Psalms 53:4

"Every one of them has gone back. They have become filthy together. There is no one who does good, no, not one."

Key Reflection

Psalms 53:4 powerfully conveys a universal human condition and divine judgment. In this verse, the poet emphasizes that every single person has strayed from God’s path—no exceptions are made. The term "filthy together" (Hebrew: כָּל־אֹדֶם) underscores a collective moral corruption where everyone shares in the same sinfulness, reflecting a dire state of humanity's depravity. This verse serves as a stark reminder of the depth and breadth of human wickedness from God’s perspective, setting a somber tone for understanding divine justice and the need for redemption.

From the Scholars: Barnes' Notes

Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge? -See the notes atPsalms 14:4. The only change in this verse is in the omission of the word “all.” This word, as it occurs inPsalms 14:1-7(“all the workers of iniquity”), makes the sentence stronger and more emphatic. It is designed to affirm in the most absolute and unqualified manner that none of these workers of iniquity had any true knowledge of God. This has been noticed by critics as the only instance in which the expression inPsalms 14:1-7is stronger than in the revised form of the psalm before us.

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