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. read more
1. Reflection on the human race 53:1-3 read more
Psalms 53This 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... read more
David pictured God looking down from His heavenly habitation and examining human beings individually. Wise people acknowledge God’s presence and pursue Him because He is the source of all goodness and blessing. Fools disregard Him and go their own way. God observed that everyone turns away from Him. The whole race has become sour like milk (Heb. ’alah; cf. Psalms 14:3; Job 10:10; Job 15:16). When people do not use milk for its intended purpose, namely, to drink, it turns sour. Likewise when... read more
The psalmist may have had some specific instance of God’s deliverance in mind, or he may have spoken of His future judgment as having already taken place because of its certainty. God Himself would terrorize and shame His enemies. Evidently David saw God’s people as playing some role in their enemies’ defeat. read more
2. Anticipation of judgment 53:4-5 read more
This is a second version of Psalms 14 with the important difference that God (Elohim) is everywhere substituted for the Lord (Jehovah). There are a few other variations and additions, especially in Psalms 53:5 (= Psalms 14:5-6). The changes are interesting chiefly as an illustration of the process of editing which was applied to many Pss. and many portions of the OT., and in particular of the consistent preferences, on the part of separate writers, for one divine name rather than... read more
(1) And.—The conjunction is wanting in Psalms 14:1.Iniquity.—Instead of the general term, “doings,” in Psalms 14:0, 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. read more
(3) There are two unimportant variations from Psalms 14:0 here: “every one,” instead of “the whole,” and “gone back” (sag) for “gone aside” (sar). read more
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Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Psalms 53:5
5. Instead of assurances of God's presence with the pious, and a complaint of the wicked, Psalms 14:5; Psalms 14:6 portrays the ruin of the latter, whose "bones" even "are scattered" (compare Psalms 141:7), and who are put to shame as contemptuously rejected of God. read more