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Psalm 14 Bible study: The fool has said in his heart
The LORD's look in 14:2 has Genesis 11:5's words (the LORD, to see, the children of men), and 14:1's "They are corrupt" is the verb of Genesis 6:12. Where Psalm 14 says "the LORD", Psalm 53 says "God". And Paul takes the psalm's "not one" (Romans 3:10-12) on to "the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ" (Romans 3:22).
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“The LORD looked down from heaven on the children of men, to see if there were any who understood, who sought after God.”
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“In the lines Psalm 53 shares with Psalm 14, Psalm 53 has "God" where Psalm 14 has "the LORD".”
Is that in Psalm 14, or not? Make your call.
What's really going on
Said in his heart
The WEB prints the psalm's title at the start of its first verse: "For the Chief Musician. By David" (14:1). Then the psalm begins with one man and what he says: "The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.”" (14:1) (tap fool). In Hebrew There is no God is two words, ein elohim. The psalm doesn't give his words as something he says to anyone; it says where they are said, in his heart. And straight away it turns from the one to many, and from words to deeds: "They are corrupt. They have done abominable deeds. There is no one who does good" (14:1) (tap corrupt). Psalm 10 has the same two Hebrew words in its own setting (Psalm 10:4), and the chapter on Psalm 10 looks at them.
Where it leads to Jesus
Not one, and then Jesus Christ
Psalms 14:3leads toRomans 3:22
The psalm says, "They have all gone aside. They have together become corrupt. There is no one who does good, no, not one" (Psalm 14:3). Paul (Romans 1:1) writes that "both Jews and Greeks" are "all under sin" (Romans 3:9), and goes on, "As it is written" (Romans 3:10), with words close to Psalm 14:1-3: "There is no one who understands. There is no one who seeks after God. They have all turned away. They have together become unprofitable. There is no one who does good, no, not so much as one" (Romans 3:11-12). Romans doesn't name the psalm, the WEB words the two a little differently, and Psalm 53:1-3 has almost the same words. The run of Scripture's words goes on, and Paul says what they are for: "that every mouth may be closed" (Romans 3:19). Then: "But now apart from the law, a righteousness of God has been revealed" (Romans 3:21), "even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ to all and on all those who believe. For there is no distinction" (Romans 3:22), "for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). Romans doesn't say the psalm speaks of Jesus; it is Paul's argument that goes on from the psalm's words to faith in Jesus Christ.
Honest questions
Questions people ask about Psalm 14
- "The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.”" (14:1). Is the psalm talking about someone who argues that God doesn't exist?
- "There is no one who does good, no, not one" (14:3). Then who are "the generation of the righteous" (14:5)?
- "Oh that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion!" (14:7). Is this about Jesus?
That was a taste
The rest of Psalm 14 is waiting in Favor
- The LORD looked down to see
- The psalm turns
- Psalm 53, almost the same psalm
- "As it is written": Romans 3
- 6 questions as you read
- 12 more Hebrew words
- A short check at the end
- Your notes, saved as you go
Favor reads the Bible in order, so you'll reach Psalm 14 with everything before it in view. First week free, then $10 a month per person.
The Hebrew word behind it
נָבָלnavalsay na-VAL
Brown-Driver-Briggs: "foolish, senseless, esp. of the man who has no perception of ethical and religious claims". Strong's: "stupid; wicked (especially impious)". "The fool has said in his heart" (14:1). The Psalms have it five times in Hebrew: here; in Psalm 53:1, which has the same line; in "Don’t make me the reproach of the foolish" (Psalm 39:8); and twice in Psalm 74, "Foolish people have blasphemed your name" (Psalm 74:18) and "Remember how the foolish man mocks you all day" (Psalm 74:22). Moses uses it of Israel: "Is this the way you repay the LORD, foolish and unwise people?" (Deuteronomy 32:6).
For your group
Psalm 14 Bible study questions
- 1"The fool has said in his heart" (14:1). What do people say in their hearts that they would never say out loud? When have you lived a day as if God weren't looking?
- 2Paul gives "There is no one who does good, no, not so much as one" (Romans 3:12), and then "the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ to all and on all those who believe" (Romans 3:22). Why might it matter to hear the first before the second?
- 3"You frustrate the plan of the poor, because the LORD is his refuge" (14:6). When your own plans have been frustrated, where did you go first?
Leading a group? In Favor, everyone reads Psalm 14 during the week and answers these questions privately. Answers stay sealed until you meet, then appear together, and you can print the week's sheet.
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Questions
What is Favor?
Favor is a Bible study app that explains every chapter as you read: the Hebrew and Greek behind the words, the details most readers miss, and how each part of the Bible leads to Jesus. Read on your own, or start a Bible study with friends, family or your church.
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Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, which is in the public domain. Hebrew and Greek words are checked against the original-language texts and public-domain lexicons. What we believe · Favor home