Psalms 53:2

2 God looked down from heaven on all people to see if anyone was wise, if anyone was looking to God for help.

Psalms 53:2 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 53:2

God looked down from heaven upon the children of men
In ( Psalms 14:2 ) , it is read, "the Lord" or "Jehovah"; in everything else there is an agreement in this verse; (See Gill on Psalms 14:2);

to see if there were [any] that did understand;
the Targum is, "that were understanding" in the law; it doubtless means understanding in divine and spiritual things;

that did seek God;
the above paraphrase is, "seeking doctrine from before the Lord".

Psalms 53:2 In-Context

1 Fools say to themselves, "There is no God." Fools are evil and do terrible things; none of them does anything good.

2 God looked down from heaven on all people to see if anyone was wise, if anyone was looking to God for help.

3 But all have turned away. Together, everyone has become evil; none of them does anything good. Not a single person.

4 Don't the wicked understand? They destroy my people as if they were eating bread. They do not ask God for help.

5 The wicked are filled with terror where there had been nothing to fear. God will scatter the bones of your enemies. You will defeat them, because God has rejected them.