New King James Version
Psalms 53:1
1The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, and have done 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.
- 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 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 has said in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, and have done abominable iniquity; There is none who does good. 2God looks down from heaven upon the children of men, To see if there are any who understand, who seek God. 3Every one of them has turned aside; They have together become corrupt; There is none who does good, No, not 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 have cried out day and night before You.
- Psalms 14:1The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, They have done abominable works, There is none who does good.
- Psalms 92:6A senseless man does not know, Nor does a fool understand this.
- Matthew 5:22But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire.
- Luke 12:20But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’
- Psalms 10:4The wicked in his proud countenance does not seek God; God is in none of his thoughts.
- 1 Kings 12:26And Jeroboam said in his heart, “Now the kingdom may return to the house of David:
- Romans 1:21because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
- Genesis 6:5Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
- Job 14:4Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? No one!
- Job 15:16How much less man, who is abominable and filthy, Who drinks iniquity like water!
- Leviticus 18:24‘Do not defile yourselves with any of these things; for by all these the nations are defiled, which I am casting out before you.
- Deuteronomy 12:31You shall not worship the Lord your God in that way; for every abomination to the Lord which He hates they have done to their gods; for they burn even their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods.
- 1 Kings 14:24And there were also perverted persons in the land. They did according to all the abominations of the nations which the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel.
- Ezekiel 16:47You did not walk in their ways nor act according to their abominations; but, as if that were too little, you became more corrupt than they in all your ways.
- Ephesians 5:12For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them 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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries