Psalms 14:1-6

A Portrait of Sinners

1

For the choir director. Davidic.

1 The fool says in his heart, "God does not exist."^[a] They are corrupt; their actions are revolting. There is no one who does good.

2 The Lord looks down from heaven on the human race to see if there is one who is wise, one who seeks God.

3 All have turned away; all alike have become corrupt. There is no one who does good, not even one.^{[b] [c]}

4 Will evildoers never understand? They consume my people as they consume bread; they do not call on the Lord.

5 Then^[d] they will be filled with terror, for God is with those who are^[e] righteous.

6 You [sinners] frustrate the plans of the afflicted, but the Lord is his refuge.

Psalms 14:1-6 Meaning and Commentary

To the chief Musician, [a Psalm] of David. The argument of this psalm, according to Theodoret, is Sennacherib's invasion of Judea, when he sent Rabshakeh to Hezekiah, with menaces and curses; upon which Hezekiah implored divine help, and obtained it, and the Assyrian army was destroyed by an angel; of all which he thinks this psalm was prophetic.

Footnotes

• [a]. Ps 10:4; 53:1
• [b]. Two Hb mss, some LXX mss add the material found in Rm 3:13-18
• [c]. Rm 3:10-12
• [d]. Or There
• [e]. Lit with the generation of the