The big picture
Psalms 14 opens in verse 1 with “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done…”, reaches its middle movement near verse 4 with “Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people as they eat bread…”, and closes in verse 7 with “Oh that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion! when the LORD bringeth back the…” Repeated or prominent terms include LORD, doeth, good, Israel, people. Together, those details trace this chapter’s own movement from its opening to its conclusion.
Scripture beside the summary
Psalms · King James Version · 7Psalms 14:1-7
1–7: The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they…
Psalms 14:1–7 opens with “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable…” and reaches “Oh that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion! when the LORD bringeth back the captivity…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Psalms 14 develops its own movement around LORD, doeth, good, Israel, people, with particular weight carried by LORD, doeth, good.
Context that brings the passage to life
This block contains 1 explicit questions. They are more than punctuation: they reveal where a voice is searching, challenging, afraid, or trying to understand.
“The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none…” The verse names God rather than leaving the action without a source. Watch whether the next line continues, answers, or contrasts that action.
Psalms 14:1-7
King James Version1The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.
2The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God.
3They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
4Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people as they eat bread, and call not upon the LORD .
5There were they in great fear: for God is in the generation of the righteous.
6Ye have shamed the counsel of the poor, because the LORD is his refuge.
7Oh that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion! when the LORD bringeth back the captivity of his people, Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad.
Details worth noticing
The opening image
Psalms 14:1 begins with “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.”
Where the chapter turns
Psalms 14:4 forms a natural hinge: “Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people as they eat bread, and call not upon the LORD .”
The final note
Psalms 14:7 leaves the reader with “Oh that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion! when the LORD bringeth back the captivity of his people, Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be…”
A word trail through the chapter
The words LORD, doeth, good, Israel, people, abominable help reveal the chapter’s repeated concerns.
What contrasts the two royal encounters?
Melchizedek blesses God as the source of victory; Abram refuses a financial arrangement that would let Sodom claim credit for his wealth.
How does Abram treat Lot after their separation?
He risks resources to rescue him rather than treating earlier disagreement as a reason for abandonment.
KJV words made clear
- hath
- has
Text first
Where readers differ
The chapter summary begins with what the passage says and how its parts fit together. It does not assume one denomination has already settled every question. Where a conclusion depends on a tradition, literary theory, or historical reconstruction, that dependence is named openly.
The KJV text is presented first. Interpretive conclusions are labeled, and differences are introduced only when they help a reader understand why serious communities do not always reach the same answer.
Comparative interpretive notes for this chapter are in preparation. Until reviewed notes are ready, this page separates the KJV text from summary and application without claiming that serious readers agree on every question.