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.
• 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.
• 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, and their ways are vile; there is no one who does good. 2God looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. 3Everyone has turned away, all have become corrupt; there is no one who does good, 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 88:1Lord, you are the God who saves me; day and night I cry out to you.
• Psalms 14:1The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good.
• Psalms 92:6Senseless people do not know, fools do not understand,
• Matthew 5:22But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.
• Luke 12:20“But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’
• Psalms 10:4In his pride the wicked man does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God.
• 1 Kings 12:26Jeroboam thought to himself, “The kingdom will now likely revert to the house of David.
• Romans 1:21For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.
• Genesis 6:5The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time.
• Job 14:4Who can bring what is pure from the impure? No one!
• Job 15:16how much less mortals, who are vile and corrupt, who drink up evil like water!
• Leviticus 18:24“ ‘Do not defile yourselves in any of these ways, because this is how the nations that I am going to drive out before you became defiled.
• Deuteronomy 12:31You must not worship the Lord your God in their way, because in worshiping their gods, they do all kinds of detestable things the Lord hates. They even burn their sons and daughters in the fire as sacrifices to their gods.
• 1 Kings 14:24There were even male shrine prostitutes in the land; the people engaged in all the detestable practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites.
• Ezekiel 16:47You not only followed their ways and copied their detestable practices, but in all your ways you soon became more depraved than they.
• Ephesians 5:12It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient 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