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Psalms 53
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. For the Chief Musician. On stringed instruments. A contemplation by David, when the Ziphites came and said to Saul, "Isn't David hiding himself among us?"
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Atheism: General Scriptures Concerning Psalm 53:1
For 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.
Character of the Wicked: Prayerless Psalm 53:4
Will the workers of iniquity never learn? They devour my people like bread; they refuse to call upon God.
Church: Unclassified Scriptures Relating To Psalm 53:6
Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come from Zion! When God restores His captive people, let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad!
Depravity of Man: General Scriptures Concerning Psalm 53:1–3
For 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. / God looks down from heaven upon the sons of men to see if any understand, if any seek God. / All have turned away, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.
Fool: General Scriptures Concerning Psalm 53:1
For 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.
Fools: Deny God Psalm 53:1
For 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.
Godlessness: General Scriptures Concerning Psalm 53:2–4
God looks down from heaven upon the sons of men to see if any understand, if any seek God. / All have turned away, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one. / Will the workers of iniquity never learn? They devour my people like bread; they refuse to call upon God.
Infidelity: General Scriptures Concerning Psalm 53:1
For 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.
Joy: Unclassified Scriptures Relating To Psalm 53:6
Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come from Zion! When God restores His captive people, let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad!
Music: Makalath, Maschil, Leannoth: These Terms are Found in the Titles of Psalm 53:1
For 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.
Music: Maschil: This Musical Sign Occurs in the Titles of Psalm 53:1
For 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.
Prayerlessness: General Scriptures Concerning Psalm 53:4
Will the workers of iniquity never learn? They devour my people like bread; they refuse to call upon God.
Psalms: Didactic Psalm 53:1
For 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.
Skepticism: General Scriptures Concerning Psalm 53:1
For 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.
Unholy Fear: A Guilty Conscience Leads To Psalm 53:5
There 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.
Wicked (People): Described Psalm 53:1–5
For 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. / God looks down from heaven upon the sons of men to see if any understand, if any seek God. / All have turned away, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.
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Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
Pastoral and devotional reflections focused on spiritual formation and application.
Psalms 53:1-999 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 fear of God before their eyes. Men's bad practices flow from their bad principles; if they profess to know God, yet in works, because in thoughts, they deny him. See 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. And see the fruit of sin; to what it brings men, when their hearts are hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. See also the faith of the saints, and their hope and power as to the cure of this great evil. There will come a Saviour, a great salvation, a salvation from sin. God will save his church from its enemies. He will save all believers from their own sins, that they may not be led captive by them, which will be everlasting joy to them. From this work the Redeemer had his name JESUS, for he shall save his people from their sins, Mt 1:21.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary
Historical, contextual, and verse-level study notes for deeper biblical exploration.
Psalms 53:1-6 Upon Mahalath--(See on Ps 88:1, title). Why this repetition
of the fourteenth Psalm is given we do not know. 1-4. with few verbal changes, correspond with Ps 14:1-4.
Psalms 53:5 Upon Mahalath--(See on Ps 88:1, title). Why this repetition
Instead of assurances of God's presence with the pious, and a complaint of the wicked, Ps 14:5, 6 portrays the ruin of the latter, whose "bones" even "are scattered" (compare Ps 141:7), and who are put to shame as contemptuously rejected of God. PSALM 54