The big picture
Psalms 53 opens in verse 1 with “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done…”, reaches its middle movement near verse 3 with “Every one of them is gone back: they are altogether become filthy; there is none that…”, and closes in verse 6 with “Oh that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion! When God bringeth back the…” Repeated or prominent terms include back, doeth, fear, good, iniquity. Together, those details trace this chapter’s own movement from its opening to its conclusion.
Scripture beside the summary
Psalms · King James Version · 6Psalms 53:1-6
1–6: The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and…
Psalms 53:1–6 opens with “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable…” and reaches “Oh that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion! When God bringeth back the captivity of…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on the wording and movement of this passage, with particular weight carried by back, doeth, fear.
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. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none…” Naming Corrupt keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
Psalms 53:1-6
King James Version1The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good.
2God looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, that did seek God.
3Every one of them is gone back: they are altogether become filthy; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
4Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people as they eat bread: they have not called upon God.
5There 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.
6Oh 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.
Details worth noticing
The opening image
Psalms 53:1 begins with “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.”
Where the chapter turns
Psalms 53:4 forms a natural hinge: “Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people as they eat bread: they have not called upon God.”
The final note
Psalms 53:6 leaves the reader with “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.”
A word trail through the chapter
The words back, doeth, fear, good, iniquity, Israel help reveal the chapter’s repeated concerns.
KJV words made clear
- thee
- you
- thou
- you
- 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.