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Psalm 14

Psalm 14 exposes humanity’s corruption under God’s searching gaze and looks to him for the rescue of his oppressed people.

David describes a world where people deny God and prey on his people as though eating bread. The heading names David and addresses the Chief Musician, but gives no specific occasion. YHWH looks down from heaven to examine humanity and finds corruption everywhere. Yet God is present among the righteous and is the poor person’s refuge. The psalm ends with a plea for Israel’s salvation from Zion and hope for restored fortunes.

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1For the Chief Musician. By David. The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt. They have done abominable deeds. There is no one who does good.
2The LORD looked down from heaven on the children of men, to see if there were any who understood, who sought after God.
3They have all gone aside. They have together become corrupt. There is no one who does good, no, not one.
4Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge, who eat up my people as they eat bread, and don’t call on the LORD?
5There they were in great fear, for God is in the generation of the righteous.
6You frustrate the plan of the poor, because the LORD is his refuge.
7Oh that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion! When the LORD restores the fortunes of his people, then Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad.
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Key verses
Psalm 14:2YHWH’s search places all humanity under his judgment and makes seeking God central to true understanding.
Psalm 14:1The opening links denial of God in the heart with corrupt deeds, establishing the charge that follows.
Psalm 14:7The closing plea turns from human corruption toward salvation from Zion, locating Israel’s future joy in YHWH’s restoring work.
Where this chapter reaches

Romans quotes the psalm’s account of humanity turning aside and failing to do good as part of its case that all are under sin. Isaiah shares the hope of salvation associated with Zion and joy when God restores his people.

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Notice

After reading the whole chapter

What does the image of oppressors eating God’s people like bread reveal about the harm described here?

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How does the closing plea for salvation shape your response to the corruption described earlier?

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Questions people ask about Psalm 14

What does “The fool has said in his heart” mean in Psalm 14?

The fool’s inward claim is “There is no God.” The surrounding verses connect that claim with corruption, oppression, and failure to call on YHWH. Foolishness here concerns a person’s stance toward God and the conduct that follows. The passage makes no assessment of intellectual ability.

Why does Psalm 14 say no one does good if there are righteous people?

Verses 1–3 give a sweeping verdict on human corruption under God’s inspection. Verses 5–6 identify a righteous community with whom God is present and a poor person who takes refuge in him. The psalm holds both descriptions together without explaining their full relationship. It never calls the righteous sinless.

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Psalms · 150 chapters
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Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY). Scripture from the World English Bible (public domain). Arc diagram after Chris Harrison and Christoph Römhild (2007).