Psalms 14 (GNV)

Chapter Text

14:1 To him that excelleth. A Psalme of Dauid. The foole hath said in his heart, There is no God: they haue corrupted, and done an abominable worke: there is none that doeth good.

14:2 The Lord looked downe from heauen vpon the children of men, to see if there were any that would vnderstand, and seeke God.

14:3 All are gone out of the way: they are all corrupt: there is none that doeth good, no not one.

14:4 Doe not all the workers of iniquitie know that they eate vp my people, as they eate bread? they call not vpon the Lord.

14:5 There they shall be taken with feare, because God is in the generation of the iust.

14:6 You haue made a mocke at the counsell of the poore, because the Lord is his trust.

14:7 Oh giue saluation vnto Israel out of Zion: when the Lord turneth the captiuitie of his people, then Iaakob shall reioyce, and Israel shall be glad.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "excelleth", "psalme", "dauid", "foole", "hath", "said", "heart", and "haue". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "excelleth" and "psalme", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The local GNV text gives this verse as the immediate unit, so "excelleth" and "psalme" carries the first interpretive weight. In The LORD as Shepherd, the local focus is trust, covenant mercy, guidance, and worship.

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