Psalms 53:4

Psalms 53:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people as they eat bread: they have not called upon God.
• New International Version (NIV)Do all these evildoers know nothing? They devour my people as though eating bread; they never call on God.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Have those who work evil no knowledge, who eat up my people as they eat bread, and do not call upon God?
• New King James Version (NKJV)Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge, Who eat up my people as they eat bread, And do not call upon God?

Context of Psalms 53:4

2God looks down from heaven at the people on earth. He wants to see if there is anyone who is really wise and who wants to know God. 3But they have all turned away. They have all become evil. Nobody does anything that is good, not even one person. People who do wicked things understand nothing. They destroy my people as easily as they eat bread. They never pray to God. 5But now they are very afraid when there is nothing to be afraid of! God has completely won against his enemies, the people that attack you, his people. God has turned against them, so you are able to make them ashamed! 6God, you are the one who saves your people, Israel! Leave your home in Zion and make your people strong again! When God blesses his people, Jacob's descendants will sing! Yes, Israel's people will be very happy!

Psalms 53:4 word by word

הֲלֹ֥א יָדְעוּ֮ פֹּ֤עֲלֵ֫י אָ֥וֶן אֹכְלֵ֣י עַ֭מִּי אָ֣כְלוּ לֶ֑חֶם אֱ֝לֹהִ֗ים לֹ֣א קָרָֽאוּ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Have the workersפָּעַלpâ‛al · to workH6466
• of iniquityאָ֫וֶן'âven · evil: wickednessH205
• no knowledgeיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
• who eat upאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
• my peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• breadלֶ֫חֶםlechem · food: breadH3899
• they have not calledקָרָאqârâ' · to call: call toH7121
• upon Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430

Cross-references for Psalms 53:4

• Psalms 94:8Think again, all you fools among the people! Stupid people, become wise!
• Isaiah 27:11When the branches become dry, they break off the tree. Women will take the sticks and they will make fires with them. That is what these people are like. They do not understand anything. So their Maker will not help them or be kind to them.
• Jeremiah 4:22The Lord says, ‘My people are fools. They do not know me. They are like children who do not know anything. They understand nothing. They are very clever at doing evil things. But they do not know how to do what is good.’
• Matthew 23:17This shows that you are fools. You do not understand what is true. Think about which of these is more important. Is it the gold things in the temple? Or is it the temple itself? It is the temple that makes the gold things special.
• Psalms 27:2Evil men are ready to attack me. They want to destroy my body. But when my enemies attack me, they trip and fall to the ground!
• Jeremiah 10:25Instead, be angry with the nations that do not respect you. Be angry with the people who do not worship you. Those are the people who have destroyed Jacob's descendants. They have killed our people. They have destroyed our land and our homes.’
• Revelation 17:16The wild animal and the ten horns that you saw will hate the prostitute. Those rulers will destroy her. They will remove all her clothes. They will eat the meat on her body. Then they will burn her with fire.

Commentaries on Psalms 53:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4Have the workers of iniquity - For פעלי , poaley, workers seventy-two of Kennicott's and De Rossi's MSS., with several ancient editions, the Chaldee, though not noticed in the Latin translation in the London Polyglot, the Syriac, Vulgate, Septuagint, Ethiopic, and the Arabic, with the Anglo-Saxon, add the word כל col, all, - All the workers of iniquity; which is the reading in the parallel place in Psalm 14:1-7; : It may be necessary to observe, that the…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge? - See the notes at Psalm 14:4. The only change in this verse is in the omission of the word “all.” This word, as it occurs in Psalm 14:1-7 (“all the workers of iniquity”), makes the sentence stronger and more emphatic. It is designed to affirm in the most absolute and unqualified manner that none of these workers of iniquity had any true knowledge of God. This has been noticed by critics as the only instance in…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-6This psalm is similar to Psalm 14, with differences only in verse 5.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-61-4. with few verbal changes, correspond with Psa 14:1-4.Read the comment

Topics related to Psalms 53:4

• Character
• Godlessness
• Prayerlessness
• Wicked (People)

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Mahalath Maschil
• Music, Instrumental
• Psalms
• Mahalath
• Psalms, Book of
• Song
• Maschil

Commentaries on Psalms 53

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• The Treasury of David
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings