Psalms 53 (ASV)

Chapter Text

53:1 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.

53:2 God looked down from heaven upon the children of men, To see if there were any that did understand, That did seek after God.

53:3 Every one of them is gone back; they are together become filthy; There is none that doeth good, no, not one.

53:4 Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge, Who eat up my people [as] they eat bread, And call not upon God?

53:5 There were they in great fear, where no fear was; For God hath scattered the bones of him that encampeth against thee: Thou hast put them to shame, because of God hath rejected them.

53:6 Oh that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion! When God bringeth back the captivity of his people, Then shall Jacob rejoice, [and] Israel shall be glad. Psalm 54 For the Chief Musician; on stringed instruments. Maschil of David; when the Ziphites came and said to Saul, Doth not David hide himself with us?

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "fool", "hath", "said", "heart", "corrupt", "done", "abominable", and "iniquity". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "fool" and "hath", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The local ASV text gives this verse as the immediate unit, so "fool" and "hath" carries the first interpretive weight. In Psalms context, the local focus is worship, trust, the LORD's kingship, and covenant mercy.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "fool" and "hath" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.