Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary
Psalms 53:1

Clarke's Commentary

PSALM LIII

The sentiments of atheists and deists, who deny Divine

Providence; their character: they are corrupt, foolish,

abominable, and cruel, 1-4;

God fills them with terror, 5;

reproaches these for their oppression of the poor, 5.

The psalmist prays for the restoration of Israel, 6.

NOTES ON PSALM LIII

The title, To the chief Musician upon Mahalath, an instructive Psalm of David. The word מחלת machalath, some translate the president; others, the master or leader of the dance; others, hollow instruments; others, the chorus. A flute pipe, or wind instrument with holes, appears to be what is intended. "To the chief player on the flute;" or, "To the master of the band of pipers."

Verse Psalms 53:1. The fool hath said in his heart — The whole of this Psalm, except a few inconsiderable differences, is the same as the fourteenth; and, therefore, the same notes and analysis may be applied to it; or, by referring to the fourteenth, the reader will find the subject of it amply explained. I shall add a few short notes.

Have done abominable iniquity — Instead of עול avel, evil or iniquity, eight of Kennicott's and De Rossi's MSS. have עלילה alilah, work, which is nearly the same as in Psalms 14:1, &c.

Bridgeway Bible Commentary

Psalms 52-54 Those who act treacherously

When David fled from Saul he obtained urgently needed provisions from the priests at Nob (1 Samuel 21:1-9). He was seen by Doeg, an Edomite and a servant of Saul, who reported the matter to Saul. In a typical fit of mad vengeance, Saul ordered Doeg to kill all the priests at Nob, something that Doeg was very willing to do (1 Samuel 22:6-23). On hearing of Doeg’s butchery, David wrote a poem against him, which has been preserved in the Bible as Psalms 52:0 (see heading).

David denounces Doeg for his pride, treachery and hatred of all that is good (52:1-4). Doeg will surely meet a terrible death, which good people will recognize as a just punishment from God (5-7). His impending ruin is in contrast to the fruitfulness of the believer, who lives his life in the fellowship of God and his people (8-9).

Psalms 53:0 is a repetition of Psalms 14:0 with minor adjustments. The purpose in repeating it here was probably to add further comment on the character of Doeg described in the previous psalm. For notes on the psalm see commentary on Psalms 14:0.

Psalms 54:0 also belongs to the time of David’s flight from Saul. It was written against the people of the town of Ziph, who betrayed David to Saul when they found that he was hiding in the wooded hills nearby (1 Samuel 23:19-24). David prays to God to save him and punish his enemies (54:1-5). Confident that God will hear him, he looks forward to the day when he can show his gratitude to God by sacrifice (6-7).

Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

The fool hath said in his heart ... - For the meaning of this verse, see the notes at Psalms 14:1. The only change in this verse - a change which does not affect the sense - is the substitution of the word “iniquity,” in Psalms 53:1-6, for “works,” in Psalms 14:1-7.

Smith's Bible Commentary

Psalms 53:1-6

Psalms 53:1-6 is the same as Psalms 14:1-7 . These are similar psalms. There are about three places where psalms repeat themselves, not in total, such as... this is pretty much in total with Psalms 14:1-7 . In others, maybe three or four verses are repeated. But this the full psalm.

The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God ( Psalms 53:1 ).

Paul said, "When they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were they thankful. Their foolish hearts were darkened. And professing themselves to be wise they became fools" ( Romans 1:21-22 ). "The fool hath said in his heart there is no God." If you meet a person who says, "I am an atheist," according to God's Word he is a fool.

Corrupt are they, they have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good. And God looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and that did seek God. And every one of them has gone back: they are altogether become filthy; there is none that doeth good, no, not one ( Psalms 53:1-3 ).

Paul quotes this in Romans, chapter 3.

Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people as they eat bread: they have not called upon God. There were they in great fear, where no fear was ( Psalms 53:4-5 ):

The wicked fear when there is no cause to fear.

for God has scattered the bones of him that encamps against thee: thou hast put them to shame, because God hath despised him. Oh that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion! ( Psalms 53:5-6 )

Now this is a prayer, actually, for the future when Jesus shall come and establish the kingdom. The salvation of Israel coming out of Zion is always a reference to the glorious millennial reign of Christ.

When God brings back the captivity of his people, for Jacob shall rejoice and Israel shall be glad ( Psalms 53:6 ). "

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

A fool in the ancient Hebrew view of life was a person who did not acknowledge God’s existence intellectually, practically, or both (cf. Romans 1). He lived as though God does not exist. Such a viewpoint leads to unrestrained behavior. The fool’s conduct is essentially corrupt, in addition to being abominable to God (i.e., vile). No one is completely or consistently good because everyone disregards God from time to time.

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

1. Reflection on the human race 53:1-3

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

Psalms 53

This psalm is another version of the one that appears in Book 1 as Psalms 14. David wrote it, and "mahalath" is a tune name. One interesting difference between this psalm and Psalms 14 is that this one contains the name Elohim whereas Psalms 14 has Yahweh.

". . . Psalms 53’s position between Psalms 52, 54 favors an ancient tradition relating to the life of David. Psalms 52 relates to the story of Doeg (cf. 1 Samuel 22) and Psalms 54 to the incident of the Ziphites (cf. 1 Samuel 23; 1 Samuel 26). The term ’fool’ (nabal, Psalms 53:1) is suggestive of Nabal, who acted foolishly to David and his men (cf. 1 Samuel 25)." [Note: VanGemeren, p. 388.]

David reflected on the wickedness of the entire human race and voiced confidence that God would punish sinners. He longed for God to establish His kingdom on earth (cf. Matthew 6:10).

Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

The fool hath said in his heart, [there is] no God,.... The Targum adds, "of whom is revenge"; or there is no God to punish and avenge the wicked;

corrupt are they; the Chaldee paraphrase is, "the wicked have corrupted their ways"; as all flesh had done in the old world, Genesis 6:12;

and have done abominable iniquity; iniquity is the abominable thing that God hates, and makes men abominable in his sight; in Psalms 11:1, it is read, "abominable worlds": the Targum paraphrases the words, "they are far from good, for iniquity is found in them"; see Revelation 21:8;

[there is] none that doeth good; Revelation 21:8- :.

Henry's Complete Commentary on the Bible

To the chief musician upon Mahalath, Maschil. A psalm of David.

      1 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.   2 God looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, that did seek God.   3 Every one of them is gone back: they are altogether become filthy; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.   4 Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people as they eat bread: they have not called upon God.   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.   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.

      This psalm was opened before, and therefore we shall here only observe, in short, some things concerning sin, in order to the increasing of our sorrow for it and hatred of it. 1. The fact of sin. Is that proved? Can the charge be made out? Yes, God is a witness to it, an unexceptionable witness: from the place of his holiness he looks on the children of men, and sees how little good there is among them, Psalms 53:2; Psalms 53:2. All the sinfulness of their hearts and lives in naked and open before him. 2. The fault of sin. Is there any harm in it? Yes, it is iniquity (Psalms 53:1; Psalms 53:4); it is an unrighteous thing; it is that which there is no good in (Psalms 53:1; Psalms 53:3); it is an evil thing; it is the worst of evils; it is that which makes this world such an evil world as it is; it is going back from God, Psalms 53:3; Psalms 53:3. 3. The fountain of sin. How comes it that men are so bad? Surely it is because there is no fear of God before their eyes: they say in their hearts, "There is no God at all to call us to an account, none that we need to stand in awe of." Men's bad practices flow from their bad principles; if they profess to know God, yet in works, because in thoughts, they deny him. 4. The folly of sin. He is a fool (in the account of God, whose judgment we are sure is right) that harbours such corrupt thoughts. Atheists, whether in opinion or practice, are the greatest fools in the world. Those that do not seek God do not understand; they are like brute-beasts that have no understanding; for man is distinguished from the brutes, not so much by the powers of reason as by a capacity for religion. The workers of iniquity, whatever they pretend to, have no knowledge; those may truly be said to know nothing that do not know God, Psalms 53:4; Psalms 53:4. 5. The filthiness of sin. Sinners are corrupt (Psalms 53:1; Psalms 53:1); their nature is vitiated and spoiled, and the more noble the nature is the more vile it is when it is depraved, as that of the angels. Corruptio optimi est pessima--The best things, when corrupted, become the worst. Their iniquity is abominable; it is odious to the holy God, and it renders them so; whereas otherwise he hates nothing that he has made. It makes men filthy, altogether filthy. Wilful sinners are offensive in the nostrils of the God of heaven and of the holy angels. What decency soever proud sinners pretend to, it is certain that wickedness is the greatest defilement in the world. 6. The fruit of sin. See to what a degree of barbarity it brings men at last; when men's hearts are hardened through the deceitfulness of sin see their cruelty to their brethren, that are bone of their bone--because they will not run with them to the same excess of riot, they eat them up as they eat bread; as if they had not only become beasts, but beasts of prey. And see their contempt of God at the same time. They have not called upon him, but scorn to be beholden to him. 7. The fear and shame that attend sin (Psalms 53:5; Psalms 53:5): There were those in great fear who had made God their enemy; their own guilty consciences frightened them, and filled them with horror, though otherwise there was no apparent cause of fear. The wicked flees when none pursues. See the ground of this fear; it is because God has formerly scattered the bones of those that encamped against his people, not only broken their power and dispersed their forces, but slain them, and reduced their bodies to dry bones, like those scattered at the grave's mouth,Psalms 141:7. Such will be the fate of those that lay siege to the camp of the saints and the beloved city,Revelation 20:9. The apprehensions of this cannot but put those into frights that eat up God's people. This enables the virgin, the daughter of Zion, to put them to shame, and expose them, because God has despised them, to laugh at them, because he that sits in heaven laughs at them. We need not look upon those enemies with fear whom God looks upon with contempt. If he despises them, we may. 8. The faith of the saints, and their hope and power touching the cure of this great evil, Psalms 53:6; Psalms 53:6. There will come a Saviour, a great salvation, a salvation from sin. Oh that it might be hastened! for it will bring in glorious and joyful times. There were those in the Old-Testament times that looked and hoped, that prayed and waited, for this redemption. (1.) God will, in due time, save his church from the sinful malice of its enemies, which will bring joy to Jacob and Israel, that have long been in a mournful melancholy state. Such salvations were often wrought, and all typical of the everlasting triumphs of the glorious church. (2.) He will save all believers from their own iniquities, that they may not be led captive by them, which will be everlasting matter of joy to them. From this work the Redeemer had his name--Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins,Matthew 1:21.