About Psalms

Psalms is Israel's hymnbook and prayer book, expressing the full range of human emotion in relationship with God, from deep lament to exuberant praise.

Author: David and othersWritten: c. 1410-450 BCReading time: ~1 minVerses: 6
WorshipPrayerPraiseLamentTrustMessianic Prophecy

Places in This Chapter

View map →
Zion(Settlement)

King James Version

Psalms 53

6 verses with commentary

The Fool Says There Is No God

1

To the chief Musician upon Mahalath, Maschil, A Psalm of David. The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good.

View commentary (4 sources)

KJV Study Commentary

<strong>The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good.</strong> This opening verse diagnoses the root of human corruption: practical atheism that leads inevitably to moral corruption. Psalm 53 closely parallels Psalm 14, with minor variations suggesting different occasions or contexts for the same inspired messa...
Read full commentary →

Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(1) **And.**—The conjunction is wanting in Psalm 14:1. **Iniquity.**—Instead of the general term, “doings,” in Psalms 14, as if the adapter of the Psalm felt that a word applicable to good as well as evil was not strong enough to express the hideousness of the profanity.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

9. The king is only God's agent. **anger--**literally, "face," as appearing against them. **as a fiery oven--**as in it.

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

Chapter 53 The corruption of man by nature. --This psalm is almost the same as the 14th. The scope of it is to convince us of our sins. God, by the psalmist, here shows us how bad we are, and proves this by his own certain knowledge. He speaks terror to persecutors, the worst of sinners. He speaks encouragement to God's persecuted people. How comes it that men are so bad? Because there is no...
Read full commentary →
2

God looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, that did seek God.

View commentary (3 sources)

KJV Study Commentary

<strong>God looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, that did seek God.</strong> This verse presents God's comprehensive survey of humanity, searching for wisdom and spiritual seeking. The language is anthropomorphic—describing God in human terms—to communicate divine scrutiny of human hearts and actions.<br><br>"God looked down from heaven" (...
Read full commentary →

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**10. fruit--**children (Psa 37:25; Ho 9:16).

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

Chapter 53 The corruption of man by nature. --This psalm is almost the same as the 14th. The scope of it is to convince us of our sins. God, by the psalmist, here shows us how bad we are, and proves this by his own certain knowledge. He speaks terror to persecutors, the worst of sinners. He speaks encouragement to God's persecuted people. How comes it that men are so bad? Because there is no...
Read full commentary →
3

Every one of them is gone back: they are altogether become filthy; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

View commentary (4 sources)

KJV Study Commentary

<strong>Every one of them is gone back: they are altogether become filthy; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.</strong> This verse reports the devastating results of God's survey: universal apostasy, comprehensive corruption, total absence of goodness. The threefold emphasis—gone back, become filthy, none doing good—hammers home humanity's fallen condition apart from grace.<br><br>"Every o...
Read full commentary →

Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(3) There are two unimportant variations from Psalms 14 here: “every one,” instead of “the whole,” and “gone back” (*sag*) for “gone aside” (*sar*).

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

11. This terrible overthrow, reaching to posterity, is due to their crimes (Ex 20:5, 6).

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

Chapter 53 The corruption of man by nature. --This psalm is almost the same as the 14th. The scope of it is to convince us of our sins. God, by the psalmist, here shows us how bad we are, and proves this by his own certain knowledge. He speaks terror to persecutors, the worst of sinners. He speaks encouragement to God's persecuted people. How comes it that men are so bad? Because there is no...
Read full commentary →
4

Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people as they eat bread: they have not called upon God.

View commentary (4 sources)

KJV Study Commentary

The ignorant workers of iniquity: 'Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people as they eat bread, and call not upon God.' The question is rhetorical--they should know better but act as if God doesn't see. 'Eating up' God's people as casually as bread indicates contemptuous oppression.

Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(4) Notice the omission of the expressive “all” found in Psalms 14

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**12. turn their back--**literally, "place them [as to the] shoulder." **against the face of them--**The shooting against their faces would cause them to turn their backs in flight.

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

Chapter 53 The corruption of man by nature. --This psalm is almost the same as the 14th. The scope of it is to convince us of our sins. God, by the psalmist, here shows us how bad we are, and proves this by his own certain knowledge. He speaks terror to persecutors, the worst of sinners. He speaks encouragement to God's persecuted people. How comes it that men are so bad? Because there is no...
Read full commentary →
5

There were they in great fear, where no fear was: for God hath scattered the bones of him that encampeth against thee: thou hast put them to shame, because God hath despised them. were: Heb. they feared a fear

View commentary (4 sources)

KJV Study Commentary

The coming terror: 'There were they in great fear, where no fear was: for God hath scattered the bones of him that encampeth against thee.' Sudden, unexpected judgment produces terror among those who thought themselves secure. 'No fear was' indicates their false confidence. God scatters their bones--image of complete defeat and dishonor.

Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(5) **Where no fear was.**—This—the most interesting variation from Psalms 14—appears plainly to have been inserted to bring the Psalm into harmony with some circumstance belonging to the time for which it was adapted, but to which we have no clue. As to the choice among the various explanations that have been given of it, we must remark that the one which takes “fear” in a good sense (“Then were ...
Read full commentary →

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

13. The glory of all is ascribable to God alone.

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

Chapter 53 The corruption of man by nature. --This psalm is almost the same as the 14th. The scope of it is to convince us of our sins. God, by the psalmist, here shows us how bad we are, and proves this by his own certain knowledge. He speaks terror to persecutors, the worst of sinners. He speaks encouragement to God's persecuted people. How comes it that men are so bad? Because there is no...
Read full commentary →
6

Oh that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion! When God bringeth back the captivity of his people, Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad. Oh that: Heb. Who will give salvation, etc

View commentary (2 sources)

KJV Study Commentary

<strong>Oh that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion! When God bringeth back the captivity of his people, Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad.</strong> This concluding verse shifts from lament over human corruption to longing for divine deliverance. The prayer expresses Israel's hope for restoration and celebration when God intervenes to save His covenant people.<br><br>"Oh that...
Read full commentary →

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

Chapter 53 The corruption of man by nature. --This psalm is almost the same as the 14th. The scope of it is to convince us of our sins. God, by the psalmist, here shows us how bad we are, and proves this by his own certain knowledge. He speaks terror to persecutors, the worst of sinners. He speaks encouragement to God's persecuted people. How comes it that men are so bad? Because there is no...
Read full commentary →

Test Your Knowledge

Psalms 53 QuizTest your knowledge of this chapter
Psalms Book QuizComprehensive quiz for the entire book

Continue Your Study

Read Psalms 54All Psalms ChaptersPsalms 53 QuizComplete Psalms QuizAll Bible QuizzesBible CharactersBible TopicsNave's Topical Bible