The Pulpit Commentary on Psalms 53:5

The Pulpit Commentary · Joseph S. Exell and contributors · Public domain

There were they in great fear, where no fear was. So long a phrase as "where no fear was" ( לא־היה כּחד) can scarcely have "fallen out," and must have been added intentionally to mark that, on the occasion in connection with which the revision was made, there had been no ground at all for the panic.

For God hath scattered the bones of him that encampeth against thee. This clause takes the place of the following in Psalms 14:1-7.: "For God is in the generation of the righteous"—a very considerable change, which must certainly have been intentional.

On the second occasion whereto the psalm was made applicable, there must have been a very great catastrophe—some vast slaughter of an enemy who had been at open war with Israel. Sennacherib is suggested (Canon Cook).

Thou hast put them to shams, because God hath despised them. The clause in Psalms 14:1-7. which this replaces runs as follows: "Ye have shamed the counsel of the poor, because the Lord is his Refuge."

Here again, both the phrases used, and the whole tenor of the thought in either case, are different.

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Matthew Henry on Psalms 53:1-6Psalms 53:1-6 · Matthew Henry Concise CommentaryThis psalm is almost the same as the 14th. The scope of it is to convince us of our sins. God, by the psalmist, here shows us how bad we are, and proves this by his own certain knowledge. He speaks terror to persecutors…The Pulpit Commentary on Psalms 53:1-6Psalms 53:1-6 · The Pulpit CommentaryEXPOSITION THIs psalm is a repetition of Psalms 45:1-17; with certain not very important variations. The most remarkable is the substitution throughout of" Elohim" for "Jehovah." The only variations which alter the sens…

commentaryMatthew Henry on Psalms 53:1-6This psalm is almost the same as the 14th. The scope of it is to convince us of our sins. God, by the psalmist, here shows us how bad we are, and proves this by his own certain knowledge. He speaks terror to persecutors…Matthew Henry commentaryThe Pulpit Commentary on Psalms 53:1-6EXPOSITION THIs psalm is a repetition of Psalms 45:1-17; with certain not very important variations. The most remarkable is the substitution throughout of" Elohim" for "Jehovah." The only variations which alter the sens…Joseph S. Exell and contributors