Bird's-eye view
Psalm 53, which is a near twin to Psalm 14, is a blunt instrument. David, under the inspiration of the Spirit, provides us with a divine diagnosis of the human condition apart from God's grace. This is not a flattering portrait, but it is a necessary one. The psalm begins with the root of all human rebellion, which is a practical atheism that resides in the heart. This is not primarily an intellectual problem, but a moral one. This foundational foolishness then overflows into corrupt actions and a universal incapacity for genuine goodness. God Himself is the one who conducts the survey, looking down from heaven, and His findings are conclusive. The entire race has turned aside, becoming worthless, with not a single individual exempt from this verdict. This psalm is a foundational text for the doctrine of total depravity, and it serves to shut every mouth before God, clearing the ground for the foundation of the gospel to be laid. If there is no one who does good, then a goodness must be provided from outside, which is precisely what God has done in Christ.
Outline
- 1. The Root of Rebellion: Atheism of the Heart (v. 1)
- a. The Fool's Declaration (v. 1a)
- b. The Fruit of the Declaration (v. 1b)
- c. The Universal Verdict (v. 1c)
- 2. The Divine Inspection (v. 2)
- a. God's Vantage Point (v. 2a)
- b. The Purpose of the Search (v. 2b)
- 3. The Conclusive Findings (v. 3)
- a. Universal Apostasy (v. 3a)
- b. Universal Corruption (v. 3b)
- c. Universal Inability (v. 3c)
The Fool's Confession
The central pillar of this passage is the declaration of the fool. It is crucial to understand what the Bible means by "fool." This is not a commentary on a person's intelligence quotient. The Hebrew word is nabal, and it refers to a moral and spiritual bankruptcy. It is the person who has no perception of ultimate realities, who lives as though God is an irrelevant variable in the equation of life. This is not a speculative, philosophical atheism debated in university halls; it is a practical, functional atheism lived out in the marketplace, the home, and the secret thoughts of the heart. The fool says this "in his heart," which is the biblical center of the will, the desires, and the fundamental commitments. The issue is not a lack of evidence for God, but a suppression of that evidence because the fool loves his sin. As Paul argues in Romans 1, the knowledge of God is plain to all, but unrighteous men suppress this truth. The statement "There is no God" is therefore not an intellectual conclusion, but a moral and spiritual revolt. It is the necessary premise for a life of autonomy, and the inevitable result is corruption.
Clause-by-Clause Commentary
Verse 1
The wicked fool says in his heart, "There is no God,"
The psalm opens with the foundational axiom of all sin. The word for fool here is nabal, which indicates a dense, churlish, and morally vacant person. Think of Nabal in the story of David and Abigail. This is not about intellectual capacity but about moral orientation. The declaration is made "in his heart," the seat of his affections and will. This is not a public statement for debate; it is the private operating principle of his life. He wants there to be no God so that he might be his own god. This is the original lie of the serpent in the Garden, "you will be like God." All subsequent corruption flows from this initial, heart-level rebellion. Practical atheism is the native language of the fallen human heart.
They act corruptly, and commit abominable injustice;
Doctrine determines practice. Bad theology, or in this case, anti-theology, will always produce rotten fruit. Because the fool has dismissed the ultimate standard of justice and righteousness, his own actions become the standard. The result is corruption and abominable injustice. The word for corrupt suggests something that has spoiled and gone sour. The word for abominable points to that which is detestable in God's sight. When man makes himself the center, the world he creates is invariably putrid and vile. We see this played out in our own culture, where the rejection of God's authority has led to the celebration of what previous generations rightly called abominations.
There is no one who does good.
This is the first pass at the sweeping conclusion that will be repeated for emphasis. From the fool's premise flows a universal condition. This does not mean that unregenerate men are incapable of performing actions that are civil, or kind, or helpful on a horizontal level. An unbeliever can still give a dollar to a homeless man. But no action, however outwardly decent, can be considered truly "good" if it is not done from a heart that loves God and for the ultimate purpose of glorifying Him. Since the fool begins by denying God, all his subsequent actions are tainted by that rebellion. They are dead works, fruit from a poisoned tree.
Verse 2
God looks down from heaven upon the sons of men
Now the perspective shifts from the fool's heart to God's throne. This is not an anthropomorphism suggesting God is ignorant and needs to investigate. This is the language of formal, judicial review. God, the sovereign judge, conducts an official assessment of the entire human race, "the sons of men." He looks down from His place of absolute authority and holiness, and His gaze penetrates every facade. Nothing is hidden from His sight. This is the divine inspection, and the results are about to be published.
To see if there is anyone who has insight, Anyone who seeks after God.
What is God looking for? Two things, which are really two sides of the same coin: spiritual insight and a heart that seeks Him. The word for insight, maskil, is the same word used in the superscription of this psalm. It means to be prudent, to have understanding of the most important things. And what is the chief mark of this insight? It is to seek after God. The natural man, the fool, does not seek God. He may seek religion, or spirituality, or moral self-improvement, or a god of his own making. But he does not seek the true and living God revealed in Scripture, because to do so would be to seek judgment for his sin. God is looking for just one person who, of his own native ability and inclination, is looking for Him.
Verse 3
Every one of them has turned back; together they have become worthless;
The results of the divine audit are in, and they are devastatingly absolute. "Every one of them." There are no exceptions to this verdict, no righteous remnant found by natural merit. The phrase "turned back" or "turned aside" describes apostasy; the whole human race has gone off the path. "Together they have become worthless." The word for worthless here can mean sour, like milk that has gone bad. It speaks of a corrupt and spoiled nature. This is not just a collection of individual sinners; humanity in its solidarity has become a corrupted mass. This is what the theologians call total depravity. Not that every man is as wicked as he could possibly be, but that sin has affected every part of every man, leaving no island of goodness untouched.
There is no one who does good, not even one.
David repeats the verdict from verse one and strengthens it with the emphatic "not even one." The Apostle Paul quotes this very passage in Romans 3 to build his airtight case for the universal sinfulness of man, arguing that both Jew and Gentile are under sin. This is God's final word on the matter. Left to ourselves, we are utterly lost. This diagnosis is not meant to drive us to despair, but rather to drive us out of ourselves and to the only possible solution. If there is "not even one" who does good, then we must look to the One who is truly good, Jesus Christ. He is the exception. He is the one who sought God perfectly, who had perfect insight, and whose righteousness is imputed to all who abandon their own worthless efforts and trust in Him alone.