Psalm 53 Jan. 30 For the Chief Musician. To the tune of Mahalath. A contemplation by David.  1The fool has said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, and have done abominable iniquity. There is no one who does good. 2God looks down from heaven on the children of men, to see if there are any who understood, who seek after God. 3Every one of them has gone back. They have become filthy together. There is no one who does good, no, not one. 4Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge, who eat up my people as they eat bread, and don’t call on God? 5There they were in great fear, where no fear was, for God has scattered the bones of him who encamps against you. You have put them to shame, because God has rejected them. 6Oh that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion! When God brings back His people from captivity, then Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad.   

Commentary

53:2 Who understood, who seek after God- To seek for God, thereby recognizing that we don’t understand Him to perfection, is considered by Him to be understanding Him.
53:3 These verses speak of a category of people who in their heart are at times pure atheists (:1), and who are described as “filthy” and do no good. We are therefore shocked to find Paul quoting these words about every one of us (Rom. 3:12). There in Romans Paul is seeking to challenge the attitude that ‘I may be a sinner, but I’m not like them’. He does so in order to convict us of our sin, and the just sentence of death which is upon us; in order to help us gasp with more wonder and gratitude at God’s amazing grace in having counted us as righteous because we are baptized into Christ.