RECITING PSALMS
Introduction: This comment is in memory of my late mother (Brainah Leah bat Moshe Aharon) and for all those who read Tehillim for the sake of others. [To see the full Mechon Mamre text, please click here.]

Chapter 53: Psalm 53 is attributed to David and is identical to Psalm 14. At only 7 verses in length, it decries humanity’s tragic and foolhardy preoccupation with corruption and sin, offering the hope of salvation for the righteous. G-d chastises those whose pursuit of evil has led to persecuting others, while ultimately giving encouragement to Jacob, Israel & Zion to take heed and rejoice.

Yet it is deeply puzzling why David would have repeated here what seems almost entirely the same as Chapter 14. We’ll compare verses from both Psalms to demonstrate their similarity & difference.

אָמַר נָבָל בְּלִבּוֹ, אֵין אֱל-ֹהִים; הִשְׁחִיתוּ, וְהִתְעִיבוּ עָוֶל– אֵין עֹשֵׂה-טוֹב. The fool said in his heart: ‘There is no God’; they’ve dealt corruptly, and have performed abominable sins; none does good. (Psalms 53:2)

For the Leader. [A Psalm] of David. The fool said in his heart: ‘There is no God’; they’ve dealt corruptly, they’ve done abominably; there is no one who does good. (Psalms 14:1)

הֲלֹא יָדְעוּ, פֹּעֲלֵי-אָוֶן: אֹכְלֵי עַמִּי, אָכְלוּ לֶחֶם; אֱ-לֹהִים, לֹא קָרָאוּ. Shall not the workers of iniquity know, who eat up My people as they eat bread, and call not upon God? (Psalms 53:5)

Shall not all the workers of iniquity know, who eat up My people as they eat bread, and call not upon the LORD? (Psalms 14:4)

שָׁם, פָּחֲדוּ פַחַד- לֹא-הָיָה-פָחַד:כִּי-אֱ-לֹהִים–פִּזַּר, עַצְמוֹת חֹנָךְ; הֱבִשֹׁתָה, כִּי-אֱ-לֹהִים מְאָסָם. There are they in great fear, where no fear was; for God scattered the bones of the one who ‘encamped’ against you; putting them to shame, because God rejected them. (Psalms 53:6)

There are they in great fear; for God is with the righteous generation. (Psalms 14:5) You put to shame the counsel of the poor, but the LORD is his refuge. (Psalms 14:6)

מִי יִתֵּן מִצִּיּוֹן, יְשֻׁעוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל: בְּשׁוּב אֱ-לֹהִים, שְׁבוּת עַמּוֹ; יָגֵל יַעֲקֹב, יִשְׂמַח יִשְׂרָאֵל. Oh that Israel’s salvation were to come out of Zion! When God turns the captivity of His people, let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad. (Psalms 53:7)

Oh that the salvation of Israel were to come out of Zion! When the LORD turns the captivity of His people, let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad. (Psalms 14:7)

According to Rashi, metaphorically Psalm 14 prophesied the destruction of the 1^st Temple, thus Psalm 53 would do the same for the 2^nd Temple. But King David obviously lived before the period of the 1^st Temple (built by his son Solomon). So this Psalm – while it may have had a prophetic component – must have also had relevance to David’s life.

The clue may likely be in the disparity of Verse 6. The triple Hebrew reference to ‘a fear (pahad) where there was no fear’ can be linked to the Biblical chastisement known as the  Tokhaha appearing both in Leviticus 26 and in Deuteronomy 28 – the Israelite’s rebuke for not following G-d’s commands. Another clue may be the reference to ‘scattered bones’ which often connotes devastation from war.

Perhaps (like Chapter 52) this chapter refers to the life-threatening experiences David had with King Saul or worse, to Saul’s demoralising death during war with the Philistines. But, as for why David recorded this Psalm twice, further investigation is required.

RECITING PSALMS
Introduction: This comment is in memory of my late mother (Brainah Leah bat Moshe Aharon) and for all those who read Tehillim for the sake of others. [To see the full Mechon Mamre text, please click here.]

Chapter 52: Psalm 52 is attributed to David and is referred to as a Psalm of Trust in the Almighty’s assistance. Its theme is the accusation and indictment of a perpetrator whose crime was so great it precluded forgiveness. This Psalm warns of the immense evil of tale-bearing and slander, and bemoans those who misuse their G-d given talents.

The tragic story of Ahimelek and the priests of Nob betrayed by Doeg the Edomite is told in I Samuel Chapters 21-22. An exhausted David, who’d fled the irrational King Saul, sought help from a priestly city, where  Ahimelekh innocently provided David with 5 loaves of bread and Goliath’s sword.

בְּבוֹא, דּוֹאֵג הָאֲדֹמִי- וַיַּגֵּד לְשָׁאוּל: וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ- בָּא דָוִד, אֶל-בֵּית אֲחִימֶלֶךְ. When Doeg the Edomite came and told Saul, ‘David is come to the house of Ahimelech.’ (Psalms 52:2)

Unbeknown to Ahimelekh (who was a direct descendant of Eli), David was a fugitive. Shortly afterwards, Doeg betrayed this deed to King Saul. And in his wrath, Saul commanded Doeg to kill all the priests (85) and then obliterate the town of Nob.

אָהַבְתָּ רָּע מִטּוֹב; שֶׁקֶר, מִדַּבֵּר צֶדֶק סֶלָה. You love evil more than good; falsehood rather than speaking righteousness. Selah (Psalms 52:5)

Rashi comments that Doeg was well-versed in Torah. Maimonides, referring to those who can never achieve repentance, lists Doeg as an example.

גַּם-אֵ-ל, יִתָּצְךָ לָנֶצַח: יַחְתְּךָ וְיִסָּחֲךָ מֵאֹהֶל; וְשֵׁרֶשְׁךָ מֵאֶרֶץ חַיִּים סֶלָה. G-d will likewise break you forever, taking you up, and plucking you out of your tent; and rooting you out of the land of the living. Selah (Psalms 52:7)

הִנֵּה הַגֶּבֶר- לֹא יָשִׂים אֱ-לֹהִים, מָעוּזּוֹ: וַיִּבְטַח, בְּרֹב עָשְׁרוֹ; יָעֹז, בְּהַוָּתוֹ. Behold, this is the man who didn’t make G-d his stronghold; but trusted in the abundance of his riches, and strengthened himself in his wickedness.’ (Psalms 52:9)

The sole surviving child of Ahimelekh, Aviatar, escaped, finding David and bringing with him the priestly regalia (Ephod with Urim & Thumim). David felt great remorse for the calamity caused and appointed Aviatar as their priest.

אוֹדְךָ לְעוֹלָם, כִּי עָשִׂיתָ;    וַאֲקַוֶּה שִׁמְךָ כִי-טוֹב, נֶגֶד חֲסִידֶיךָ. I give thanks for ever, because You’ve done it; and I give hope in Your name, for it’s good, in the presence of Your saints. (Psalms 52:11)

When David was anointed King, Aviatar was made High Priest, proving his loyalty to the King when David’s son Abshalom tried to usurp the throne. But later, Aviatar was deposed and banished to his home for attempting to support the appointment of Adoniah rather than Solomon.