Matthew Henry’s Modern English CommentaryPsalms 14

The Folly and Corruption of MankindThis psalm helps us to understand how serious and widespread sin is. Like Solomon searched to understand the foolishness and madness of people (Ecclesiastes 7:25 ), these verses show us that sin is a terrible disease affecting everyone. Sin is not just a problem for a few people; it is found in all humanity and brings both shame and harm.v. 1: The psalm begins by showing how foolish sin is. The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God . This is not always spoken out loud, but it is what some people secretly think or wish. Such a person tries to ignore God so they can do whatever they want without feeling guilty. The Bible calls this person a "fool" because ignoring God is the greatest mistake. Sinful thoughts like this lead people away from what is right. When people deny God, they start to do wrong things and do not care about being judged for their actions.

v. 2: God looks down from heaven to see if anyone understands or seeks Him. The Lord

v. 3: The sad result is that they are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one . This means that everyone has turned away from God and become corrupt. People are not doing the good they were created for. Instead, sin has spread to all people, and their actions are called "abominable," which means very hateful to God (Jeremiah 44:4 ). This is true until God’s grace comes to change people’s hearts. When God first made the world, everything was very good (Genesis 1:31 ), but people quickly turned away, and now all have sinned (Genesis 6:5 ).This psalm should make us feel sad about the sin in our own hearts and remind us how much we need God’s grace. Since we are naturally sinful, we should not be surprised that Jesus said, You must be born again (John 3:7 ).

The Folly and Danger of the WickedThis section warns about the foolishness and danger of living in sin. The psalmist wants sinners to realize how serious their actions are, even if they feel safe. He also brings comfort to those who trust in the Lord

v. 5: The wicked show their foolishness because they have no knowledge. If they truly understood God and thought carefully, they would not be so cruel to God’s people.

v. 6: The wicked are also in danger. There they were in great fear (Psalm 14:5 ). When they attack God’s people, their own consciences trouble them, and they are filled with secret fear. Many times, those who persecute believers end up being afraid themselves, becoming terrors to themselves and others, like Pashur (Jeremiah 20:3-4 ). Those who do not fear God may end up being afraid of the smallest thing.

v. 7: The psalmist comforts God’s people by reminding them of what they have—God’s presence (Psalm 14:5 ) and protection: The Lord