לַמְנַצֵּחַ לְדָוִד אָמַר נָבָל בְּלִבּוֹ אֵין אֱלֹהִים הִשְׁחִיתוּ הִתְעִיבוּ עֲלִילָה אֵין עֹשֵׂה־טוֹב׃   14:1

Psal. 14:1   For David's leader.

                     A fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”

                             They deal corruptly, they do abominable work.

                     Not one does good.                                                [Return to Psal. 53:1]

יְהוָה מִשָּׁמַיִם הִשְׁקִיף עַל־בְּנֵי־אָדָם לִרְאוֹת הֲיֵשׁ מַשְׂכִּיל דֹּרֵשׁ אֶת־אֱלֹהִים׃   14:2

Psal. 14:2   The Lord gazes down from heaven upon the children of Adam

                              to see if there is one who is understanding, is seeking God.

הַכֹּל סָר יַחְדָּו נֶאֱלָחוּ אֵין עֹשֵׂה־טוֹב אֵין גַּם־אֶחָד׃   14:3

Psal. 14:3   The whole is turned aside;

                               together they have become polluted.

                      Not one does good, not even one.

הֲלֹא יָדְעוּ כָּל־פֹּעֲלֵי אָוֶן אֹכְלֵי עַמִּי אָכְלוּ לֶחֶם יְהוָה לֹא קָרָאוּ׃   14:4

Psal. 14:4   “Do all the practitioners of evil,

                               the devourers of My people, not understand?”

                     They eat bread, they do not mention the Lord.

The meaning of the last line?  I believe the psalmist is saying those people, perhaps priests, do not bless the Lord when they eat.  See Psal. 53:6 for more on the meaning.

שָׁם פָּחֲדוּ פָחַד כִּי־אֱלֹהִים בְּדוֹר צַדִּיק׃   14:5

Psal. 14:5   Then they were in great awe,

                               for God was in a righteous generation.

In this verse the psalmist is suddenly relating to an earlier time, when he believes the priests were righteous. 

See Psal. 53:6 again.

עֲצַת־עָנִי תָבִישׁוּ כִּי יְהוָה מַחְסֵהוּ   14:6

Psal. 14:6   You would confound the counsel of the humble

                               when the Lord should be his refuge,

מִי יִתֵּן מִצִּיֹּון יְשׁוּעַת יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּשׁוּב יְהוָה שְׁבוּת עַמֹּו יָגֵל יַעֲקֹב יִשְׂמַח יִשְׂרָאֵל׃   14:7

Psal. 14:7   Who will bring forth the salvation of Israel out of Zion.

                               When the Lord reverses the captivity of His people,

                      Jacob shall rejoice, Israel shall be glad.

Captivity?  Well, was this verse (or chapter, or book!) written at a time much later than David’s reign?  Or is the psalmist being prophetic?  The captivity was several hundred years in the future.         [Return to Psal. 53:7]

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