Psalms 52:5

God shall likewise destroy thee for euer, hee shall take thee away and plucke thee out of thy dwelling place, and roote thee out of the land of the liuing. Selah. Psalms 52:5 (KJV)

Psalm 52 is attributed to David and is traditionally linked to the incident involving Doeg the Edomite, who betrayed David to King Saul. While the psalm is understood as a response to that betrayal, the exact wording of verse 5 does not appear in the canonical text of Psalm 52, even though it is quoted here from the KJV.

In this psalm David expresses confident trust in God’s judgment upon the wicked. He describes the eventual downfall of those who oppose God and commit evil acts, using strong images of destruction and removal to underscore the certainty of divine justice.

The psalmist affirms that God’s judgment is enduring, not merely a temporary setback. The ultimate fate of the wicked is portrayed as an everlasting separation from God’s presence, highlighting the seriousness of persistent wrongdoing.

The imagery of “taking away” and “plucking out” conveys the thoroughness of God’s judgment. The wicked are depicted as being uprooted from their dwelling places, a picture that suggests a complete eradication of their influence and position.

The phrase “root thee out of the land of the living” symbolizes the exclusion of the wicked from the community of the righteous. It signifies a forceful and complete removal from the physical world where the faithful dwell, indicating their separation from God’s blessings and fellowship.

The term “Selah,” frequent in the Psalms, is thought to be a musical or liturgical notation that calls for a pause, allowing the listener time for reflection and meditation on the weighty words that precede it.