Psalm 53 is the 53rd psalm of the Book of Psalms, beginning in English in the King James Version: "The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.". In the slightly different numbering system used in the Greek Septuagint and Latin Vulgate translations of the Bible, this psalm is Psalm 52. In Latin, it is known as "Dixit insipiens in corde suo non est deus", It is described as a maskil or "contemplation of David". The psalm forms a regular part of Jewish, Catholic, Eastern Orthodox and Protestant liturgies.

Text

Hebrew

The following table shows the Hebrew text of the Psalm with vowels alongside an English translation based upon the JPS 1917 translation (now in the public domain).

King James Version

Content

This psalm is the Elohistic Psalter's (Pss. 42–83) version of Psalm 14, and nearly identical to it. The medieval exegete Rashi understood Psalm 14 to refer to the destruction of the First Temple; this version, he thought, refers to the destruction of the Second Temple. Modern interpreters, following Hermann Gunkel's form criticism, classify this psalm as a lament. There are two differences between Psalms 14 and 53, the name of God used being the first. Psalm 14 uses the covenant name of God, YHWH, typical of the Psalms in book 1 of Psalms (Psalms 1 through 41). Psalm 53 uses Elohim, typical of the Psalms in Book 2 (Psalms 42 through 72). Second, there is reference to "a refuge for the poor" in Psalm 14:6, which is missing from Psalm 53.

Uses

New Testament

In the New Testament, verses 1–3 are quoted by Paul in Romans, where he argues that Jews and Gentiles are equally in need of God's grace. Since this Psalm and Psalm 14 are nearly identical, it is difficult to tell which one is quoted.

Book of Common Prayer

In the Church of England's Book of Common Prayer, this psalm is appointed to be read on the evening of the tenth day of the month.

Musical settings

Heinrich Schütz set Psalm 53 in a metred version in German, "Es spricht der Unweisen Mund wohl", SWV 150, as part of the Becker Psalter, first published in 1628.