Salmi 53:4 Commento

God speaks once, yea, twice, and it were well if man would even then perceive it; God, in this psalm, speaks twice, for this is the same almost verbatim with the fourteenth psalm. The scope of it is to convince us of our sins, to set us a blushing and trembling because of them; and this is what we are with so much difficulty brought to that there is need of line upon line to this purport. The word, as a convincing word, is compared to a hammer, the strokes whereof must be frequently repeated. God, by the psalmist here, I. Shows us how bad we are (Psa 53:1). II. Proves it upon us by his own certain knowledge (Psa 53:2, Psa 53:3). III. He speaks terror to persecutors, the worst of sinners (Psa 53:4, Psa 53:5). IV. He speaks encouragement to God's persecuted people (Psa 53:6). Some little variation there is between Psa 14:1-7 and this, but none considerable, only between Psa 14:5, Psa 14:6, there, and Psa 53:5 here; some expressions there used are here left out, concerning the shame which the wicked put upon God's people, and instead of that, is here foretold the shame which God would put upon the wicked, which alteration, with some others, he made by divine direction when he delivered it the second time to the chief musician. In singing it we ought to lament the corruption of the human nature, and the wretched degeneracy of the world we live in, yet rejoicing in hope of the great salvation. To the chief musician upon Mahalath, Maschil. A psalm of David.

INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 53 To the chief Musician upon Mahalath, Maschil, A Psalm of David. The word "mahalath" is only used here and in Psa 88:1. Some, with Aben Ezra, take it to be the first word of a song, to the tune of which this psalm was set; others, with Jarchi, that it is the name of a musical instrument on which it was sung; a hollow instrument; of the same nature with "nehiloth", See Gill on Psa 5:1, title. Though it may relate to the argument or subject matter of the psalm, and be rendered, "concerning sickness" or "infirmity" (e); and, as Jarchi observes, some interpret it, "concerning the sickness or weakness of Israel", when the temple was destroyed. But it seems much better to understand it of the sickness and disease of sin, and the weakness following upon that, to which all mankind are subject; since the psalm manifestly treats of the general corruption and depravity of human nature. This psalm is the same with Psa 14:1, and is expressed in the same words, with some little difference; the reason of its repetition is variously conjectured. Some think that the compiler of the book of Psalms, observing various readings in it occasioned by copying, thought fit to insert it both ways; but it is most likely to be composed by David himself, at different times, and it may be on different occasions, and with different views. Some think the former, namely the fourteenth psalm, was written concerning Nabal, and this concerning Doeg; according to Jarchi, that was concerning Nebuchadnezzar, this concerning Titus Vespasian; or, as others think, Antiochus Epiphanes. Kimchi is of opinion that this psalm, being placed between one that relates to Doeg, and another that refers to the Ziphites, points at the likeness there is between the case of David and the Messiah; that as David had many who sought to ensnare him, yet God rewarded them, and established him in the kingdom; so it will be with the Messiah: but it is much more reasonable with others to conclude, that it is repeated either because of the importance of it; because that as the former may refer to the corruption of the Jews in the times of David, this to the corruption of men in the times of Christ and his apostles, and under the Gospel dispensation, until the second coming of Christ, especially under the reign of antichrist. The argument of the psalm, according to the Syriac version, is concerning Ahithophel, who gave counsel to Absalom to pursue his father David and kill him: and, according to the Arabic version, it is a prophecy concerning Babel and Sennacherib; so Theodoret: but rather concerning mystical Babylon, and the man of sin. (e) "de miseria", Tigurine version, "vel infirmitate"; so Ainsworth.

Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge?.... In Psa 14:4, it is, "have all the workers", &c. There are none of them but what have, unless given up to judicial blindness, and hardness of heart, to believe a lie, as antichrist and his followers, Th2 2:10; See Gill on Psa 14:4; who eat up my people, as they eat bread; and drink their blood, and are drunken with it, Rev 17:6; they have not called upon God; but upon their idols, upon the Virgin Mary, and saints departed. In Psa 14:4, it is, "upon the Lord".

"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.

"Shall they not know," etc. Above, the Psalmist introduced the judge looking upon iniquity and uselessness. Here he treats of the sentence of judgment. And first as to the condemnation of the wicked. Second as to the salvation of the good, at "Who shall give," etc. Concerning the first he does two things. First he proposes the question. Second he makes the proposal clear, at "Because God will scatter." Concerning the first he does two things. First he investigates the defect of penance itself. Second he assigns the merit of punishment, at "Who work." Concerning the first, it should be considered that it frequently happens that in a state of prosperity men do not acknowledge God, but through punishments inflicted by God they remember that God exists; as if to say, this is necessary because of their guilt. Ps.: "The Lord will be known by the judgments he executes." And we have an example of this in Pharaoh. Ex. 5: "I do not know the Lord." And after the inflicted punishments the Egyptians said: "Let us flee from Israel, for the Lord fights for them against us." It was said above that "the fool has said, there is no God," and for this reason he says: "Shall not all who work iniquity know," at least through punishments, "that God exists?" As if to say: indeed they will know, because no one can inflict punishments except God. And this is very necessary because of the guilt they have committed. And they have committed a twofold guilt, namely in deed and in affection. The guilt is the working of iniquity; and therefore he says, "Who work iniquity." Iniquity properly is sin against one's neighbor, because it is opposed to equity. He aggravates this guilt when he says, "Who devour my people as the food of bread." The food of bread is habitual and delightful; as if to say, those men delightfully persevere in their malice and take delight in inflicting injuries. Mic. 3: "They have eaten the flesh of my people and their corpses, and have taken away their goods." Jer. 50: "The first, the king of Assyria." As to the affection, he says, "They have not called upon God." Sinners are disordered in their affection in two ways. First, through contempt of God. Second, through disordered love of temporal things. As to the first, he says, "They have not called upon God," for two reasons. First, because they do not believe in God. Rom. 10: "How shall they call upon him in whom they have not believed?" Second, because they believe they are sufficient by themselves. Ps.: "Our lips are our own." As to the second, he says, "There they trembled where there was no fear"; as if to say, from this cause they feared where there is nothing to fear. By the word "there" he designates not a place but a cause. Hence Augustine says that fear is caused by love. Those men, namely the wicked or sinners, have only love of temporal things; and therefore they fear only temporal losses -- that is, "for that cause" where there is nothing to fear, that is, for which there is nothing to fear. Mt. 10: "Do not fear those," etc.; and therefore there is nothing to fear in the loss of temporal things, because in them there is not properly our true good; and it is certain that if we would cling to God, he would give us even these things. Mt. 6: "Seek first the kingdom of God," etc.

Upon Mahalath--(See on Psa 88:1, title). Why this repetition of the fourteenth Psalm is given we do not know. (Psa 53:1-6) with few verbal changes, correspond with Psa 14:1-4.

Here in the first line the word כּל־, which, as in Psa 5:6; Psa 6:9, is in its right place, is wanting. In Psa 14:1-7 there then follow, instead of two tristichs, two distichs, which are perhaps each mutilated by the loss of a line. The writer who has retouched the Psalm has restored the tristichic symmetry that had been lost sight of, but he has adopted rather violent means: inasmuch as he has fused down the two distichs into a single tristich, which is as closely as possible adapted to the sound of their letters.