This Psalm is another recension of Psalms 14. _Elôhîm_(God), is substituted for _Jehovah_(A.V. Lord) in accordance with the usage of this book; and in Psalms 53:1_; Psalms 53:6_there are a few variations which hardly affect the sense; but Psalms 53:5 differs widely from the corresponding Psalms 53:5... [ Continue Reading ]
_The fool_ A class of men, not a particular individual. The word _nâbâl_here used for fool denotes moral perversity, not mere ignorance or weakness of reason. -Folly" is the opposite of -wisdom" in its highest sense. It may be predicated of forgetfulness of God or impious opposition to His will (Deu... [ Continue Reading ]
The universal depravity of mankind, and its cause.... [ Continue Reading ]
For a while God as it were overlooked the growing corruption. At length He -looked down" (Psalms 33:13-14). So in the yet simpler language of the Pentateuch He is said to have -come down to see" the wickedness of Babel and Sodom (Genesis 11:5; Genesis 18:21; and note the use of -look down" in the la... [ Continue Reading ]
The result of His investigation. Every one of them had gone back (Psalms 44:18) from following God (in Psalms 14:3 _turned aside_from the path of right): together had they become tainted, a word which in Arabic means _to go bad_or _turn sour_, but in Heb. is used only in a moral sense, here and in J... [ Continue Reading ]
God is the speaker. The first clause may be taken as in A.V., -Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge?" Are they so ignorant that they cannot distinguish between right and wrong? Cp. Psalms 53:2, and Psalms 82:5. But a much better connexion with Psalms 53:5 is gained by rendering, _Have not the w... [ Continue Reading ]
The corruption of mankind exemplified in their treatment of God's people; and His Providence demonstrated in the deliverance of them.... [ Continue Reading ]
_There_points to some signal instance in which panic terror and overwhelming calamity overtook the -workers of iniquity" who came to devour the people of God. They were seized with a supernaturally inspired terror, where there was no natural cause for panic. Cp. 1 Samuel 14:15; 2 Kings 7:6; 2 Kings... [ Continue Reading ]
Concluding prayer for the full restoration of Israel. Some commentators have regarded this as a liturgical addition, but its presence in both recensions is in favour of its originality. It forms an appropriate conclusion to the Ps., and the recollection of past deliverance in Psalms 53:5 naturally p... [ Continue Reading ]