Logos Bible Study

Psalm 53:1–6

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53:1Fools say to themselves,1 “There is no God.”2

They sin and commit evil deeds;3

none of them does what is right.4

53:2God looks down from heaven5 at the human race,6

to see if there is anyone who is wise7 and seeks God.8

53:3Everyone rejects God;9

they are all morally corrupt.10

None of them does what is right,11

not even one!

53:4All those who behave wickedly12 do not understand13—

those who devour my people as if they were eating bread,

and do not call out to God.

53:5They are absolutely terrified,14

even by things that do not normally cause fear.15

For God annihilates16 those who attack you.17

You are able to humiliate them because God has rejected them.18

53:6I wish the deliverance19 of Israel would come from Zion!

When God restores the well-being of his people,20

may Jacob rejoice,21

may Israel be happy!22

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Heb “a fool says in his heart.” The singular is used here in a collective or representative sense; the typical fool is envisioned.
  2. 2 There is no God. This statement is probably not a philosophical assertion that God does not exist, but rather a confident affirmation that he is unconcerned about how men live morally and ethically (see Ps 10:4, 11).
  3. 3 Heb “they act corruptly, they do evil [with] injustice.” Ps 14:1 has עֲלִילָה (’alilah, “a deed”) instead of עָוֶל (’aval, “injustice”). The verbs describe the typical behavior of the wicked. The subject of the plural verbs is “sons of man” (v. 2). The entire human race is characterized by sinful behavior. This practical atheism—living as if there is no God who will hold them accountable for their actions—makes them fools, for one of the earmarks of folly is to fail to anticipate the long range consequences of one’s behavior.
  4. 4 Heb “there is none that does good.”
  5. 5 The picture of the Lord looking down from heaven draws attention to his sovereignty over the world.
  6. 6 Heb “upon the sons of man.”
  7. 7 Or “acts wisely.” The Hiphil is exhibitive.
  8. 8 That is, who seeks to have a relationship with God by obeying and worshiping him.
  9. 9 Heb “all of it turns away.” Ps 14:1 has הָכֹּל (hakkol) instead of כֻּלּוֹ, and סָר (sar, “turn aside”) instead of סָג (sag, “turn away”).
  10. 10 Heb “together they are corrupt.”
  11. 11 Heb “there is none that does good.”
  12. 12 Heb “the workers of wickedness.” See Pss 5:5; 6:8. Ps 14:4 adds כֹּל (kol, “all of”) before “workers of wickedness.”
  13. 13 Heb “Do they not understand?” The rhetorical question expresses the psalmist’s amazement at their apparent lack of understanding. This may refer to their lack of moral understanding, but it more likely refers to their failure to anticipate God’s defense of his people (see vv. 5–6).
  14. 14 Heb “there they are afraid [with] fear.” The perfect verbal form is probably used in a rhetorical manner; the psalmist describes the future demise of the oppressors as if it were already occurring. The adverb שָׁם (sham, “there”) is also used here for dramatic effect, as the psalmist envisions the wicked standing in fear at a spot that is this vivid in his imagination ( 1027 ). The cognate accusative following the verb emphasizes the degree of their terror (“absolutely”).
  15. 15 Heb “there is no fear.” Apparently this means the evildoers are so traumatized with panic (see v. 5b) that they now jump with fear at everything, even those things that would not normally cause fear. Ps 14:5 omits this line.
  16. 16 Heb “scatters the bones.” The perfect is used in a rhetorical manner, describing this future judgment as if it were already accomplished. Scattering the bones alludes to the aftermath of a battle. God annihilates his enemies, leaving their carcasses spread all over the battlefield. As the bodies are devoured by wild animals and decay, the bones of God’s dead enemies are exposed. See Ps 141:7.
  17. 17 Heb “[those who] encamp [against] you.” The second person masculine singular pronominal suffix probably refers to God’s people viewed as a collective whole. Instead of “for God scatters the bones of those who encamp against you,” Ps 14:5 reads, “for God is with a godly generation.”
  18. 18 Once again the perfect is used in a rhetorical manner, describing this future judgment as if it were already accomplished. As in the previous line, God’s people are probably addressed. The second person singular verb form is apparently collective, suggesting that the people are viewed here as a unified whole. Ps 14:6 reads here “the counsel of the oppressed you put to shame, even though God is his shelter,” the words being addressed to the wicked.
  19. 19 This refers metonymically to God, the one who lives in Zion and provides deliverance for Israel.
  20. 20 Heb “turns with a turning [toward] his people.” The Hebrew term שְׁבוּת (shévut) is apparently a cognate accusative of שׁוּב (shuv).
  21. 21 The verb form is jussive.
  22. 22 Because the parallel verb is jussive, this verb, which is ambiguous in form, should be taken as a jussive as well.

The NET Bible First Edition, Copyright 1996-2005 by Biblical Studies Press

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”

They are corrupt, doing abominable iniquity;

there is none who does good.

God looks down from heaven

on the children of man

to see if there are any who understand,

who seek after God.

They have all fallen away;

together they have become corrupt;

there is none who does good,

not even one.

Have those who work evil no knowledge,

who eat up my people as they eat bread,

and do not call upon God?

There they are, in great terror,

where there is no terror!

For God scatters the bones of him who encamps against you;

you put them to shame, for God has rejected them.

Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!

When God restores the fortunes of his people,

let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad.

Copyright 2001 Crossway Bibles

NIVNew International Version (2011)

The fool says in his heart,

“There is no God.”

They are corrupt, and their ways are vile;

there is no one who does good.

God looks down from heaven

on all mankind

to see if there are any who understand,

any who seek God.

Everyone has turned away, all have become corrupt;

there is no one who does good,

not even one.

Do all these evildoers know nothing?

They devour my people as though eating bread;

they never call on God.

But there they are, overwhelmed with dread,

where there was nothing to dread.

God scattered the bones of those who attacked you;

you put them to shame, for God despised them.

Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!

When God restores his people,

let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!

Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 Biblica, Inc.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

The fool says in his heart, “There’s no God.”

They are corrupt, and they do vile deeds.

There is no one who does good.

God looks down from heaven on the human race

to see if there is one who is wise,

one who seeks God.

All have turned away;

all alike have become corrupt.

There is no one who does good,

not even one.

Will evildoers never understand?

They consume my people as they consume bread;

they do not call on God.

Then they will be filled with dread—

dread like no other—

because God will scatter

the bones of those who besiege you.

You will put them to shame,

for God has rejected them.

Oh, that Israel’s deliverance would come from Zion!

When God restores the fortunes of his people,

let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad.

Copyright 2017 Holman Bible Publishers

NLTNew Living Translation

Only fools say in their hearts,

“There is no God.”

They are corrupt, and their actions are evil;

not one of them does good!

God looks down from heaven

on the entire human race;

he looks to see if anyone is truly wise,

if anyone seeks God.

But no, all have turned away;

all have become corrupt.

No one does good,

not a single one!

Will those who do evil never learn?

They eat up my people like bread

and wouldn’t think of praying to God.

Terror will grip them,

terror like they have never known before.

God will scatter the bones of your enemies.

You will put them to shame, for God has rejected them.

Who will come from Mount Zion to rescue Israel?

When God restores his people,

Jacob will shout with joy, and Israel will rejoice.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”

They are corrupt and they have done abominable iniquity.

There is none who does good.

God looks down from heaven upon the children of humankind

to see whether there is one who has insight,

one who seeks God.

All of them have turned back.

They are altogether corrupt.

There is none who does good;

there is not even one.

Do not evildoers know,

they who eat my people as though they were eating bread?

They do not call on God.

There they are very fearful

where no fear had been,

because God has scattered the bones of him who encamps against you.

You have put them to shame, because God has rejected them.

Oh, that from Zion would come salvation for Israel!

When God returns the fortunes of his people,

let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad.

Copyright 2012 Lexham Press

KJV 1900King James Version

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.

God looked down from heaven upon the children of men,

To see if there were any that did understand, that did seek God.

Every one of them is gone back: they are altogether become filthy;

There is none that doeth good, no, not one.

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:

For God hath scattered the bones of him that encampeth against thee:

Thou hast put them to shame, because God hath despised them.

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.

Public Domain