DAWN

     Explanation: The key idea of Psalm 53 is that everyone turns away from God to pursue their own way. It almost completely identical to Psalm 14, except that the header material is slightly different; and Psalm 53 calls God Elohim but Psalms 14 uses both Yahweh and Elohim as God's name. Today's image illustrates the fool who eats God's people as if they were bread.

          [ THEMATICALLY AND CHRONOLOGICALLY RELATED SCRIPTURES: Psalm 14. ]

          [ CHRONOLOGY: General. Patriarchs (Traditional). Judges # 1. Judges # 2. Kings # 1. Kings # 2. Prophets # 1. Prophets # 2. NT # 1. NT # 2. NT # 3. ]

          [ MAPS: Maps # 1. Maps # 2. Maps # 3. Maps # 4. Maps # 5. ]

          [ COMMENTARIES, ETC: GENERAL: Bible Study Tools; Bible Hub: Study Light; Blue Letter Bible // PSALMS: Monergism: Precept Austin: The Treasury of David; John Gill; John Calvin - Volumes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

          [ MUSIC: GENERAL: The Cyber Hymnal // PSALMS: Genevan Psalter (Instrumental). VARIOUS ARTISTS: Psalm 53 - #1. Psalm 53 - #2. ]

     David tells us that it is a (immoral) fool who says in his heart that there is no God (or no God for him). Such people are corrupt (decayed, or ruined). They have done abominable iniquity (loathsome perverseness); none of them do good (1). God looked down from heaven to see if anyone understood or sought God (2). But everyone went back (turned away from God). They all became filthy. None do good. No, not one (3). Those who practice iniquity (wickedness) have no knowledge (by implication, no knowledge of what is right and wrong). They eat God's people like bread. They have not called upon God (4). They were in great fear (startled by alarm), even though there was nothing to fear. God scattered their bones and enabled his people to put them to shame, because God despised (spurned) them (5). David closes by expressing his desire to see salvation (deliverance) come out of Zion (the main fortress of Jerusalem). And he expresses his confidence that when God brings back his people from captivity that they will rejoice and be glad. This may be prophetic of Israel's release from the Babylonian Captivity centuries after David's time; or it may refer to a time in David's reign when God consolidated David's power, ended the civil war in Israel, and established him securely on his throne -- perhaps both (6).

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.

² God looked down from heaven upon the children of men,
to see if there were any that did understand,
that did seek God.

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

⁴ Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge?
who eat up my people as they eat bread:
they have not called upon God.

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 God hath despised them.

⁶ Oh that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion!
When God bringeth back the captivity of his people,
Jacob shall rejoice,
and Israel shall be glad.

* NOTE: On Opening and Closing Comments in the Psalms.
[Some commentators take the Psalm in Habakkuk 3 to be a standard model for the Psalms.
Habakkuk's Psalm begins with the name of the composer (Habakkuk) and a musical notation ("upon Shigionoth").
It closes with a dedication or a "send to" notice ("To the chief singer on my stringed instruments").
I have arranged similar material, where it is found in the Psalter, in accord with the model in Habakkuk.]