1<To the chief music-maker. Maschil. Of David. When Doeg the Edomite came to Saul saying, David has come to the house of Ahimelech.> Why do you take pride in wrongdoing, lifting yourself up against the upright man all the day? 2Purposing destruction, using deceit; your tongue is like a sharp blade. 3You have more love for evil than for good, for deceit than for works of righteousness. (Selah.) 4Destruction is in all your words, O false tongue. 5But God will put an end to you for ever; driving you out from your tent, uprooting you from the land of the living. (Selah.) 6The upright will see it with fear, and will say, laughing at you: 7See, this is the man who did not make God his strength, but had faith in his goods and his property, and made himself strong in his wealth. 8But I am like a branching olive-tree in the house of God; I have put my faith in his mercy for ever and ever. 9I will give you praise without end for what you have done; I will give honour to your name before your saints, for it is good.
Matthew Henry's Commentary
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.