Psalm 14

Psalm 14 belongs to Book One (Psalms 1–41) of the Psalms. The preceding psalm, Psalm 13, is an individual lament that asks, "How long?" Psalm 14 widens the focus to the evil that pervades the world and to God's judgment. A nearly identical psalm appears again as Psalm 53, which refers to God mainly as "God" (Elohim) and words verse 5 somewhat differently.

Structure

• Verse 1: The fool says in his heart that there is no God. Such people are corrupt and their deeds abominable; there is none that does good.
• Verses 2–3: The LORD looks down from heaven upon humankind to see whether any seek God. Yet all have gone aside and become filthy; there is none that does good, not even one.
• Verses 4–6: The workers of iniquity eat up "my people" as they eat bread and do not call upon the LORD. Yet they are in great fear, for God is in the generation of the righteous. Though they put to shame the counsel of the poor, the LORD is the refuge of the poor.
• Verse 7: The psalmist longs for the salvation of Israel to come out of Zion and sings that when the LORD brings back the captivity of His people, Jacob shall rejoice and Israel shall be glad.

Key Verses

• Psalm 14:1 "The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God." This is the classic verse exposing an attitude that denies God.
• Psalm 14:3 "There is none that doeth good, no, not one." Paul cited it when speaking of the universal sinfulness of humanity.
• Psalm 14:7 "Oh that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion!" A psalm that opens with an indictment ends with the hope of salvation.

People and Places

• David: The king of Israel named in the superscription as the author of this psalm.
• The LORD: Portrayed as the One who examines humankind from heaven and is the refuge of the poor.
• Zion: A name for Jerusalem and for the place where God dwells; it is mentioned as the place from which salvation comes.
• Jacob and Israel: Used in this psalm not of individuals but as names for God's people as a whole.

Points for Reflection

• The Hebrew word nabal, translated "fool," refers less to low intelligence than to a person who disregards God and is morally perverse. It is the same word as the name of Nabal in 1 Samuel 25. For this reason, many interpreters read verse 1 not as theoretical atheism but as an attitude of living as though there were no God.
• In Romans 3:10–12, Paul quotes verses 1–3 to argue that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin. Some manuscripts of the Septuagint are known to add, after verse 3 of this psalm, lines corresponding to Romans 3:13–18.
• The original psalm distinguishes between the wicked on the one hand and "my people," "the generation of the righteous," and "the poor" on the other. A central interpretive question is whether to read this passage in its original context as an indictment of oppressive evildoers or, following Paul's citation, as a declaration of the sinfulness of all people.
• The Reformed tradition frequently cites this passage, together with its quotation in Romans, as a basis for the doctrine of total depravity, the teaching that sin has affected every part of the human person. The Wesleyan tradition likewise affirms the universality of human sin but also emphasizes prevenient grace, which enables people to seek and respond to God.
• Some interpreters take "when the LORD bringeth back the captivity" in verse 7 as referring to the return from the Babylonian exile; others read it in the more general sense of God restoring His people's fortunes.

In the Korean Church

Verse 1 is frequently cited in sermons and Christian apologetics addressing atheism or a life lived without God. Verses 1–3, together with Romans 3, are also used in evangelism and catechesis to explain sin and salvation.