Psalm 52's (51 in the Greek) Greek translation of course does not preserve this pattern and eliminates one of the more interesting major word recurrences, the 'loving kindness', translated as reproof. It is important to remember, if one has a conscience, that reproof is also an act of kindness. Reproof that brings shame shows us that we care about others even if it is suppressed in us. Reproof delivered by the Most High (as Nathan does for David in the prior psalm) then brings the one reproved into an offering to God, one whose example has become an offering for sin.
So it is doubly curious that Psalms 51 and 52 are so juxtaposed. These two psalms together share 15 significant words including making things clear, loving-kindness, and righteousness (altogether about 30% of their total words). Righteousness is the central message of the penitential psalm 51. It's usually considered to be about sin, but that is a human overemphasis that results from Doeg's sin of self-importance.
| לַמְנַצֵּ֗חַ מַשְׂכִּ֥יל לְדָוִֽד | 1 | For the leader. An insight of David. | 9 | 14 | |
| בְּב֤וֹא ׀ דּוֹאֵ֣ג הָאֲדֹמִי֮ וַיַּגֵּ֪ד לְשָׁ֫א֥וּל וַיֹּ֥אמֶר ל֑וֹ בָּ֥א דָ֝וִ֗ד אֶל־בֵּ֥ית אֲחִימֶֽלֶךְ | 2 | In comes Doeg the Edomite and he makes it clear to Saul saying to him, David goes to the house of Ahimelech. | 14 4 9 | 22 7 16 | |
| מַה־תִּתְהַלֵּ֣ל בְּ֭רָעָה הַגִּבּ֑וֹר חֶ֥סֶד אֵ֝֗ל כָּל־הַיּֽוֹם | 3 | Why do you boast in evil, O valiant one? The reproof of God is all the day long. | 10 6 | 16 11 | |
| הַ֭וּוֹת תַּחְשֹׁ֣ב לְשׁוֹנֶ֑ךָ כְּתַ֥עַר מְ֝לֻטָּ֗שׁ עֹשֵׂ֥ה רְמִיָּֽה | 4 | Calamities your tongue devises like a honed razor that acts with deceit. | 8 11 | 13 15 | |
| אָהַ֣בְתָּ רָּ֣ע מִטּ֑וֹב שֶׁ֓קֶר ׀ מִדַּבֵּ֖ר צֶ֣דֶק סֶֽלָה | 5 | You love evil over good, falsehood over a matter of righteousness. Selah. | 6 9 | 10 13 | |
| אָהַ֥בְתָּ כָֽל־דִּבְרֵי־בָ֗לַע לְשׁ֣וֹן מִרְמָֽה | 6 | You love to swallow up all sorts of things, tongue of deceit. | 11 | 21 | |
| גַּם־אֵל֮ יִתָּצְךָ֪ לָ֫נֶ֥צַח יַחְתְּךָ֣ וְיִסָּחֲךָ֣ מֵאֹ֑הֶל וְשֵֽׁרֶשְׁךָ֨ מֵאֶ֖רֶץ חַיִּ֣ים סֶֽלָה | 7 | But God will overcome even you in perpetuity. He will take hold of you and pluck you from your tent, and root you out of the land of the living. Selah. | 8 11 11 | 12 13 16 | |
| וְיִרְא֖וּ צַדִּיקִ֥ים וְיִירָ֗אוּ וְעָלָ֥יו יִשְׂחָֽקוּ | 8 | And the-many righteous will see and fear, and they will laugh at him. | 16 | 27 | |
| הִנֵּ֤ה הַגֶּ֗בֶר לֹ֤א יָשִׂ֥ים אֱלֹהִ֗ים מָֽע֫וּזּ֥וֹ וַ֭יִּבְטַח בְּרֹ֣ב עָשְׁר֑וֹ יָ֝עֹ֗ז בְּהַוָּתֽוֹ | 9 | So this is the valiant one who did not set up God as his strength, but trusted in the abundance of his riches and strengthened himself in his own calamity. | 14 7 6 | 23 12 8 | |
| וַאֲנִ֤י ׀ כְּזַ֣יִת רַ֭עֲנָן בְּבֵ֣ית אֱלֹהִ֑ים בָּטַ֥חְתִּי בְחֶֽסֶד־אֱ֝לֹהִ֗ים עוֹלָ֥ם וָעֶֽד | 10 | But I am like an olive tree, green in the house of God. I trust in God's reproof now and for ever. | 14 13 | 21 21 | |
| אוֹדְךָ֣ לְ֭עוֹלָם כִּ֣י עָשִׂ֑יתָ וַאֲקַוֶּ֖ה שִׁמְךָ֥ כִֽי־ט֝֗וֹב נֶ֣גֶד חֲסִידֶֽיךָ | 11 | I will thank you forever for you have acted and I await your name for it is good, made clear to those under your mercy. | 9 14 | 15 22 |
Selected recurring words excluding על,יהוה,אלוה,כי,אל,את
| למנצח for the leader |
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| 1 | נצח | |||||||||||||||||||
| לדוד of David |
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| 1 | דוד | |||||||||||||||||||
| בבוא enter |
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| 2 | בוא | |||||||||||||||||||
| ויגד and he makes it clear |
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| 2 | נגד | |||||||||||||||||||
| בא goes |
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| 2 | בוא | |||||||||||||||||||
| דוד David |
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| 2 | דוד | |||||||||||||||||||
| בית the house of |
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| 2 | בית | |||||||||||||||||||
| ברעה in evil |
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| 3 | רע | |||||||||||||||||||
| הגבור O valiant one |
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| 3 | גבר | |||||||||||||||||||
| חסד the reproof of |
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| 3 | חסד | |||||||||||||||||||
| כל is all |
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| 3 | כל | |||||||||||||||||||
| לשׁונך your tongue |
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| 4 | לשׁון | |||||||||||||||||||
| עשׂה that acts with |
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| 4 | עשׂה | |||||||||||||||||||
| * רמיה deceit |
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| 4 | רמה | |||||||||||||||||||
| אהבת you love |
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| 5 | אהב | |||||||||||||||||||
| רע evil |
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| 5 | רע | |||||||||||||||||||
| מטוב over good |
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| 5 | טוב | |||||||||||||||||||
| מדבר over a matter of |
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| 5 | דבר | |||||||||||||||||||
| סלה selah |
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| 5 | סלה | |||||||||||||||||||
| אהבת you love |
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| 6 | אהב | |||||||||||||||||||
| כל all sorts of things |
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| 6 | כל | |||||||||||||||||||
| דברי sorts of things |
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| 6 | דבר | |||||||||||||||||||
| לשׁון tongue of |
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| 6 | לשׁון | |||||||||||||||||||
| * מרמה deceit |
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| 6 | רמה | |||||||||||||||||||
| לנצח in perpetuity |
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| 7 | נצח | |||||||||||||||||||
| סלה selah |
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| 7 | סלה | |||||||||||||||||||
| הגבר the valiant one |
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| 9 | גבר | |||||||||||||||||||
| מעוזו his strength |
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| 9 | עזז | |||||||||||||||||||
| ויבטח but trusted |
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| 9 | בטח | |||||||||||||||||||
| יעז and strengthened himself |
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| 9 | עזז | |||||||||||||||||||
| בבית in the house of |
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| 10 | בית | |||||||||||||||||||
| בטחתי I trust |
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| 10 | בטח | |||||||||||||||||||
| בחסד in reproof |
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| 10 | חסד | |||||||||||||||||||
| עולם now |
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| 10 | עלם | |||||||||||||||||||
| לעולם forever |
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| 11 | עלם | |||||||||||||||||||
| עשׂית you have acted |
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| 11 | עשׂה | |||||||||||||||||||
| טוב it is good |
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| 11 | טוב | |||||||||||||||||||
| נגד made clear to |
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| 11 | נגד |
Words in verses 1 to 11 that are shared by both poems, particularly in 51:2-11 and 52:2-6 - showing a parallel in the thought process between the two psalms.
| בבוא when came |
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| 51:2 | בוא | ||||||||||
| בא he had come |
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| 51:2 | בוא | ||||||||||
| כחסדך according to your loving-kindness |
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| 51:3 | חסד | ||||||||||
| כרב in the multitude of |
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| 51:3 | רב | ||||||||||
| אני I |
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| 51:5 | אני | ||||||||||
| נגדי in front of me |
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| 51:5 | נגד | ||||||||||
| והרע and this evil |
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| 51:6 | רע | ||||||||||
| עשׂיתי I have done |
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| 51:6 | עשׂה | ||||||||||
| תצדק you are right |
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| 51:6 | צדק | ||||||||||
| בדברך to speak |
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| 51:6 | דבר | ||||||||||
| וכל and all |
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| 51:11 | כל | ||||||||||
| בבוא enter |
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| 52:2 | בוא | ||||||||||
| ויגד and he makes it clear |
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| 52:2 | נגד | ||||||||||
| בא goes |
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| 52:2 | בוא | ||||||||||
| ברעה in evil |
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| 52:3 | רע | ||||||||||
| חסד the reproof of |
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| 52:3 | חסד | ||||||||||
| כל is all |
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| 52:3 | כל | ||||||||||
| עשׂה that acts with |
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| 52:4 | עשׂה | ||||||||||
| רע evil |
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| 52:5 | רע | ||||||||||
| מדבר over a matter of |
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| 52:5 | דבר | ||||||||||
| צדק righteousness |
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| 52:5 | צדק | ||||||||||
| כל all sorts of things |
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| 52:6 | כל | ||||||||||
| דברי sorts of things |
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| 52:6 | דבר | ||||||||||
| ברב in the abundance of |
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| 52:9 | רב | ||||||||||
| ואני but I am |
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| 52:10 | אני | ||||||||||
| בחסד in reproof |
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| 52:10 | חסד | ||||||||||
| עשׂית you have acted |
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| 52:11 | עשׂה | ||||||||||
| נגד made clear to |
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| 52:11 | נגד |
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