The Bible — World English Bible

Psalm 14

In brief

Psalm 14, by David, opens with a famous sentence: the fool says in his heart that there is no God. In the Bible, the fool is the one who lives as if God did not matter, and whose conduct becomes corrupt. In verses 2 and 3, God looks down from heaven, searches for anyone who seeks him and finds that all have turned aside. Paul will quote these verses in Romans 3. Yet the psalm ends in hope: the Lord is the refuge of the poor, and deliverance will come out of Zion.

The chapter in 3 parts

  1. v. 1-3The fool denies God, and God looks at humankind
  2. v. 4-6Those who devour my people, and the Lord, refuge of the poor
  3. v. 7Waiting for the deliverance that comes out of Zion

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.

Key verses

Verse 1
The 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.

The fool speaks “in his heart”: it is a denial lived before it is a speech. The word describes a person who closes his life to God, with moral consequences.

Verse 2
Yahweh looked down from heaven on the children of men, to see if there were any who understood, who sought after God.

God looks from heaven to see whether anyone seeks him. True understanding, according to the psalm, is to seek God.

Verse 3
They have all gone aside. They have together become corrupt. There is no one who does good, no, not one.

All have turned aside and become corrupt. Paul takes up this verse in Romans 3:10-12 to show that the need for salvation is universal.

Verse 6
You frustrate the plan of the poor, because Yahweh is his refuge.

Despite the mockery of those who despise the hope of the poor, the Lord is their refuge.

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What the sermons say

The Folly of Atheism in Psalm 14A study of the psalm that distinguishes militant atheism from simple indifference and recalls that understanding, in God's eyes, is to seek him. Paul cites verses 1 to 3 in Romans 3.Read the summary →Silence and Solitude: Hearing God When Everything Around You Is ShoutingThe preacher cites verse 1 while speaking about inner noise: beside the noise outside, there are voices of the heart that push us to live as if God were not there.Read the summary →Turning from Idols to Serve the Living GodIn a message on idolatry, verse 1 is cited: everything starts with a doubt about God's goodness, even before any statue.Read the summary →

Frequently asked questions about Psalm 14

What does the verse about the fool who says in his heart there is no God mean?

The verse describes an inner attitude more than a theoretical opinion. The fool of the Bible is the one who lives without taking God into account, which shows in his conduct. The text does not judge those who doubt honestly, it denounces a denial that leads to corruption and injustice toward others.

Why does Paul cite Psalm 14 in Romans 3?

Paul takes up verses 1 to 3 with other texts to show that all people, Jews and non-Jews, are under sin and need grace. The psalm serves as scriptural proof: God himself looked and found that no one is righteous on his own.

How can I pray or meditate on Psalm 14?

Read it slowly, asking yourself where in your life you act as if God did not matter. Confess it simply, then pray verse 6: make the Lord your refuge. Finish with verse 7 by praying for those who suffer injustice and for the coming of God's deliverance.

Articles quoting Psalm 14

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World English Bible translation — public domain.