Psalms 52 in the early church
62 passages quote, allude to, or echo Psalms 52, grouped by verse; passages on the same verse are in date order. Verse text from the Berean Standard Bible (public domain). References use the Protestant English Bible's numbering, with a writer's own numbering in brackets where it differs.
Verses: 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 · 8 · 9
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Psalms 52:1
For the choirmaster. A Maskil of David. After Doeg the Edomite went to Saul and told him, “David has gone to the house of Ahimelech.” Why do you boast of evil, O mighty man? The loving devotion of God endures all day long.
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ps 52:1 (51:3 LXX) | PG 12:1069 · Origen | quotation, high confidence | ca. 220-254 |
| Ps 52:1 (51:3 LXX) | PG 12:1453 (Ps 51 LXX) · Origen | quotation, high confidence | ca. 220-254 |
| Ps 52:1 (51:1 LXX) | Letter to Marcellinus 20 · Athanasius of Alexandria | allusion, high confidence | uncertain, after 335 |
| Ps 52:1–2 (51:1-Ps Vulg.) | Tractates on the Psalms 0.10 · Hilary of Poitiers | allusion, high confidence | ca. 360–367 |
| Ps 52:1 (51:1 Vulg.) | Tractates on the Psalms 51.1 · Hilary of Poitiers | allusion, high confidence | ca. 360–367 |
| Ps 52:1 (51:1-Ps Vulg.) | Tractates on the Psalms 51.2 · Hilary of Poitiers | quotation, high confidence | ca. 360–367 |
| Ps 52:1 (51:3 Vulg.) | Tractates on the Psalms 51.5 · Hilary of Poitiers | quotation, high confidence | ca. 360–367 |
| Ps 52:1–3 (51:3-Ps Vulg.) | Tractates on the Psalms 51.11 · Hilary of Poitiers | quotation, high confidence | ca. 360–367 |
| Ps 52:1–9 (51:1-Ps LXX) | Psalm 51 · Apollinaris of Laodicea | quotation, high confidence | uncertain (fourth to sixth century) |
| Ps 52:1 (51:3 LXX) | Section 32 · Anonymous | quotation, high confidence | 3 September 381 |
| Ps 52:1 (51:1 Vulg.) | Apology of the Prophet David 41 · Ambrose | allusion, high confidence | ca. 384-390 |
| Ps 52:1 (51:3 Vulg.) | Letters 23.20 · Paulinus of Nola | quotation, high confidence | ca. 394–413 |
Psalms 52:2
Your tongue devises destruction like a sharpened razor, O worker of deceit.
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ps 52:2 (51:4 LXX) | PG 12:1453 (Ps 51 LXX) · Origen | quotation, high confidence | ca. 220-254 |
| Ps 52:2 (51:4 Vulg.) | Tractates on the Psalms 51.7 · Hilary of Poitiers | quotation, high confidence | ca. 360–367 |
| Ps 52:2 (51:4 Vulg.) | Tractates on the Psalms 51.8 · Hilary of Poitiers | quotation, high confidence | ca. 360–367 |
| Ps 52:2 (51:4 LXX) | Oration 40.37 · Gregory of Nazianzus | allusion, high confidence | ca. 362–383 |
| Ps 52:2 (51:4 LXX) | On the Duties of the Clergy 3.11 · Ambrose | quotation, high confidence | ca. 386–390 |
| Ps 52:2 (51:4 LXX) | Homily 5 · Gregory of Nyssa | quotation, high confidence | ca. 390–394 |
| Ps 52:2 (51:4 LXX) | Sermon 32.20 · Augustine of Hippo | quotation, high confidence | ca. 391-430 |
| Ps 52:2 (51:4 Vulg.) | Sermon 62.14 · Augustine of Hippo | quotation, high confidence | ca. 391-430 |
| Ps 52:2 (51:4 Vulg.) | Sermon 62.15 · Augustine of Hippo | allusion, medium confidence | ca. 391-430 |
Psalms 52:3
You love evil more than good, falsehood more than speaking truth. Selah
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ps 52:3 (51:5 LXX) | PG 12:1453 (Ps 51 LXX) · Origen | quotation, high confidence | ca. 220-254 |
| Ps 52:3 (51:5 LXX) | Fragment 41 on John 3:19 · Origen | quotation, high confidence | ca. 226-254 |
| Ps 52:3 (51:5 Vulg.) | Tractates on the Psalms 51.9 · Hilary of Poitiers | quotation, high confidence | ca. 360–367 |
| Ps 52:3 (51:5 Vulg.) | Tractates on the Psalms 51.10 · Hilary of Poitiers | quotation, high confidence | ca. 360–367 |
Psalms 52:4
You love every word that devours, O deceitful tongue.
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ps 52:4 (51:6 LXX) | PG 12:1453 (Ps 51 LXX) · Origen | quotation, high confidence | ca. 220-254 |
| Ps 52:4–5 (51:6-Ps Vulg.) | Tractates on the Psalms 51.12 · Hilary of Poitiers | quotation, high confidence | ca. 360–367 |
| Ps 52:4 (51:6 Vulg.) | The Institutes 12.4 · John Cassian | quotation, high confidence | ca. 419–426 |
Psalms 52:5
Surely God will bring you down to everlasting ruin; He will snatch you up and tear you away from your tent; He will uproot you from the land of the living. Selah
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ps 52:5 (51:7 LXX) | PG 12:1453 (Ps 51 LXX) · Origen | quotation, high confidence | ca. 220-254 |
| Ps 52:5 (51:7 Vulg.) | Tractates on the Psalms 51.14 · Hilary of Poitiers | quotation, high confidence | ca. 360–367 |
| Ps 52:5 (51:7 Vulg.) | Tractates on the Psalms 51.17 · Hilary of Poitiers | quotation, high confidence | ca. 360–367 |
| Ps 52:5 (51:7 Vulg.) | The Institutes 12.4 · John Cassian | quotation, high confidence | ca. 419–426 |
| Ps 52:5 (51:7 Vulg.) | Formulae of Spiritual Understanding 3 · Eucherius of Lyon | quotation, high confidence | ca. 420-430 |
| Ps 52:5 (51:7 LXX) | The Conferences 17.20 · John Cassian | quotation, high confidence | ca. 426–429 |
Psalms 52:6
The righteous will see and fear; they will mock the evildoer, saying,
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ps 52:6 (51:8 LXX) | Fragments on Proverbs, column 245 · Origen | quotation, high confidence | ca. 220-254 |
| Ps 52:6–7 (51:8-Ps Vulg.) | Tractates on the Psalms 51.19 · Hilary of Poitiers | quotation, high confidence | ca. 360–367 |
Psalms 52:7
“Look at the man who did not make God his refuge, but trusted in the abundance of his wealth and strengthened himself by destruction.”
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ps 52:7 (51:9 LXX) | Fragments on Proverbs, column 245 · Origen | quotation, high confidence | ca. 220-254 |
| Ps 52:7 (51:9 LXX) | PG 12:1455 (Ps 51–52 LXX) · Origen | quotation, high confidence | ca. 220-254 |
| Ps 52:7 (51:9 Vulg.) | Tractates on the Psalms 51.20 · Hilary of Poitiers | quotation, high confidence | ca. 360–367 |
| Ps 52:7 (51:9 Vulg.) | Tractates on the Psalms 51.21 · Hilary of Poitiers | quotation, high confidence | ca. 360–367 |
| Ps 52:7 (51:9 LXX) | Letter 182.3 · Augustine of Hippo | quotation, high confidence | ca. 386–430 |
| Ps 52:7 (51:9 Vulg.) | Letter 30, chapter 3 · Innocent I, bishop of Rome | quotation, high confidence | 401–417 |
| Ps 52:7 (51:9 Vulg.) | The Institutes 12.4 · John Cassian | quotation, high confidence | ca. 419–426 |
Psalms 52:8
But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in the loving devotion of God forever and ever.
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ps 52:8 (51:10 LXX) | PG 12:1455 (Ps 51–52 LXX) · Origen | quotation, high confidence | ca. 220-254 |
| Ps 52:8 (51:10 LXX) | Homilies on Leviticus 13.2 · Origen | quotation, high confidence | ca. 238–250 (Rufinus's translation ca. 400–410) |
| Ps 52:8 (51:10 LXX) | Homilies on Leviticus 16.4 · Origen | quotation, high confidence | ca. 238–250 (Rufinus's translation ca. 400–410) |
| Ps 52:8 (51:10 LXX) | Commentary on Matthew, Latin Series 32 · Origen | quotation, high confidence | ca. 244–249 (Latin translation, 4th–5th century) |
| Ps 52:8 (51:10 LXX) | Commentary on Matthew, Latin Series 86 · Origen | quotation, high confidence | ca. 244–249 (Latin translation, 4th–5th century) |
| Ps 52:8 (51:10 LXX) | Commentary on Matthew 16.17 · Origen | quotation, high confidence | ca. 246–248 |
| Ps 52:8 (51:10 LXX) | Commentary on Romans 8.11 · Origen | quotation, high confidence | ca. 244–246 (Rufinus's translation ca. 405–406) |
| Ps 52:8 (51:10 LXX) | Demonstration of the Gospel 6.18.19 · Eusebius of Caesarea | quotation, high confidence | ca. 314–324 |
| Ps 52:8 (51:10 LXX) | Catechetical Lecture 1.4 · Cyril of Jerusalem | quotation, high confidence | ca. 350 |
| Ps 52:8–9 (51:10-Ps Vulg.) | Tractates on the Psalms 51.22 · Hilary of Poitiers | quotation, high confidence | ca. 360–367 |
| Ps 52:8 (51:10 LXX) | Hexaemeron 5.6 · Basil of Caesarea | quotation, high confidence | ca. 370 |
| Ps 52:8 (51:10 LXX) | Homily 9 · Gregory of Nyssa | quotation, high confidence | ca. 390–394 |
| Ps 52:8 (51:10 Vulg.) | Letters 44.1 · Paulinus of Nola | allusion, high confidence | ca. 394–413 |
| Ps 52:8 (51:10 Vulg.) | Commentary on Isaiah 54:1-3 · Jerome | quotation, high confidence | ca. 408-410 |
| Ps 52:8 (51:10 Vulg.) | City of God 15.21 · Augustine of Hippo | quotation, high confidence | 413–426 |
| Ps 52:8 (51:10 Vulg.) | Formulae of Spiritual Understanding 3 · Eucherius of Lyon | quotation, high confidence | ca. 420-430 |
Psalms 52:9
I will praise You forever, because You have done it. I will wait on Your name—for it is good—in the presence of Your saints.
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ps 52:9 (51:11 LXX) | PG 12:1455 (Ps 51–52 LXX) · Origen | quotation, high confidence | ca. 220-254 |
| Ps 52:9 (51:11 Vulg.) | Tractates on the Psalms 51.23 · Hilary of Poitiers | quotation, high confidence | ca. 360–367 |
| Ps 52:9 (51:11 Vulg.) | Tractates on the Psalms 51.24 · Hilary of Poitiers | quotation, high confidence | ca. 360–367 |