The Fool Has Said
Psalm 53 summary: what it means
Psalm 53 begins with a verdict. The fool says in his heart that there is no God, and the psalm links that belief to corrupt and abominable conduct. Then God looks down from heaven to see whether anyone understands or seeks him. The finding is total. Everyone has gone back, all have become filthy together, and there is no one who does good, not even one.
The psalm then turns to the workers of iniquity, who eat up God's people like bread and do not call on God. They are gripped by fear where there was nothing to fear, and God scatters them. It ends with a longing for salvation to come out of Zion, when God brings his people back and Jacob and Israel rejoice.
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Psalm 53: The Fool Has Said
World English Bible, public domain. allpsalms.com/psalm-53
Psalm 53 commentary: explained verse by verse
The 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.
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.
The fool is defined by what he says in his heart: there is no God. The psalm connects this at once to corrupt and abominable conduct, and concludes that no one does good. The KJV reads The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.
Also read Genesis 6:11-13, Leviticus 18:24-30, Matthew 5:22, Psalm 10:6
God looks down from heaven on the children of men,to see if there are any who understood,who seek after God.
God looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, that did seek God.
The view shifts to heaven. God looks down on the children of men to see if anyone understands or seeks after him, which frames the verse as a search.
Also read Psalm 111:10, Jeremiah 16:17, Isaiah 55:6, Psalm 10:4
Every one of them has gone back.They have become filthy together.There is no one who does good, no, not one.
Every one of them is gone back: they are altogether become filthy; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
The result of the search is stated without exception. Everyone has gone back and become filthy together, and the line repeats for emphasis: there is no one who does good, no, not one.
Also read 1 John 2:29, Isaiah 64:6, Ezekiel 36:25, Psalm 14:3
Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge,who eat up my people as they eat bread,and don’t call on God?
Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people as they eat bread: they have not called upon God.
The psalm asks whether the workers of iniquity have any knowledge at all. They consume God's people as easily as eating bread and never call on God, which links their cruelty back to the denial in verse 1.
Also read Isaiah 27:11, Jeremiah 4:22, Psalm 27:2, Jeremiah 10:25
There 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.
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.
Fear turns on the oppressors. They are in great fear where no fear was, and God scatters the bones of the one who camps against his people. The verse ends by saying they are put to shame because God has rejected them.
Also read Psalm 40:14, Psalm 35:4, Psalm 141:7, Job 15:21
Oh 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.
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.
The psalm closes with a wish rather than a verdict. It longs for Israel's salvation to come out of Zion, and pictures God bringing his people back from captivity, with Jacob rejoicing and Israel glad.
Also read Isaiah 12:6, Joel 3:1, Psalm 126:1-4, Jeremiah 30:18
A prayer from Psalm 53
God, you look down from heaven to see if anyone understands and seeks you. When I look honestly, I find that I have gone my own way too. There is no one who does good, not one, and I do not stand outside that line. Keep me from saying in my heart that there is no God, even in how I live when no one is watching. Remember the people who are eaten up like bread by those who never call on you. Let your salvation come out of Zion. Bring your people home, and let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad. Amen.
Psalm 53 Bible study questions
- In verse 1, the fool speaks in his heart rather than out loud; what difference does that detail make to how you read the verse?
- In verse 5, the enemies are in great fear where no fear was; what does the rest of that verse say happens to them?
- Verse 3 says there is no one who does good, not one; how do you respond to a verse that leaves no one out of its verdict?
- Verse 6 ends with a longing for God to bring his people back; where would you most like to see something restored?
- Psalm 53 is almost the same as Psalm 14; what do you notice when you compare Psalm 53:5 with Psalm 14:5?
Questions about Psalm 53
What does Psalm 53 mean?
It describes the fool who denies God and the corruption that follows, and God looking down to find no one who does good. It ends with a longing for salvation to come out of Zion.
Who wrote Psalm 53?
The heading attributes it to David and calls it a contemplation, set to the tune of Mahalath for the Chief Musician.
What does Psalm 53:1 mean?
It says the fool has said in his heart that there is no God, and ties that belief to corrupt and abominable conduct. The verse ends that there is no one who does good.
What does Psalm 53:2 mean?
It pictures God looking down from heaven to see whether anyone understands or seeks after him. Verse 3 gives the answer: no one does good, not one.
What does Psalm 53:6 mean?
It is a hope for rescue: that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion, and that when God brings his people back from captivity, Jacob and Israel would rejoice.
Psalm 53 KJV: the King 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.1
God looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, that did seek God.2
Every one of them is gone back: they are altogether become filthy; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.3
Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people as they eat bread: they have not called upon God.4
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.5
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.6
Psalm 53 in Hebrew
The Hebrew text from the Westminster Leningrad Codex, public domain. Verse numbers follow the Hebrew Bible, which counts a psalm's heading as verse 1, so they can run one ahead of English Bibles.
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1 לַמְנַצֵּ֥חַ עַֽל־מָחֲלַ֗ת מַשְׂכִּ֥יל לְדָוִֽד׃
2 אָ֘מַ֤ר נָבָ֣ל בְּ֭לִבּוֹ אֵ֣ין אֱלֹהִ֑ים הִֽ֝שְׁחִ֗יתוּ וְהִֽתְעִ֥יבוּ עָ֝֗וֶל אֵ֣ין עֹֽשֵׂה־טֽוֹב׃
3 אֱֽלֹהִ֗ים מִשָּׁמַיִם֮ הִשְׁקִ֪יף עַֽל־בְּנֵ֫י אָדָ֥ם לִ֭רְאוֹת הֲיֵ֣שׁ מַשְׂכִּ֑יל דֹּ֝רֵ֗שׁ אֶת־אֱלֹהִֽים׃
4 כֻּלּ֥וֹ סָג֮ יַחְדָּ֪ו נֶ֫אֱלָ֥חוּ אֵ֤ין עֹֽשֵׂה־ט֑וֹב אֵ֝֗ין גַּם־אֶחָֽד׃
5 הֲלֹ֥א יָדְעוּ֮ פֹּ֤עֲלֵ֫י אָ֥וֶן אֹכְלֵ֣י עַ֭מִּי אָ֣כְלוּ לֶ֑חֶם אֱ֝לֹהִ֗ים לֹ֣א קָרָֽאוּ׃
6 שָׁ֤ם ׀ פָּֽחֲדוּ־פַחַד֮ לֹא־הָ֪יָה֫ פָ֥חַד כִּֽי־אֱלֹהִ֗ים פִּ֭זַּר עַצְמ֣וֹת חֹנָ֑ךְ הֱ֝בִשֹׁ֗תָה כִּֽי־אֱלֹהִ֥ים מְאָסָֽם׃
7 מִ֥י יִתֵּ֣ן מִצִּיּוֹן֮ יְשֻׁע֪וֹת יִשְׂרָ֫אֵ֥ל בְּשׁ֣וּב אֱ֭לֹהִים שְׁב֣וּת עַמּ֑וֹ יָגֵ֥ל יַ֝עֲקֹ֗ב יִשְׂמַ֥ח יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
Psalm 53 in the Catholic Douay-Rheims Bible
The Douay-Rheims Bible, 1899 edition, public domain. It follows the Greek and Latin numbering, so this psalm is Psalm 52 there.
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1 Unto the end, for Maeleth, understandings to David. The fool said in his heart: There is no God.
2 They are corrupted, and become abominable in iniquities: there is none that doth good.
3 God looked down from heaven on the children of men: to see if there were any that did understand, or did seek God.
4 All have gone aside, they are become unprofitable together, there is none that doth good, no not one.
5 Shall not all the workers of iniquity know, who eat up my people as they eat bread?
6 They have not called upon God: there have they trembled for fear, where there was no fear. For God hath scattered the bones of them that please men: they have been confounded, because God hath despised them.
7 Who will give out of Sion the salvation of Israel? when God shall bring back the captivity of his people, Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad.
Psalm 53 in Latin
The Clementine Vulgate, public domain, where this psalm is Psalm 52.
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1 In finem, pro Maëleth intelligentiæ David. Dixit insipiens in corde suo: Non est Deus.
2 Corrupti sunt, et abominabiles facti sunt in iniquitatibus; non est qui faciat bonum.
3 Deus de cælo prospexit super filios hominum, ut videat si est intelligens, aut requirens Deum.
4 Omnes declinaverunt; simul inutiles facti sunt: non est qui faciat bonum, non est usque ad unum.
5 Nonne scient omnes qui operantur iniquitatem, qui devorant plebem meam ut cibum panis?
6 Deum non invocaverunt; illic trepidaverunt timore, ubi non erat timor. Quoniam Deus dissipavit ossa eorum qui hominibus placent: confusi sunt, quoniam Deus sprevit eos.
7 Quis dabit ex Sion salutare Israël? cum converterit Deus captivitatem plebis suæ, exsultabit Jacob, et lætabitur Israël.
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Psalm 53 at a glance
| Verses | 6 |
| Heading in the text | For the Chief Musician. To the tune of “Mahalath.” A contemplation by David. |
| Attributed to | The heading attributes it to David, calls it a contemplation, and sets it to the tune of Mahalath for the Chief Musician. |
| Type | Wisdom and Lament |
| Number in Greek and Latin Bibles | Psalm 52 |
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Psalm 53 in other translations
This page prints the World English Bible and the King James Version because both are public domain. The NIV, ESV, NKJV, NLT and NASB are under copyright, so they cannot be printed in full here. You can read Psalm 53 in those translations at Bible Gateway.
Where Psalm 53 belongs
Psalms of DavidBook 2 of the Psalms
How this page was made
The psalm text comes from public domain translations and is not edited. The summary, the verse notes and the answers are written for this page from the text of the psalm itself. Where a claim goes beyond the text, it is sourced below.
Sources
- Text: World English Bible and King James Version, both public domain, from ebible.org source
- Hebrew text: Westminster Leningrad Codex, public domain, from ebible.org source
- Douay-Rheims: Douay-Rheims Bible, 1899 edition, public domain, from ebible.org source
- Latin text: Clementine Vulgate, public domain, from ebible.org source
- Numbering: Greek and Latin psalm numbering, Wikipedia, Psalms source