Psalms — Chapter 53

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1For the choirmaster. According to Mahalath. A Maskil of David. The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt; their ways are vile. There is no one who does good.

2God looks down from heaven upon the sons of men to see if any understand, if any seek God.

3All have turned away, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.

4Will the workers of iniquity never learn? They devour my people like bread; they refuse to call upon God.

5There they are, overwhelmed with dread, where there was nothing to fear. For God has scattered the bones of those who besieged you. You put them to shame, for God has despised them.

6Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come from Zion! When God restores His captive people, let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad!

1The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good.

2God looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, that did seek God.

3Every one of them is gone back: they are altogether become filthy; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

4Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people as they eat bread: they have not called upon God.

5There 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.

6Oh 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.

1The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity; There is none that doeth good.

2God looked down from heaven upon the children of men, To see if there were any that did understand, That did seek after God.

3Every one of them is gone back; they are together become filthy; There is none that doeth good, no, not one.

4Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge, Who eat up my people [as] they eat bread, And call not upon God?

5There 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 of God hath rejected them.

6Oh that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion! When God bringeth back the captivity of his people, Then shall Jacob rejoice, [and] Israel shall be glad. Psalm 54 For the Chief Musician; on stringed instruments. Maschil of David; when the Ziphites came and said to Saul, Doth not David hide himself with us?

1For the music director, according to the machalath style; a well-written song by David. Fools say to themselves, “There is no God.” They sin and commit evil deeds; none of them does what is right.

2God looks down from heaven at the human race, to see if there is anyone who is wise and seeks God.

3Everyone rejects God; they are all morally corrupt. None of them does what is right, not even one!

4All those who behave wickedly do not understand— those who devour my people as if they were eating bread and do not call out to God.

5They are absolutely terrified, even by things that do not normally cause fear. For God annihilates those who attack you. You are able to humiliate them because God has rejected them.

6I wish the deliverance of Israel would come from Zion! When God restores the well-being of his people, may Jacob rejoice, may Israel be happy!

1The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, and have done abominable iniquity. There is no one who does good.

2God looks down from heaven on the children of men, to see if there are any who understood, who seek after God.

3Every one of them has gone back. They have become filthy together. There is no one who does good, no, not one.

4Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge, who eat up my people as they eat bread, and don’t call on God?

5There they were in great fear, where no fear was, for God has scattered the bones of him who encamps against you. You have put them to shame, because God has rejected them.

6Oh that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion! When God brings back his people from captivity, then Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad.

Summary
Authorship & Background
Map & Geography
Commentary
Videos
Articles
Reflection

Summary

A wisdom psalm, essentially a variant of Psalm 14. The fool denies God in his heart and lives corruptly, and when God looks down from heaven he finds no one who does good, not even one (vv. 1-3). The wicked who devour God's people and never call on him will be struck with great terror, for God scatters the bones of those who besiege the righteous, putting them to shame (vv. 4-5). The psalm closes longing for salvation to come out of Zion, when God restores his people's fortunes and Jacob rejoices (v. 6).

Authorship & Background

Author: Multiple authors — primarily David (73 psalms attributed), plus Asaph (12), Sons of Korah (11), Solomon (2), Moses (1), Heman (1), Ethan (1), and anonymous. The Psalter was compiled over approximately 1000 years and served as Israel's hymnal and prayer book. The book is divided into five 'books' (1-41, 42-72, 73-89, 90-106, 107-150), paralleling the five books of Moses.
Classification: Wisdom Psalm
Attributed Author: David
Key Themes: Universal human depravity, atheistic folly, God's sovereign observation, total corruption, hope for salvation from Zion
Historical Context: Psalm 53 is nearly identical to Psalm 14, with the primary difference being the use of "Elohim" (God) instead of "Yahweh" (LORD) and a different v.5. The duplication likely reflects different liturgical traditions — one Davidic/Yahwistic, one Elohistic. It is a Maskil (instructive poem) set to "Mahalath" (possibly a tune name meaning "sickness" or "dancing"). The psalm surveys humanity from God's perspective and finds universal corruption. Paul quotes this psalm extensively in Romans 3:10-12 to establish the universal need for grace. Verse 5 differs significantly from Psalm 14:5-6, suggesting a specific military deliverance (God scattering the bones of Israel's enemies).
The Fool Hath Said in His Heart (v.1): This psalm is Psalm 14 again, with small variations, and the psalter keeps both rather than choosing. The most visible difference is the divine name: Psalm 14 uses the LORD and this one uses God throughout, which is a feature of the whole of Book II. The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God, and the word is nabal, a moral rather than an intellectual failure.
God Looked Down from Heaven (vv.2-3): God looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, that did seek God. The survey and its result are as total here as in Psalm 14, every one of them is gone back, they are altogether become filthy, there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Paul quotes the passage in Romans 3.
Have the Workers of Iniquity No Knowledge (v.4): Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge, who eat up my people as they eat bread. The comparison with bread describes the oppression as routine rather than exceptional, and the last clause names what is not happening, they have not called upon God.
There Were They in Great Fear (v.5): There were they in great fear, where no fear was. This is where the two psalms differ most: Psalm 14:5 has the same opening and then goes a different way, while this version adds a picture of scattered bones, for God hath scattered the bones of him that encampeth against thee. The military language has led many to think this version was adapted for a particular battle.
Oh That the Salvation of Israel (v.6): Oh that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion. The closing verse is Psalm 14:7 with God for the LORD, and it turns a poem about universal corruption into a request for one nation's rescue, when God bringeth back the captivity of his people, Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad.

Map & Geography

  • Zion (v.6): The hill on which Jerusalem/the Temple stood; often used poetically for God's dwelling.

Places on this map

  • JerusalemJerusalemA hill town about 2,500 feet up in the central spine of Judah, roughly 35 miles inland from the Mediterranean and 15 miles west of the Jordan. It sits on no trade route and has no river, which is why it mattered as a fortress and a sanctuary rather than as a market. Wikipedia

Towns sit on their excavated or traditional site. Regions, rivers and seas are ringed rather than dotted, because for those a single point is only an anchor. Coastlines from Natural Earth.

Commentary

  • Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com Verse-by-verse commentary on this chapter, written for the everyday reader and freely available online.
  • Jamieson-Fausset-Brown (1871): blueletterbible.org A critical and explanatory commentary on the whole Bible, more concise than Matthew Henry and closer to the Hebrew and Greek, with attention to historical and geographical detail. Public domain.
  • Matthew Henry's Exposition (1710): blueletterbible.org A devotional verse-by-verse commentary in the Puritan tradition, still among the most widely read three centuries on. Public domain.

Videos

Psalm 53 | The Fool and God | Bible Study
Spoken Gospel

Psalm 53 - The Faithful God Delivers His People from Fools
David Guzik

Articles

  • GotQuestions.org: gotquestions.org Why Psalm 53 and Psalm 14 are nearly the same psalm, and what the differences between them suggest.
  • GotQuestions.org: gotquestions.org On the whole book: an overview of Psalms -- who wrote it, when, why, and how it fits the rest of Scripture.

Links open on the publisher's own site. Nothing here is reproduced on this page.

Reflection

  • Denial of God Starts in the Heart (v.1) — The fool's declaration that there is no God begins as a desire, not a conclusion reached by evidence. Have you noticed how convenient it can be to avoid thinking clearly about God when His existence has real implications for how you live?
  • Nothing Escapes God's Sight (v.2) — God looks down and searches for anyone who truly understands and seeks Him. Do you live as though your private thoughts and choices are actually hidden from Him?
  • Not Even One Truly Good (v.3) — The verdict on humanity is total: no one does good on their own, not a single person. Have you fully accepted this diagnosis about yourself, or do you still think you're basically fine apart from grace?
  • Salvation Comes From God Alone (v.6) — After describing total human corruption, the psalm's only hope is salvation coming out of Zion, from God's initiative. Are you looking to God as your only real hope, or still trying to generate your own solution?