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King James Version

Psalms 52:2

The tongue deviseth mischiefs; like a sharp razor, working deceitfully.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Deception;   Falsehood;   Razor;   Rich, the;   Speaking;   Wicked (People);   Thompson Chain Reference - Razors;   The Topic Concordance - Bearing Fruit;   Destruction;   Evil;   Mischief;   Righteousness;   Speech/communication;   Strength;   Trust;   Wealth;   Wickedness;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Deceit;   Slander;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Doeg;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Hope;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Razor;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Tools;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Doeg;   Greek Versions of Ot;   Psalms;   Sin;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Abiathar;   Tongue ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Doeg;   God;   Psalms the book of;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Razor;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Doeg;   Psalms, Book of;   Razor;   Versions;   Gothic, Slavonic;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Like a sharpened razor,your tongue devises destruction,working treachery.
Hebrew Names Version
Your tongue plots destruction, Like a sharp razor, working deceitfully.
English Standard Version
Your tongue plots destruction, like a sharp razor, you worker of deceit.
New Century Version
You think up evil plans. Your tongue is like a sharp razor, making up lies.
New English Translation
Your tongue carries out your destructive plans; it is as effective as a sharp razor, O deceiver.
Amplified Bible
Your tongue devises destruction, Like a sharp razor, working deceitfully.
New American Standard Bible
Your tongue devises destruction, Like a sharp razor, you worker of deceit.
World English Bible
Your tongue plots destruction, Like a sharp razor, working deceitfully.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Thy tongue imagineth mischiefe, and is like a sharpe rasor, that cutteth deceitfully.
Legacy Standard Bible
Your tongue devises destruction,Like a sharp razor, O worker of deceit.
Berean Standard Bible
Your tongue devises destruction like a sharpened razor, O worker of deceit.
Contemporary English Version
You plan brutal crimes, and your lying words cut like a sharp razor.
Complete Jewish Bible
when Do'eg from Edom came and told Sha'ul, "David has arrived at the house of Achimelekh":
Darby Translation
Thy tongue deviseth mischievous things, like a sharp razor, practising deceit.
Easy-to-Read Version
You are nothing but a hired killer, making plans to hurt people and making up lies!
George Lamsa Translation
It is like a sharp razor, working deceitfully.
Good News Translation
You make plans to ruin others; your tongue is like a sharp razor. You are always inventing lies.
Lexham English Bible
Your tongue plans destruction, like a sharp razor, working deceit.
Literal Translation
Like a sharp razor your tongue devises ruin, working deceit.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Where as the goodnesse of God endureth yet daylie.
American Standard Version
Thy tongue deviseth very wickedness, Like a sharp razor, working deceitfully.
Bible in Basic English
Purposing destruction, using deceit; your tongue is like a sharp blade.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
when Doeg the Edomite came and told Saul,
King James Version (1611)
Thy tongue deuiseth mischiefes: like a sharpe rasor, working deceitfully.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Thy tongue imagineth wickednes: [and] deceaueth like a sharpe raser.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
thy tongue has devised unrighteousness; like a sharpened razor thou hast wrought deceit.
English Revised Version
Thy tongue deviseth very wickedness; like a sharp razor, working deceitfully.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Al dai thi tunge thouyte vnriytfulnesse; as a scharp rasour thou hast do gile.
Update Bible Version
Your tongue devises much wickedness, Like a sharp razor, working deceitfully.
Webster's Bible Translation
Thy tongue deviseth mischiefs; like a sharp razor, working deceitfully.
New King James Version
Your tongue devises destruction, Like a sharp razor, working deceitfully.
New Living Translation
All day long you plot destruction. Your tongue cuts like a sharp razor; you're an expert at telling lies.
New Life Bible
Your tongue makes plans to destroy like a sharp knife, you who lie.
New Revised Standard
you are plotting destruction. Your tongue is like a sharp razor, you worker of treachery.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Engulfing ruin, doth thy tongue devise, Like a whetted razor, working deceit;
Douay-Rheims Bible
(51-4) All the day long thy tongue hath devised injustice: as a sharp razor, thou hast wrought deceit.
Revised Standard Version
you are plotting destruction. Your tongue is like a sharp razor, you worker of treachery.
Young's Literal Translation
Mischiefs doth thy tongue devise, Like a sharp razor, working deceit.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Your tongue devises destruction, Like a sharp razor, O worker of deceit.

Contextual Overview

1 Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man? the goodness of God endureth continually. 2 The tongue deviseth mischiefs; like a sharp razor, working deceitfully. 3 Thou lovest evil more than good; and lying rather than to speak righteousness. Selah. 4 Thou lovest all devouring words, O thou deceitful tongue. 5 God shall likewise destroy thee for ever, he shall take thee away, and pluck thee out of thy dwelling place, and root thee out of the land of the living. Selah.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Thy: Psalms 50:19, Psalms 64:2-6, Psalms 140:2, Psalms 140:3, Proverbs 6:16-19, Proverbs 30:14, Jeremiah 9:3, Jeremiah 9:4, Jeremiah 18:18, Matthew 26:59, Acts 6:11-13, Acts 24:1, Acts 24:5, Revelation 12:10

like: Psalms 57:4, Psalms 59:7, Proverbs 12:18, Proverbs 18:21

working: Psalms 109:2, Psalms 120:2, 2 Corinthians 4:2, 2 Corinthians 11:13

Reciprocal: 2 Samuel 11:14 - wrote a letter Ezra 4:13 - if this city Nehemiah 6:8 - thou feignest Job 15:5 - thou choosest Psalms 5:9 - For Psalms 25:19 - cruel hatred Psalms 26:10 - In Psalms 35:20 - but Proverbs 6:12 - walketh Proverbs 14:3 - the mouth Proverbs 15:4 - a breach Proverbs 16:27 - in Proverbs 18:8 - words Proverbs 21:10 - soul Proverbs 25:18 - General Proverbs 29:12 - General Ecclesiastes 10:11 - a babbler Jeremiah 37:14 - said Jeremiah 41:4 - after Ezekiel 11:2 - General Daniel 11:23 - work Hosea 7:16 - the rage Matthew 12:34 - how Matthew 15:11 - but Luke 6:45 - and an Acts 23:14 - General Romans 3:13 - with their Ephesians 4:29 - no 1 Timothy 3:8 - doubletongued James 3:5 - so

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Thy tongue deviseth mischiefs,.... Abundance of mischiefs, in a variety of ways, against many persons, even all good men. What properly belongs to the heart is here ascribed to the tongue; because, as Aben Ezra observes, it is the interpreter and discoverer of the thoughts of the heart: out of the abundance of that the tongue speaks and declares the mischief it has devised. Doeg intended mischief to David, when he spoke to Saul, 1 Samuel 22:9; so antichrist devises mischiefs against the saints of the most High, to wear them out, and thinks to change times and laws, Daniel 7:25;

like a sharp razor, working deceitfully; that is, his tongue was like a razor; the razor is but a small instrument, and the tongue is but a little member: the razor is a sharp and cutting one, and so is the tongue; and therefore compared to a sharp sword, Psalms 57:4; see

Jeremiah 18:18; the razor takes off the beard cleanly and wholly; Doeg's tongue was the cause of the utter ruin of Ahimelech's family and the city of Nob; and as a razor may be said to "work deceitfully", when it turns aside in the hand of him that useth it, and with the hair takes off more than it should, even skin and flesh, or cuts the man's throat; so in a deceitful and insidious manner did Doeg work the destruction of Ahimelech and the priests of the Lord.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Thy tongue deviseth mischiefs - The word rendered “mischiefs” means

(a) desire, cupidity: Proverbs 10:3; then

(b) fall, ruin, destruction, wickedness: Psalms 5:9; Psalms 38:12.

The meaning here is, that he made use of his tongue to ruin others. Compare Psalms 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 where David had been, thus giving him, also, information in what way he might be found and apprehended. All this was “designed” to bring ruin upon David and his followers. It “actually” brought ruin on Ahimelech and those associated with him, 1 Samuel 22:17-19.

Like a sharp razor - See the notes at Isaiah 7:20. His slanders were like a sharp knife with which one stabs another. So we stay of a slanderer that he “stabs” another in the dark.

Working deceitfully - literally, making deceit. That is, it was by deceit that he accomplished his purpose. There was no open and fair dealing in what he did.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Psalms 52:2. Deviseth 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.


 
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