Mazmur 14:1-3

Psalm 14 ¹ 

For the music director; by David.

14:1 Fools say to themselves, ²  “There is no God.” ³ 

They sin and commit evil deeds; ⁴ 

none of them does what is right. ⁵ 

14:2 The Lord looks down from heaven ⁶  at the human race, ⁷ 

to see if there is anyone who is wise ⁸  and seeks God. ⁹ 

14:3 Everyone rejects God; ¹⁰ 

they are all morally corrupt. ¹¹ 

None of them does what is right, ¹² 

not even one!

Mazmur 53:2-4

53:2 God looks down from heaven ¹³  at the human race, ¹⁴ 

to see if there is anyone who is wise ¹⁵  and seeks God. ¹⁶ 

53:3 Everyone rejects God; ¹⁷ 

they are all morally corrupt. ¹⁸ 

None of them does what is right, ¹⁹ 

not even one!

53:4 All those who behave wickedly ²⁰  do not understand ²¹  –

those who devour my people as if they were eating bread,

and do not call out to God.

Mazmur 7:1

Psalm 7 ²² 

A musical composition ²³  by David, which he sang to the Lord concerning ²⁴  a Benjaminite named Cush. ²⁵ 

7:1 O Lord my God, in you I have taken shelter. ²⁶ 

Deliver me from all who chase me! Rescue me!

[14:1]  ¹ sn Psalm 14. The psalmist observes that the human race is morally corrupt. Evildoers oppress God’s people, but the psalmist is confident of God’s protection and anticipates a day when God will vindicate Israel.

[14:1]  ² tn Heb “a fool says in his heart.” The singular is used here in a collective or representative sense; the typical fool is envisioned.

[14:1]  ³ sn “There is no God.” The statement is probably not a philosophical assertion that God does not exist, but rather a confident affirmation that God is unconcerned about how men live morally and ethically (see Ps 10:4, 11).

[14:1]  ⁴ tn Heb “they act corruptly, they make a deed evil.” The verbs describe the typical behavior of the wicked. The subject of the plural verbs is “sons of man” (v. 2). The entire human race is characterized by sinful behavior. This practical atheism – living as if there is no God who will hold them accountable for their actions – makes them fools, for one of the earmarks of folly is to fail to anticipate the long range consequences of one’s behavior.

[14:1]  ⁵ tn Heb “there is none that does good.”

[14:2]  ⁶ sn The picture of the Lord looking down from heaven draws attention to his sovereignty over the world.

[14:2]  ⁷ tn Heb “upon the sons of man.”

[14:2]  ⁸ tn Or “acts wisely.” The Hiphil is exhibitive.

[14:2]  ⁹ sn Anyone who is wise and seeks God refers to the person who seeks to have a relationship with God by obeying and worshiping him.

[14:3]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “everyone turns aside.”

[14:3]  ¹¹ tn Heb “together they are corrupt.”

[14:3]  ¹² tn Heb “there is none that does good.”

[53:2]  ¹³ sn The picture of the Lord looking down from heaven draws attention to his sovereignty over the world.

[53:2]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “upon the sons of man.”

[53:2]  ¹⁵ tn Or “acts wisely.” The Hiphil is exhibitive.

[53:2]  ¹⁶ tn That is, who seeks to have a relationship with God by obeying and worshiping him.

[53:3]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “all of it turns away.” Ps 14:1 has הָכֹּל (hakkol) instead of כֻּלּוֹ, and סָר (sar, “turn aside”) instead of סָג (sag, “turn away”).

[53:3]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “together they are corrupt.”

[53:3]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “there is none that does good.”

[53:4]  ²⁰ tn Heb “the workers of wickedness.” See Pss 5:5; 6:8. Ps 14:4 adds כֹּל (kol, “all of”) before “workers of wickedness.”

[53:4]  ²¹ tn Heb “Do they not understand?” The rhetorical question expresses the psalmist’s amazement at their apparent lack of understanding. This may refer to their lack of moral understanding, but it more likely refers to their failure to anticipate God’s defense of his people (see vv. 5-6).

[7:1]  ²² sn Psalm 7. The psalmist asks the Lord to intervene and deliver him from his enemies. He protests his innocence and declares his confidence in God’s justice.

[7:1]  ²³ tn The precise meaning of the Hebrew term שִׁגָּיוֹן (shiggayon; translated here “musical composition”) is uncertain. Some derive the noun from the verbal root שָׁגָה (shagah, “swerve, reel”) and understand it as referring to a “wild, passionate song, with rapid changes of rhythm” (see BDB 993 s.v. שִׁגָּיוֹן). But this proposal is purely speculative. The only other appearance of the noun is in Hab 3:1, where it occurs in the plural.

[7:1]  ²⁴ tn Or “on account of.”

[7:1]  ²⁵ sn Apparently this individual named Cush was one of David’s enemies.

[7:1]  ²⁶ tn The Hebrew perfect verbal form probably refers here to a completed action with continuing results.