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

Fools say to themselves, “There is no God.” They sin and commit evil deeds; none of them does what is right. 2God looks down from heaven at the human race, to see if there is anyone who is wise and seeks God. 3Everyone rejects God; they are all morally corrupt. None of them does what is right, not even one!

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 who delivers me! By day I cry out and at night I pray before you.
• Psalms 14:1Fools say to themselves, “There is no God.” They sin and commit evil deeds; none of them does what is right.
• Psalms 92:6The spiritually insensitive do not recognize this; the fool does not understand this.
• Matthew 5:22But I say to you that anyone who is angry with a brother will be subjected to judgment. And whoever insults a brother will be brought before the council, and whoever says ‘Fool’ will be sent to fiery hell.
• Luke 12:20But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded back from you, but who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’
• Psalms 10:4The wicked man is so arrogant he always thinks, “God won’t hold me accountable; he doesn’t care.”
• 1 Kings 12:26Jeroboam then thought to himself: “Now the Davidic dynasty could regain the kingdom.
• Romans 1:21For although they knew God, they did not glorify him as God or give him thanks, but they became futile in their thoughts and their senseless hearts were darkened.
• Genesis 6:5But the Lord saw that the wickedness of humankind had become great on the earth. Every inclination of the thoughts of their minds was only evil all the time.
• Job 14:4Who can make a clean thing come from an unclean? No one!
• Job 15:16how much less man, who is abominable and corrupt, who drinks in evil like water!
• Leviticus 18:24“‘Do not defile yourselves with any of these things, for the nations which I am about to drive out before you have been defiled with all these things.
• Deuteronomy 12:31You must not worship the Lord your God the way they do! For everything that is abhorrent to him, everything he hates, they have done when worshiping their gods. They even burn up their sons and daughters before their gods!
• 1 Kings 14:24There were also male cultic prostitutes in the land. They committed the same horrible sins as the nations that the Lord had driven out from before the Israelites.
• Ezekiel 16:47Have you not copied their behavior and practiced their abominable deeds? In a short time you became even more depraved in all your conduct than they were!
• Ephesians 5:12For the things they do in secret are shameful even to mention.

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