Psalms 53

Chapter context

What is happening in Psalms 53?

prayerpraiselamentkingship

Psalms 53 belongs to the middle movement of the book, especially the section often described as Book II. Psalms is the Bible’s great book of sung prayer, teaching the full range of faithful speech from anguish and repentance to jubilation and doxology. Read this chapter with the wider themes of prayer, praise, and lament in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.

¹ 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.

Study helps

Glossary

Zion Place v. 6: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Jerusalem.