Psalms 53 - ESV - Bible Reading / Study Notes

Psalm 53

There Is None Who Does Good

To the choirmaster: according to Mahalath. A Maskil¹ of David.

53:1   The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”
    They are corrupt, doing abominable iniquity;
    there is none who does good.
2   God looks down from heaven
    on the children of man
  to see if there are any who understand,²
    who seek after God.
3   They have all fallen away;
    together they have become corrupt;
  there is none who does good,
    not even one.
4   Have those who work evil no knowledge,
    who eat up my people as they eat bread,
    and do not call upon God?
5   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.
6   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.

Footnotes

[1] 53:1 Probably musical or liturgical terms
[2] 53:2 Or who act wisely

Commentary

The depravity of mankind without God, similar to Ps 14.

v1-3: There is no one who does good, none who seek God; theses verses make absolute and clear statements about mankind. In contrast, Ps 50 promises good for the one who does seek God. The man who rejects good finds his behaviour corrupted, as in Rom 3, all aspects of his life are corrupted.

v4: The workers of iniquity, being ignorant of the truth, attack the people of God.

v5: They reject God now, and will come under His judgment, Ps 52.5.

v6: The truth of God's salvation; consistent with the division of mankind into good and bad, trusting and rejecting. In the uncomfortable circumstances of life, we need to know God's deliverance and salvation. Our salvation is not mere survival, but comes with joy and gladness.