This psalm has a twin – almost identical! (Ps.53) So why do we need two psalms that are almost word-for-word the same? And is everyone in the world corrupt, as this psalm seems to indicate? Let’s also discuss the three varieties of atheists.
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.
1 – The fool says in his heart, “There is no God. They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds; there is none [אין] who does good.”
אין אלהים (ein Elohim) = “no God”
2-4 Adonai looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God. 3They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is none [אין] who does good, not even one. 4 Have they no knowledge, all the evildoers who eat up My people as they eat bread and do not call upon Adonai?
5 – There they are in great terror, for God is with the generation of the righteous.
6-7 You would shame the plans of the poor because Adonai is his refuge. 7 Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When Adonai restores the fortunes of His people, let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad.
REFERENCES:
Verse 1
1 Samuel 25:25 “Please do not let my lord pay attention to this worthless man, Nabal, for as his name is, so is he. Nabal [נבל, naval] is his name and folly [נבלה, navalah] is with him…”
Exodus 18:18 “You and the people with you will certainly wear yourselves out [נבל, naval], for the thing is too heavy for you. You are not able to do it alone.”
Genesis 27:41 Now Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father had blessed him, and Esau said in his heart, “The days of mourning for my father are approaching; then I will kill my brother Jacob.”
1 Kings 12:26 And Jeroboam said in his heart, “Now the kingdom will turn back to the house of David.”
Esther 6:6 So Haman came in, and the king said to him, “What should be done to the man whom the king delights to honor?” And Haman said to in his heart, “Whom would the king delight to honor more than me?”
[See also Psalm 10:6,11,13]
1 Samuel 27:1 Then David said to his heart [אל לבו, el libo] …
The wicked are controlled by their hearts, whereas the righteous control their hearts. (Midrash Shocher Tov)
Verse 2
Genesis 18:16 Then the men set out from there, and they looked down [שקף, shakaph] toward Sodom. And Abraham went with them to set them on their way. [+19:28]
Romans 3:9-18 What then? Are we Jews any better than them? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, 10 as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; [Ps. 14:1] 11no one understands; no one seeks for God. [Ps. 14:2-3] 12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one. [Ps. 14:1-3] 13 Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive. [Ps. 5:9] The venom of asps is under their lips. [Ps. 140:3] 14 Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness. [Ps. 10:7] 15 Their feet are swift to shed blood; [Pr. 1:16] 16 in their paths are ruin and misery, 17and the way of peace they have not known. 18 There is no fear of God before their eyes.” [Ps. 36:1]