New English Translation
Psalms 53:4
4All those who behave wickedly do not understand – those who devour my people as if they were eating bread, and do not call out to God.
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 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! All those who behave wickedly do not understand – those who devour my people as if they were eating bread, and do not call out to God. 5They are absolutely terrified, even by things that do not normally cause fear. For God annihilates those who attack you. You are able to humiliate them because God has rejected them. 6I wish the deliverance of Israel would come from Zion! When God restores the well-being of his people, may Jacob rejoice, may Israel be happy!
Read all of Psalms 53Psalms 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 94:8Take notice of this, you ignorant people! You fools, when will you ever understand?
- Isaiah 27:11When its branches get brittle, they break; women come and use them for kindling. For these people lack understanding, therefore the one who made them has no compassion on them; the one who formed them has no mercy on them.
- Jeremiah 4:22The Lord answered, “This will happen because my people are foolish. They do not know me. They are like children who have no sense. They have no understanding. They are skilled at doing evil. They do not know how to do good.”
- Matthew 23:17Blind fools! Which is greater, the gold or the temple that makes the gold sacred?
- Psalms 27:2When evil men attack me to devour my flesh, when my adversaries and enemies attack me, they stumble and fall.
- Jeremiah 10:25Vent your anger on the nations that do not acknowledge you. Vent it on the peoples who do not worship you. For they have destroyed the people of Jacob. They have completely destroyed them and left their homeland in utter ruin.
- Revelation 17:16The ten horns that you saw, and the beast – these will hate the prostitute and make her desolate and naked. They will consume her flesh and burn her up 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
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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