Thou lovest evil more than good; and lying rather than to speak righteousness. Selah.
Parallel translations
- WEB You love evil more than good, lying rather than speaking the truth. Selah.
- BSB You love evil more than good, falsehood more than speaking truth. Selah
- NKJV You love evil more than good, Lying rather than speaking righteousness. Selah
- NASB You love evil more than good, Lies more than speaking what is right. Selah
- NLT You love evil more than good and lies more than truth. Interlude
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The wicked man actively prefers evil to good and falsehood to truth. It shows that sin is a chosen love, not mere weakness.
Overview
David diagnoses the deeper problem: a heart that loves what is wrong and treasures lies. This inverted affection is the root of his destructive speech. Only a new heart, given through Christ, can reorder such loves toward truth and goodness (Ezekiel 36:26).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- Jer 9:3–5And they bend their tongues like their bow for lies: but they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they know not me, saith the LORD.
- John 8:44Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
- 2 Tim 3:4Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
- Mic 3:2Who hate the good, and love the evil; who pluck off their skin from off them, and their flesh from off their bones;
- Rev 22:15For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.
- Rom 1:25Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
- Jer 9:8Their tongue is as an arrow shot out; it speaketh deceit: one speaketh peaceably to his neighbour with his mouth, but in heart he layeth his wait.
- Jer 4:22For my people is foolish, they have not known me; they are sottish children, and they have none understanding: they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge.
- Ps 62:4They only consult to cast him down from his excellency: they delight in lies: they bless with their mouth, but they curse inwardly. Selah.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
The Psalms are Christ's own prayer book and a gallery of his portraits — the suffering one of Psalm 22, the risen Lord of Psalm 16, the priest-king of Psalm 110, the Son to whom the nations are given.
How Psalms 52:3 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.