Single lesson
Psalm 52: Why Do You Boast of Evil?
Psalms 52:1–9
Psalm 52 is a poem that begins by challenging a person who boasts in evil. In this lesson, children trace the psalm’s strong word pictures and notice how it moves from warning about deceit to trust and thanks to God.
Before you teach
In Psalms 52:1–9, the speaker first addresses a “mighty man” who boasts of mischief and uses destructive, deceitful words. The psalm then speaks about God’s judgement, what the righteous will say, and finally the speaker’s own trust, thanks and hope in God’s loving kindness and name.
Students will be able to identify the poem’s movement from accusation, to judgement, to trust and thanks, using at least three images or statements from Psalms 52:1–9.
Welcome: Hearing the poem’s opening contrast
5 minRead verse 1 aloud twice. Ask children to listen for the contrast: one person boasts of mischief, yet God’s loving kindness endures continually. Explain that this is poetry, so the psalm uses strong, memorable wording to teach truth. Invite the group to listen for who is being described and how the poem changes direction later.
Psalms 52:1
Read and explain: Destructive speech and God’s response
8 minRead verses 2–5 slowly. Point out the images of the tongue: it plots destruction, is like a sharp razor, loves lying, and uses devouring words. Explain that these pictures show harmful, deceitful speech. Then notice the matching tree and root image in verse 5: God will pluck up and root out the wicked person.
Psalms 52:2, Psalms 52:3, Psalms 52:4, Psalms 52:5
Discuss: What the righteous notice
6 minRead verses 6–7. Ask children what the righteous see and what they say about the man. Help them observe that the problem is not only evil speech. He also does not make God his strength, but trusts in riches and strengthens himself in wickedness. Keep the discussion close to the exact words of the psalm.
Psalms 52:6, Psalms 52:7
Make and respond: Olive tree trust card
7 minChildren make a simple image card showing one picture from the psalm. They may draw a razor, roots, a tent, or a green olive tree, then add a short line from the psalm. Encourage them to choose the final contrast in verse 8: the speaker is like a green olive tree in God’s house and trusts God’s loving kindness.
Psalms 52:5, Psalms 52:8
Closing: Thanks and hope in God’s name
4 minFinish by reading verses 8–9 together. Ask the class to name the final response of the speaker: trust, thanks and hope. Let children hold up their cards and say one word they learned from the psalm, such as loving kindness, truth, strength, trust or thanks. Close by summarising the poem’s movement from evil words to confident praise.
Psalms 52:8, Psalms 52:9
Questions to explore
What two very different things are placed side by side in verse 1?
Listen for the boast of mischief and the statement that God’s loving kindness endures continually, and talk about how the psalm begins with that contrast.
Psalms 52:1
Which word pictures describe the tongue in verses 2–4?
Look for the images and descriptions in the text itself: plotting destruction, a sharp razor, lying instead of truth, and devouring words.
Psalms 52:2, Psalms 52:3, Psalms 52:4
How is the speaker in verse 8 different from the man in verse 7?
Compare what each one trusts in: the man trusts in riches and wickedness, while the speaker says, “I trust in God’s loving kindness forever and ever.”
Psalms 52:7, Psalms 52:8
Make, think or respond
Psalm 52 Image Card
What you’ll need
- paper or card
- pencils or crayons
- marker
- Bible
Try it together
- Read Psalms 52:5 and Psalms 52:8 and choose one picture from the psalm to draw.
- Draw the image largely on the front, such as roots, a tent, a razor, or a green olive tree.
- Write a short line from the psalm next to the picture.
- On the back, write one sentence about what the picture teaches in this poem.
- Invite volunteers to show their card and read their line aloud.
The card helps children remember that Psalm 52 teaches through strong images, especially the contrast between being rooted out and being like a green olive tree in God’s house.
Adapt for your group
- For younger children, offer two picture choices only, such as a razor or an olive tree, and let them copy a short phrase from the board.
- For older or stronger readers, ask them to sort the psalm into three parts: accusation, judgement, and trust with thanks, then label their card with that section.
An optional closing prayer
Suggested prayer: “God, thank you that your loving kindness endures. Help us speak truth, trust in you as our strength, and give thanks to you.”
Read the Bible passage World English Bible Classic
Psalms 52
1 Why do you boast of mischief, mighty man? God’s loving kindness endures continually.
2 Your tongue plots destruction, like a sharp razor, working deceitfully.
3 You love evil more than good, lying rather than speaking the truth. Selah.
4 You love all devouring words, you deceitful tongue.
5 God will likewise destroy you forever. He will take you up, and pluck you out of your tent, and root you out of the land of the living. Selah.
6 The righteous also will see it, and fear, and laugh at him, saying,
7 “Behold, this is the man who didn’t make God his strength, but trusted in the abundance of his riches, and strengthened himself in his wickedness.”
8 But as for me, I am like a green olive tree in God’s house. I trust in God’s loving kindness forever and ever.
9 I will give you thanks forever, because you have done it. I will hope in your name, for it is good, in the presence of your saints.
World English Bible Classic. Public domain.