English Standard Version
Psalms 53:1
1The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, doing abominable iniquity; there is none who does good.
Psalms 53:1 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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.
- New International Version (NIV)The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, and their ways are vile; there is no one who does good.
- New King James Version (NKJV)The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, and have done abominable iniquity; There is none who does good.
- New Living Translation (NLT)Only fools say in their hearts, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, and their actions are evil; not one of them does good!
Context of Psalms 53:1
The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, doing abominable iniquity; there is none who does good. 2God looks down from heaven on the children of man to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God. 3They have all fallen away; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one.
Read all of Psalms 53Psalms 53:1 word by word
אָ֘מַ֤ר נָבָ֣ל בְּ֭לִבּוֹ אֵ֣ין אֱלֹהִ֑ים הִֽ֝שְׁחִ֗יתוּ וְהִֽתְעִ֥יבוּ עָ֝֗וֶל אֵ֣ין עֹֽשֵׂה־טֽוֹב׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- The foolנָבָלnâbâl · foolishH5036
- hath saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- in his heartלֵבlêb · heartH3820
- no Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- Corruptשָׁחַתshâchath · to ruinH7843
- are they, and have done abominableתַּעָבtâ‛ab · to abhorH8581
- iniquityעָ֫וֶל‛evel ‛âvel ‛avlâh ‛ôlâh ‛ôlâh · injusticeH5766
- none that doethעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
- goodטוֹבţôb · goodH2896
Cross-references for Psalms 53:1
- Psalms 88:1O Lord, God of my salvation, I cry out day and night before you.
- Psalms 14:1The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds; there is none who does good.
- Psalms 92:6The stupid man cannot know; the fool cannot understand this:
- Matthew 5:22But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, 'You fool!' will be liable to the hell of fire.
- Luke 12:20But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?'
- Psalms 10:4In the pride of his face the wicked does not seek him; all his thoughts are, "There is no God."
- 1 Kings 12:26And Jeroboam said in his heart, "Now the kingdom will turn back to the house of David.
- Romans 1:21For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
- Genesis 6:5The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
- Job 14:4Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? There is not one.
- Job 15:16how much less one who is abominable and corrupt, a man who drinks injustice like water!
- Leviticus 18:24"Do not make yourselves unclean by any of these things, for by all these the nations I am driving out before you have become unclean,
- Deuteronomy 12:31You shall not worship the Lord your God in that way, for every abominable thing that the Lord hates they have done for their gods, for they even burn their sons and their daughters in the fire to their gods.
- 1 Kings 14:24and there were also male cult prostitutes in the land. They did according to all the abominations of the nations that the Lord drove out before the people of Israel.
- Ezekiel 16:47Not only did you walk in their ways and do according to their abominations; within a very little time you were more corrupt than they in all your ways.
- Ephesians 5:12For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret.
Commentaries on Psalms 53:1
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1The fool hath said in his heart - The whole of this Psalm, except a few inconsiderable differences, is the same as the fourteenth; and, therefore, the same notes and analysis may be applied to it; or, by referring to the fourteenth, the reader will find the subject of it amply explained. I shall add a few short notes. Have done abominable iniquity - Instead of עול avel, evil or iniquity, eight of Kennicott's and De Rossi's MSS. have עלילה alilah, work…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1The fool hath said in his heart - For the meaning of this verse, see the notes at Psalm 14:1. The only change in this verse - a change which does not affect the sense - is the substitution of the word “iniquity,” in Psalm 53:1-6, for “works,” in Psalm 14:1-7.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1The 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…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-3Paul uses the Greek translation of this passage to describe the moral corruption of all people (Romans 3:10–12).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 53:1
In the dictionaries
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
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Commentaries