TRV
- English
- King James KJV
- Complete Jewish CJB
- World English WEBM
- Berean Standard BSB
- American Standard ASV
- Geneva GNV
- Young's Literal YLT
- Douay-Rheims DRC
- International
- Shqip ALB
- العربية SVD
- বাংলা BN-IRV
- မြန်မာ Judson
- 简体文 CUV-S
- 繁體中文 CUV-T
- Čeština BKR
- Nederlands STVE
- Français LSG
- Deutsch SCH
- Ελληνικά Vamvas
- ગુજરાતી GU-IRV
- Hausa HCB
- עברית Hebrew
- हिन्दी HCV
- Magyar KAROLI
- Bahasa Indonesia INDO-TB
- Italiano Diodati
- 日本語 Kougo
- 한국어 Korean
- മലയാളം MAL
- मराठी MRCV
- Norsk DNB
- فارسی OPV
- Polski BG
- Português Almeida
- Română Cornilescu
- Русский Synodal
- Español RVG
- Kiswahili Neno
- Svenska SV1917
- Tagalog TAG-ADB
- தமிழ் TCV
- తెలుగు TSA
- ภาษาไทย THAI-KJV
- Українська Ohienko
- Tiếng Việt CADMAN
- Yorùbá YCB
Study this verse
Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Psalms 53:1–6.
This psalm was opened before, and therefore we shall here only observe, in short, some things concerning sin, in order to the increasing of our sorrow for it and hatred of it. 1. The fact of sin. Is that proved? Can the charge be made out? Yes, God is a witness to it, an unexceptionable witness: from the place of his holiness he looks on the children of men, and sees how little good there is among them, Psa 53:2. All the sinfulness of their hearts and lives in naked and open before him. 2. The fault of sin. Is there any harm in it? Yes, it is iniquity (Psa 53:1, Psa 53:4); it is an unrighteous thing; it is that which there is no good in (Psa 53:1, Psa 53:3); it is an evil thing; it is the worst of evils; it is that which makes this world such an evil world as it is; it is going back from God, Psa 53:3. 3. The fountain of sin. How comes it that men are so bad? Surely it is because there is no fear of God before their eyes: they say in their hearts, "There is no God at all to call us to an account, none that we need to stand in awe of." Men's bad practices flow from their bad principles; if they profess to know God, yet in works, because in thoughts, they deny him. 4. The folly of sin. He is a fool (in the account of God, whose judgment we are sure is right) that harbours such corrupt thoughts. Atheists, whether in opinion or practice, are the greatest fools in the world. Those that do not seek God do not understand; they are like brute-beasts that have no understanding; for man is distinguished from the brutes, not so much by the powers of reason as by a capacity for religion. The workers of iniquity, whatever they pretend to, have no knowledge; those may truly be said to know nothing that do not know God, Psa 53:4. 5. The filthiness of sin. Sinners are corrupt (Psa 53:1); their nature is vitiated and spoiled, and the more noble the nature is the more vile it is when it is depraved, as that of the angels. Corruptio optimi est pessima - The best things, when corrupted, become the worst. Their iniquity is abominable; it is odious to the holy God, and it renders them so; whereas otherwise he hates nothing that he has made. It makes men filthy, altogether filthy. Wilful sinners are offensive in the nostrils of the God of heaven and of the holy angels. What decency soever proud sinners pretend to, it is certain that wickedness is the greatest defilement in the world. 6. The fruit of sin. See to what a degree of barbarity it brings men at last; when men's hearts are hardened through the deceitfulness of sin see their cruelty to their brethren, that are bone of their bone - because they will not run with them to the same excess of riot, they eat them up as they eat bread; as if they had not only become beasts, but beasts of prey. And see their contempt of God at the same time. They have not called upon him, but scorn to be beholden to him. 7. The fear and shame that attend sin (Psa 53:5): There were those in great fear who had made God their enemy; their own guilty consciences frightened them, and filled them with horror, though otherwise there was no apparent cause of fear. The wicked flees when none pursues. See the ground of this fear; it is because God has formerly scattered the bones of those that encamped against his people, not only broken their power and dispersed their forces, but slain them, and reduced their bodies to dry bones, like those scattered at the grave's mouth, Psa 141:7. Such will be the fate of those that lay siege to the camp of the saints and the beloved city, Rev 20:9. The apprehensions of this cannot but put those into frights that eat up God's people. This enables the virgin, the daughter of Zion, to put them to shame, and expose them, because God has despised them, to laugh at them, because he that sits in heaven laughs at them. We need not look upon those enemies with fear whom God looks upon with contempt. If he despises them, we may. 8. The faith of the saints, and their hope and power touching the cure of this great evil, Psa 53:6. There will come a Saviour, a great salvation, a salvation from sin. Oh that it might be hastened! for it will bring in glorious and joyful times. There were those in the Old Testament times that looked and hoped, that prayed and waited, for this redemption. (1.) God will, in due time, save his church from the sinful malice of its enemies, which will bring joy to Jacob and Israel, that have long been in a mournful melancholy state. Such salvations were often wrought, and all typical of the everlasting triumphs of the glorious church. (2.) He will save all believers from their own iniquities, that they may not be led captive by them, which will be everlasting matter of joy to them. From this work the Redeemer had his name - Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins, Mat 1:21.
Historical interpretation
Four Centuries of Reception
2 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
Select a marker to jump to its quote. Markers stagger vertically where authors wrote within a few decades of each other.
What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: Their feet are swift to shed blood: Destruction and misery are in their ways: And the way of peace have they not known: There is no fear of God before their eyes. [Psalms 53:1-3] Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
"The Lord from Heaven has looked forth upon the sons of men, that He might see if there is one understanding and seeking after God" [Psalm 53:3]. What is this? "Corrupted they are," all these that say, "There is no God"? And what? Did it escape God, that they had become such? Or indeed to us would their inward thought be opened, except by Him it were told? If then He understood, if then He knew, what is this which has been said, "that He might see"? For the words are of one inquiring, of one not knowing. "God from Heaven has looked forth," etc. And as though He had found what He sought by looking upon, and by looking down from Heaven, He gives sentence: "All men have gone aside, together useless they have become: there is not one that does good, not so much as one" [Psalm 53:4]. Two questions arise somewhat difficult: for if God looks out from Heaven, in order that He may see if there is one understanding or seeking after God; there steals upon an unwise man the thought, that God knows not all things. This is one question: what is the other? If there is not one that does good, is not so much as one; who is he that travails amid bad men? The former question then is solved as follows: ofttimes the Scripture speaks in such manner, that what by the gift of God a creature does, God is said to do....For hence has been said the following also, "For the Spirit searches all things, even the depth of God;" [1 Corinthians 2:10] not because He that knows all things searches, but because to you has been given the Spirit, which makes you also to search: and that which by His own gift you do, He is said to do; because without Him you would not do it: therefore God is said to do, when you do. And because this by the gift of God you doest, God from heaven is "looking forth upon the sons of men." The former question then, according to our measure, thus has been solved.
Continue studying Psalms 53:3 across the web’s major study libraries — every link below opens this exact verse, chapter, or book on the destination site.
Read & Compare
BibleGatewayThis verse in more than 200 translations and 70 languages.
Bible.comThe YouVersion reader — hundreds of translations, reading plans, and highlights.
ESV.orgCrossway's official English Standard Version reader.
NET BibleThe NET translation with 60,000+ translators' notes on every rendering decision.
STEP BibleTyndale House's free study tool — original text, vocabulary, and scholarly resources.
BibliaLogos Bible Software's free web reader.
USCCBThe New American Bible (Revised Edition) with the U.S. bishops' study notes.
Commentaries
BibleHub CommentariesDozens of classic commentaries on this verse, gathered on one page.
StudyLightMore than 100 commentary sets — the largest collection on the web.
BibleRefPlain-English commentary on what this verse means, verse by verse.
Enduring WordDavid Guzik's free commentary on this chapter, widely used by Bible teachers.
Bible Study ToolsVerse commentary alongside Greek and Hebrew study aids.
Original Language & Research
- BibleHub InterlinearThe verse word by word — original language, transliteration, and English.
- BibleHub LexiconEvery word's original-language definition and Strong's entry.
Blue Letter BibleDeep-study tools — Strong's numbers, concordance, and word studies.
SefariaThe Hebrew text with Rashi and centuries of Jewish commentary.
Sermons, Hymns & Audio
TrulyRandomVerse is not affiliated with these sites and doesn’t control their content. They’re linked because they’re genuinely useful.
Summary
Psalms 53:3 delivers a stark and comprehensive indictment of humanity's universal depravity, declaring that all individuals have turned away from God, becoming morally corrupted and utterly incapable of producing genuine good on their own. This verse underscores the pervasive nature of sin, revealing a profound spiritual rebellion and an inherent inability to align with divine righteousness, thereby establishing the foundational truth of humanity's desperate need for divine intervention and redemption.
Context
Literary Context
Psalms 53:3 is situated within a psalm that commences with the audacious pronouncement, "The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God" (Psalms 53:1). This initial statement establishes the root cause of the widespread moral decay described in subsequent verses: a deliberate rejection of divine authority and existence. The psalm then meticulously details the comprehensive consequences of such foolishness, portraying a society steeped in corruption, violence, and spiritual blindness. The striking resemblance between Psalm 53 and Psalm 14 is notable, highlighting the enduring and universal nature of this spiritual diagnosis across different periods, with minor textual variations often emphasizing the depth of humanity's fallen state and God's sovereign gaze upon it. Verse 3 serves as a pivotal amplification of the initial premise, demonstrating the pervasive manifestation of the "fool's" mindset across all of humanity.
Historical & Cultural Context
While the precise historical setting for Psalm 53 is not explicitly stated, its themes resonate deeply with periods of widespread moral decline and social injustice within ancient Israel. David, traditionally considered the author, likely observed the pervasive corruption among those who disregarded God's covenant and law, perhaps reflecting on the spiritual state of the nation during times of apostasy or internal strife. In the cultural norms of the ancient Near East, societal well-being was intrinsically linked to adherence to divine decrees, and a turning away from God was universally understood to lead to chaos, moral decay, and divine judgment. The psalm thus functions as a prophetic lament, diagnosing the spiritual sickness of a people, or even humanity at large, who have abandoned the source of all goodness. The geographical setting of Israel, a land given by God as a covenant inheritance, makes the moral failure of its inhabitants particularly poignant, as they were meant to be a light to the nations, yet often succumbed to the very depravity they were called to transcend.
Key Themes
Psalms 53:3 powerfully contributes to several overarching themes within the Psalter and the broader biblical narrative. Foremost among these is the theme of universal human depravity, asserting that sin is not an isolated phenomenon but a pervasive condition affecting every individual. The emphatic repetition, "none that doeth good, no, not one," leaves no room for exception, underscoring humanity's inherent inability to achieve true righteousness apart from divine intervention. This ties directly into the theme of spiritual apostasy, where "gone back" signifies a deliberate turning away or backsliding from God's standards, a regression into sin that marks a rebellion against His moral law. Furthermore, the description of becoming "filthy" highlights the theme of moral corruption, portraying a deep-seated defilement that permeates human nature when estranged from God. This comprehensive diagnosis of sin sets the stage for the biblical emphasis on God's sovereign judgment and, ultimately, His redemptive grace, as the recognition of humanity's utter inability to save itself creates the desperate need for a divine solution, a theme beautifully developed in passages like Romans 3.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This verb (H5472) signifies a retreat, a turning away, or a backsliding. It implies a deliberate act of apostasy or a regression from a previous state of obedience, knowledge, or proximity to God. It highlights a conscious departure from the path of righteousness, indicating spiritual rebellion rather than mere ignorance or accidental misstep.
This word (H444) carries the strong connotation of becoming muddled, putrid, or morally corrupt. It describes something that has gone bad, emphasizing a deep-seated moral decay and rottenness of human nature when estranged from God. It suggests an inherent defilement that affects one's very being, not just outward actions, making them abhorrent in God's sight.
In the phrase "doeth good" (H2896), ṭôwb refers to that which is morally right, pleasing in God's eyes, and reflective of true integrity and righteousness. It's not merely about performing outwardly benevolent acts, but about actions stemming from a heart aligned with God's will and character, something the verse emphatically states is absent in fallen humanity.
Verse Breakdown
"Every one of them is gone back:"
This clause establishes the universality of the problem. "Every one of them" refers to all humanity, particularly those described as "fools" in Psalms 53:1. The phrase "is gone back" indicates a deliberate turning away from God and His ways, a spiritual defection or apostasy. It implies a regression from an original state of righteousness or a rejection of known truth, signifying a fundamental spiritual rebellion against the divine standard.
"they are altogether become filthy;"
This segment intensifies the description of human depravity. "Altogether" (H3162, yachad) emphasizes the comprehensive nature of this corruption, affecting every aspect of their being, united in their moral decline. "Become filthy" (H444, ʼâlach) paints a vivid picture of moral decay, suggesting that their nature and actions are defiled, putrid, and abhorrent in God's sight. It speaks to a deep-seated, inherent corruption that permeates their character and conduct.
"[there is] none that doeth good, no, not one."
This final, emphatic declaration reiterates and underscores the absolute and universal inability of humanity to perform genuine, God-pleasing good on its own. The double negation ("none... no, not one" - H259, ʼechâd) leaves no room for exception, asserting that apart from divine intervention, humanity is utterly incapable of producing true righteousness or acts that genuinely honor God. This is not a denial of human capacity for civil kindness, but a profound statement about spiritual goodness and righteous standing before a holy God.
Literary Devices
Psalms 53:3 employs several powerful literary devices to convey its stark message of universal human depravity. Hyperbole is evident in the absolute statements "Every one of them" and "none that doeth good, no, not one," which emphasize the pervasive and universal nature of sin, highlighting its comprehensive reach across all of humanity. This is further amplified by repetition of "no, not one," which serves to underscore the utter lack of righteousness outside of God, leaving no room for exceptions or self-justification. The imagery of becoming "filthy" is a vivid metaphor for moral corruption, evoking a strong sense of putrefaction and uncleanness that is deeply offensive to a holy God. This strong sensory language effectively communicates the depth of humanity's fallen state. The verse also utilizes antithesis implicitly by contrasting the ideal of human goodness (as defined by God) with the reality of universal depravity, thereby highlighting the profound chasm between humanity's fallen state and God's perfect standard.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Psalms 53:3 lays a foundational theological truth regarding the universal sinfulness of humanity, a doctrine central to the entire biblical narrative. It asserts that all people, by nature, have turned away from God and are morally corrupt, incapable of achieving righteousness through their own efforts. This profound declaration establishes the absolute necessity of divine intervention for salvation, setting the stage for the Gospel message. Without this understanding of pervasive human depravity, the radical grace of God and the atoning work of Christ lose their full significance. The verse highlights that humanity's problem is not merely a matter of occasional bad deeds, but a deep-seated spiritual condition, an inherent inability to align with God's perfect will or to produce anything that truly pleases Him from a pure heart.
Reflection and Application
Psalms 53:3 serves as a profound mirror, reflecting the uncomfortable truth of our own fallen nature and the universal human condition. It strips away any illusion of self-sufficiency or inherent goodness, compelling us to acknowledge that apart from God's grace, we are all "gone back" and "filthy." This recognition is not meant to condemn us to despair, but rather to cultivate a deep humility and a profound appreciation for the Gospel. When we truly grasp our inability to "do good" in God's sight, we are prepared to receive the righteousness that comes only through faith in Christ. This verse calls us to abandon self-righteousness, to cease striving in our own strength, and to fully embrace our dependence on God's redemptive work. It reminds us that any genuine good we accomplish in the spiritual realm is a result of His transforming power within us, not our own merit, fostering a spirit of gratitude and reliance.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Does this verse mean that people cannot perform any good deeds at all?
No, this verse does not mean that people are incapable of performing outwardly kind, helpful, or morally upright actions in a civil sense. Many non-believers demonstrate compassion, generosity, and integrity in their daily lives. However, the "good" referred to in Psalms 53:3 is primarily spiritual good—actions and motivations that are truly righteous and pleasing in God's sight, stemming from a heart fully devoted to Him and His glory. Because humanity is "gone back" and "filthy" due to sin, our best efforts, when viewed from God's perfect standard, are tainted by self-interest, pride, or a lack of ultimate devotion to Him. As Isaiah 64:6 states, "all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags." This verse highlights humanity's spiritual inability to achieve salvation or true righteousness through self-effort, pointing to the necessity of divine grace.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Psalms 53:3, with its stark declaration of universal human depravity, finds its profound Christ-centered fulfillment in the New Testament's revelation of Jesus as the sole solution to humanity's pervasive sin problem. The emphatic pronouncement that "none that doeth good, no, not one" sets the stage for the Gospel, demonstrating the absolute necessity of a divine redeemer. Jesus Christ is presented as the only one who perfectly "did good," living a sinless life in complete obedience to God, thereby fulfilling the righteous requirements that fallen humanity could never meet (Hebrews 4:15). His atoning death on the cross addresses the "filthiness" of sin, cleansing believers and imputing His righteousness to them (2 Corinthians 5:21). Through faith in Him, those who were "gone back" are brought near to God, reconciled and transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit, enabling them to genuinely "do good" as new creations in Christ, walking in the good works prepared for them (Ephesians 2:10; Titus 2:14). Thus, Psalms 53:3, far from being a message of despair, serves as the dark backdrop against which the glorious light of Christ's perfect righteousness and redemptive grace shines most brightly, revealing Him as the answer to humanity's deepest spiritual need.