Psalms 53:1

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.
• English Standard Version (ESV)The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, doing abominable iniquity; there is none 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.

Context of Psalms 53:1

Godless fools say in their hearts, “There is no God.” They are corrupt. They do disgusting things. There is no one who does good things. 2God looks down from heaven on Adam’s descendants to see if there is anyone who acts wisely, if there is anyone who seeks help from God. 3Everyone has fallen away. Together they have become rotten to the core. No one, not even one person, does good things.

Psalms 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, my savior, I cry out to you during the day and at night.
• Psalms 14:1Godless fools say in their hearts, “There is no God.” They are corrupt. They do disgusting things. There is no one who does good things.
• Psalms 92:6A stupid person cannot know and a fool cannot understand
• Matthew 5:22But I can guarantee that whoever is angry with another believer will answer for it in court. Whoever calls another believer an insulting name will answer for it in the highest court. Whoever calls another believer a fool will answer for it in hellfire.
• Luke 12:20“But God said to him, ‘You fool! I will demand your life from you tonight! Now who will get what you’ve accumulated?’
• Psalms 10:4He turns up his nose ⌞and says⌟, “God doesn’t care.” His every thought ⌞concludes⌟, “There is no God.”
• 1 Kings 12:26He said to himself, “The kingdom will probably return to David’s dynasty now.
• Romans 1:21They knew God but did not praise and thank him for being God. Instead, their thoughts were pointless, and their misguided minds were plunged into darkness.
• Genesis 6:5The Lord saw how evil humans had become on the earth. All day long their deepest thoughts were nothing but evil.
• Job 14:4“If only an unclean person could become clean! It’s not possible.
• Job 15:16how much less will he trust the one who is disgusting and corrupt, the one who drinks wickedness like water.
• Leviticus 18:24“Do not become unclean in any of these ways. By these practices all the nations which I am forcing out of your way have become unclean.
• Deuteronomy 12:31Never worship the Lord your God in the way they worship their gods, because everything they do for their gods is disgusting to the Lord. He hates it! They even burn their sons and daughters as sacrifices to their gods.
• 1 Kings 14:24There were even male prostitutes in the temples of idols throughout the land. The people of Judah did all the disgusting practices done by the nations that the Lord had forced out of the Israelites’ way.
• Ezekiel 16:47You didn’t follow their ways. You didn’t do the same disgusting things that they did. It only took you a little time to be more corrupt than they ever were.
• Ephesians 5:12It is shameful to talk about what some people 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

• Atheism
• Depravity of Man
• Fool
• Infidelity
• Music
• Skepticism
• Wicked (People)

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Mahalath Maschil
• Music, Instrumental
• Psalms
• Fool; Folly
• 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