according to St Thomas Aquinas, literally refers to 1 Kings 17:

This story is found in 1 Kings 17 when David came in flight to Achis the king of the Philistines, who gave him the charge over the city, when it so happened that, he being away, the Amalecites burned the city, David at last pursued them and recovered their booty. 

Its spiritual meaning though, points us to Christ, he goes on:

In a mystical sense, by David, Christ is signified, and just as it is said in the gloss, the people of the Amalecites lick blood, and they signify the Antichrist and his people who bathe in carnal desire - Because flesh and blood hath not revealed it to thee. Therefore their evil is explained, and for this reason, they are led out of it to Christ...

The text of the psalm

Vulgate	Douay-Rheims
In finem, pro Maëleth intelligentiæ David.	Unto the end, for Maeleth, understandings to David.
Dixit insípiens in corde suo: * Non est Deus.	The fool said in his heart: There is no God.
2  Corrúpti sunt, et abominábiles facti sunt ininiquitátibus: * non est qui fáciat bonum.	They are corrupted, and become abominable in iniquities: there is none that does good.
3  Deus de cælo prospéxit super fílios hóminum: * ut vídeat si est intélligens, aut requírens Deum.	God looked down from heaven on the children of men: to see if there were any that did understand, or did seek God.
4  Omnes declinavérunt simul inútiles facti sunt: * non est qui fáciat bonum, non est usque ad unum.	All have gone aside, they have become unprofitable together, there is none that does good, no not one.
5  Nonne scient omnes qui operántur iniquitátem: * qui dévorant plebem meam ut cibum panis?	Shall not all the workers of iniquity know, who eat up my people as they eat bread?
6  Deum non invocavérunt, * illic trepidavérunt timóre, ubi non erat timor.	They have not called upon God: there have they trembled for fear, where there was no fear.
7  Quóniam Deus dissipávit ossa eórum qui homínibus placent: * confúsi sunt, quóniam Deus sprevit eos.	For God has scattered the bones of them that please men: they have been confounded, because God has despised them.
8  Quis dabit ex Sion salutáre Israël? * cum convérterit Deus captivitátem plebis suæ, exsultábit Jacob, et lætábitur Israël.	Who will give out of Sion the salvation of Israel? When God shall bring back the captivity of his people, Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad

Liturgical and Scriptural uses of the psalm

NT references	Romans 3: 10-12 (1)
RB cursus	Tuesday Matins II, 1;
Monastic feasts etc	-
Roman pre 1911	Wednesday Matins
Roman post 1911	1911-62: Wednesday Prime . 1970:
Mass propers (EF)	-

Psalm 51: Overview

St Alphonsus Liguori commented:

This psalm, taken in a literal sense, shows us David reproaching Doeg, the Edomite, for having excited against him and against the priest Achimelech the anger of Saul, and for having thus caused the ruin of many others (i Kings, i. 22). In the mystical sense, Doeg represents all the wicked that persecute the good.

The text of the psalm

Vulgate	Douay-Rheims
In finem. Intellectus David, cum venit Doëg Idumæus, et nuntiavit Sauli : Venit David in domum Achimelech.	Unto the end, understanding for David, 2 when Doeg the Edomite came and told Saul: David went to the house of Achimelech.
1 Quid gloriáris in malítia, * qui potens es in iniquitáte?	Why do you glory in malice, you that are mighty in iniquity?
2  Tota die injustítiam cogitávit lingua tua: * sicut novácula acúta fecísti dolum.	4 All the day long your tongue has devised injustice: as a sharp razor, you have wrought deceit.
3  Dilexísti malítiam super benignitátem: * iniquitátem magis quam loqui æquitátem.	5 You have loved malice more than goodness: and iniquity rather than to speak righteousness.
4  Dilexísti ómnia verba præcipitatiónis: * lingua dolósa.	6 You have loved all the words of ruin, O deceitful tongue.
5 Proptérea Deus déstruet te in finem, * evéllet te, et emigrábit te de tabernáculo tuo: et radícem tuam de terra vivéntium.	7 Therefore will God destroy you for ever: he will pluck you out, and remove you from your dwelling place: and your root out of the land of the living.
6  Vidébunt justi, et timébunt, et super eum ridébunt et dicent: *  Ecce homo, qui non pósuit Deum adjutórem suum:	8 The just shall see and fear, and shall laugh at him, and say: 9 Behold the man that made not God his helper:
7  Sed sperávit in multitúdine divitiárum suárum: * et præváluit in vanitáte sua.	But trusted in the abundance of his riches: and prevailed in his vanity.
8  Ego autem, sicut olíva fructífera in domo Dei: * sperávi in misericórdia Dei in ætérnum : et in sæculum sæculi.	10 But I, as a fruitful olive tree in the house of God, have hoped in the mercy of God for ever, yea for ever and ever.
9  Confitébor tibi in sæculum, quia fecísti: * et exspectábo nomen tuum, quóniam bonum est in conspéctu sanctórum tuórum.	11 I will praise you for ever, because you have done it: and I will wait on your name, for it is good in the sight of your saints.

Scriptural and liturgical uses of the psalm

NT references	Jn 3:19-20 (3)
RB cursus	Matins Tuesday I, 6
Monastic feasts etc	-
Responsories	-
Roman pre 1911	Tuesday Matins
Roman post 1911	1911-62: Wednesday Prime . 1970:
Mass propers (EF)	IN 3, 10, 11 [Triplex 424]