Psalms 53

These psalms of David share a common theme. They reflect on the experience of evil. In Psalm 51, the psalmist admits his wrongdoing and asks for God's forgiveness. Psalms 52–64 express sorrow over specific evils David faced. A song of praise (Psalm 65) brings David's laments to an end.

Paul uses the Greek translation of this passage to describe the moral corruption of all people (Romans 3:10–12).

This psalm is similar to Psalm 14, with differences only in verse 5.

scattered the bones: Israel's enemies would face a shameful defeat and would not have the peaceful rest of a proper burial (compare Psalm 141:7; 2 Kings 9:10; Jeremiah 8:1–2; Ezekiel 6:5).