Psalm 14 — The Fool Has Said in His Heart, 'There Is No God'
David's target here isn't intellectual atheism in the modern sense but practical godlessness — someone who lives as though God doesn't factor into anything, which the psalm treats as the root of moral corruption rather than a separate issue from it: "they are corrupt, they have done abominable deeds" follows directly from the opening line, in the same verse. The psalm then widens from one "fool" to a universal indictment ("they have all gone aside... there is no one who does good, no, not one," v. 3) before closing with a prayer for Israel's restoration.
- Verse 3 is quoted by Paul in Romans 3:10-12 as part of his argument that "all have sinned" — one of the clearest Old Testament texts behind that New Testament doctrine.
- "The fool" (Hebrew nabal) in verse 1 describes a moral and practical failure, not a lack of intelligence — the same word is used as a proper name for the man in 1 Samuel 25 whose foolishness is entirely about arrogance and refusal to act rightly, not stupidity.
- This psalm is nearly identical to Psalm 53, with small wording differences — a rare case in the Psalter of the same poem appearing twice, likely reflecting two different collections it was drawn from.
Psalms 14 (WEB)
1The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt. They have done abominable deeds. There is no one who does good.
2Yahweh looked down from heaven on the children of men, to see if there were any who understood, who sought after God.
3They have all gone aside. They have together become corrupt. There is no one who does good, no, not one.
4Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge, who eat up my people as they eat bread, and don’t call on Yahweh?
5There they were in great fear, for God is in the generation of the righteous.
6You frustrate the plan of the poor, because Yahweh is his refuge.
7Oh that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion! When Yahweh restores the fortunes of his people, then Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad.