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<center><h1>Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary
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on the Whole Bible</h1>
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[<A HREF="MHC00000.HTM">Table of Contents</A>]<BR>
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Matthew Henry<BR><I>Commentary on the Whole Bible</I> (1710)
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<!-- (Begin Body) -->
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<CENTER>
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<BR><FONT SIZE=+3><B>P S A L M S</B></FONT>
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<BR>
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<BR><FONT SIZE=+2>PSALM XIV.</FONT>
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<HR SIZE=1 WIDTH=50>
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</CENTER>
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<FONT SIZE=-1>
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<P>
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It does not appear upon what occasion this psalm was penned nor whether
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upon any particular occasion. Some say David penned it when Saul
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persecuted him; others, when Absalom rebelled against him. But they are
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mere conjectures, which have not certainty enough to warrant us to
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expound the psalm by them. The apostle, in quoting part of this psalm
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ro+3:10">Rom. iii. 10</A>,
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&c.) to prove that Jews and Gentiles are all under sin
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ro+3:9">ver. 9</A>)
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and that all the world is guilty before God
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ro+3:19">ver. 19</A>),
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leads us to understand it, in general, as a description of the
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depravity of human nature, the sinfulness of the sin we are conceived
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and born in, and the deplorable corruption of a great part of mankind,
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even of the world that lies in wickedness,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=1Jo+5:19">1 John v. 19</A>.
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But as in those psalms which are designed to discover our remedy in
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Christ there is commonly an allusion to David himself, yea, and some
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passages that are to be understood primarily of him (as in
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ps+2:1-12,16:1-11,22:1-31">psalm ii., xvi,, xxii.</A>,
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and others), so in this psalm, which is designed to discover our wound
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by sin, there is an allusion to David's enemies and persecutors, and
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other oppressors of good men at that time, to whom some passages have
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an immediate reference. In all the psalms from the 3rd to this (except
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the 8th) David had been complaining of those that hated and persecuted
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him, insulted him and abused him; now here he traces all those bitter
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streams to the fountain, the general corruption of nature, and sees
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that not his enemies only, but all the children of men, were thus
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corrupted. Here is,
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I. A charge exhibited against a wicked world,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ps+14:1">ver. 1</A>.
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II. The proof of the charge,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ps+14:2,3">ver. 2, 3</A>.
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III. A serious expostulation with sinners, especially with persecutors,
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upon it,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ps+14:4-6">ver. 4-6</A>.
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IV. A believing prayer for the salvation of Israel and a joyful
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expectation of it,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ps+14:7">ver. 7</A>.</P>
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</FONT>
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<A NAME="Ps14_1"> </A>
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<A NAME="Ps14_2"> </A>
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<A NAME="Ps14_3"> </A>
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<A NAME="Sec1"> </A>
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<TABLE WIDTH="100%" BORDER=0>
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<TR><TD><FONT SIZE=+1><I>Human Depravity.</I></FONT></TD>
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<TD ALIGN=RIGHT><FONT SIZE=-1> <! -- Date --> </FONT></TD></TR>
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<TR><TD COLSPAN=2><HR SIZE=1></TD></TR>
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</TABLE>
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<CENTER>
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<P>To the chief musician. A psalm of David.</P>
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</CENTER>
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<P>
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<FONT SIZE=+1>1 The fool hath
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said in his heart, <I>There is</I> no God. They are corrupt, they have
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done abominable works, <I>there is</I> none that doeth good.
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2 The L<FONT SIZE=-1><B>ORD</B></FONT> looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to
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see if there were any that did understand, <I>and</I> seek God.
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3 They are all gone aside, they are <I>all</I> together become
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filthy: <I>there is</I> none that doeth good, no, not one.
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</FONT></P>
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<P>
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If we apply our hearts as Solomon did
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ec+7:25">Eccl. vii. 25</A>)
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<I>to search out the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness and
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madness,</I> these verses will assist us in the search and will show us
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that sin is exceedingly sinful. Sin is the disease of mankind, and it
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appears here to be malignant and epidemic.</P>
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<P>
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1. See how malignant it is
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ps+14:1"><I>v.</I> 1</A>)
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in two things:--</P>
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<P>
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(1.) The contempt it puts upon the honour of God: for there is
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something of practical atheism at the bottom of all sin. <I>The fool
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hath said in his heart, There is no God.</I> We are sometimes tempted
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to think, "Surely there never was so much atheism and profaneness as
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there is in our days;" but we see the former days were no better; even
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in David's time there were those who had arrived at such a height of
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impiety as to deny the very being of a God and the first and
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self-evident principles of religion. Observe,
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[1.] The sinner here described. He is one that <I>saith in his heart,
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There is no God;</I> he is an atheist. "There is no <I>Elohim,</I> no
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Judge or governor of the world, no providence presiding over the
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affairs of men." They cannot doubt of the being of God, but will
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question his dominion. He says this <I>in his heart;</I> it is not his
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judgment, but his imagination. He cannot satisfy himself that there is
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none, but he wishes there were none, and pleases himself with the fancy
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that it is possible there may be none. He cannot be sure there is one,
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and therefore he is willing to think there is none. He dares not speak
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it out, lest he be confuted, and so undeceived, but he whispers it
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secretly <I>in his heart,</I> for the silencing of the clamours of his
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conscience and the emboldening of himself in his evil ways.
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[2.] The character of this sinner. He is a fool; he is simple and
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unwise, and this is an evidence of it; he is wicked and profane, and
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this is the cause of it. Note, Atheistical thoughts are very foolish
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wicked thoughts, and they are at the bottom of a great deal of the
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wickedness that is in this world. The word of God is a <I>discerner of
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these thoughts,</I> and puts a just brand on him that harbours them.
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<I>Nabal is his name, and folly is with him;</I> for he thinks against
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the clearest light, against his own knowledge and convictions, and the
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common sentiments of all the wise and sober part of mankind. No man
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will say, <I>There is no God</I> till he is so hardened in sin that it
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has become his interest that there should be none to call him to an
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account.</P>
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<P>
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(2.) The disgrace and debasement it puts upon the nature of man.
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Sinners are corrupt, quite degenerated from what man was in his
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innocent estate: <I>They have become filthy</I>
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ps+14:3"><I>v.</I> 3</A>),
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putrid. All their faculties are so disordered that they have become
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odious to their Maker and utterly incapable of answering the ends of
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their creation. <I>They are corrupt</I> indeed; for,
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[1.] They do no good, but are the unprofitable burdens of the earth;
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they do God no service, bring him no honour, nor do themselves any real
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kindness.
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[2.] They do a great deal of hurt. <I>They have done abominable
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works,</I> for such all sinful works are. Sin is an abomination to God;
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it is that <I>abominable thing which he hates</I>
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Jer+44:4">Jer. xliv. 4</A>),
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and, sooner or later, it will be so to the sinner; it will be <I>found
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to be hateful</I>
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ps+36:2">Ps. xxxvi. 2</A>),
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an <I>abomination of desolation,</I> that is, making desolate,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Mt+24:15">Matt. xxiv. 15</A>.
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This follows upon their saying, <I>There is no God;</I> for those that
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<I>profess they know God, but in works deny him, are abominable, and to
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every good work reprobate,</I>
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Tit+1:16">Tit. i. 16</A>.</P>
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<P>
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2. See how epidemic this disease is; it has infected the whole race of
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mankind. To prove this, God himself is here brought in for a witness,
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and he is an eye-witness,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ps+14:2,3"><I>v.</I> 2, 3</A>.
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Observe,
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(1.) His enquiry: <I>The Lord looked down from heaven,</I> a place of
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prospect, which commands this lower world; thence, with an all-seeing
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eye, he took a view of all <I>the children of men,</I> and the question
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was, <I>Whether there were any</I> among them <I>that did
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understand</I> themselves aright, their duty and interests, and did
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seek God and set him before them. He that made this search was not only
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one that could find out a good man if he was to be found, though ever
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so obscure, but one that would be glad to find out one, and would be
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sure to take notice of him, as of Noah in the old world.
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(2.) The result of this enquiry,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ps+14:3"><I>v.</I> 3</A>.
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Upon search, upon his search, it appeared, <I>They have all gone
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aside,</I> the apostasy is universal, <I>there is none that doeth good,
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no, not one,</I> till the free and mighty grace of God has wrought a
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change. Whatever good is in any of the children of men, or is done by
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them, it is not of themselves; it is God's work in them. When God had
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made the world he looked upon his own work, and <I>all was very
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good</I>
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ge+1:31">Gen. i. 31</A>);
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but, some time after, he looked upon man's work, and, behold, all was
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very bad
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ge+6:5">Gen. vi. 5</A>),
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every operation of the thought of man's heart was evil, only evil, and
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that continually. They have gone aside from the right of their duty,
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the way that leads to happiness, and have turned into the paths of the
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destroyer.</P>
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<P>
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In singing this let us lament the corruption of our own nature, and see
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what need we have of the grace of God; and, since that which is born of
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the flesh is flesh, let us not marvel that we are told we must be born
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again.</P>
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<A NAME="Ps14_4"> </A>
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<A NAME="Ps14_5"> </A>
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<A NAME="Ps14_6"> </A>
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<A NAME="Ps14_7"> </A>
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<P>
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<FONT SIZE=+1>4 Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my
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people <I>as</I> they eat bread, and call not upon the L<FONT SIZE=-1><B>ORD</B></FONT>.
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5 There were they in great fear: for God <I>is</I> in the generation
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of the righteous.
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6 Ye have shamed the counsel of the poor, because the L<FONT SIZE=-1><B>ORD</B></FONT> <I>is</I>
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his refuge.
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7 Oh that the salvation of Israel <I>were come</I> out of Zion! when
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the L<FONT SIZE=-1><B>ORD</B></FONT> bringeth back the captivity of his people, Jacob shall
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rejoice, <I>and</I> Israel shall be glad.
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</FONT></P>
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<P>
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In these verses the psalmist endeavours,</P>
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<P>
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I. To convince sinners of the evil and danger of the way they are in,
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how secure soever they are in that way. Three things he shows them,
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which, it may be, they are not very willing to see--their wickedness,
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their folly, and their danger, while they are apt to believe themselves
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very wise, and good, and safe. See here,</P>
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<P>
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1. Their wickedness. This is described in four instances:--
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(1.) They are themselves <I>workers of iniquity;</I> they design it,
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they practise it, and take as much pleasure in it as ever any man did
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in his business.
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(2.) They <I>eat up God's people</I> with as much greediness <I>as they
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eat bread,</I> such an innate and inveterate enmity they have to them,
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and so heartily do they desire their ruin, because they really hate
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God, whose people they are. It is meat and drink to persecutors to be
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doing mischief; it is as agreeable to them as their necessary food.
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They eat up God's people easily, daily, securely, without either check
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of conscience when they do it or remorse of conscience when they have
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done it; as Joseph's brethren <I>cast him into a pit</I> and then
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<I>sat down to eat bread,</I>
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ge+37:24,25">Gen. xxxvii. 24, 25</A>.
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See
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Mic+3:2,3">Mic. iii. 2, 3</A>.
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(3.) They <I>call not upon the Lord.</I> Note, Those that care not for
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God's people, for God's poor, care not for God himself, but live in
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contempt of him. The reason why people run into all manner of
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wickedness, even the worst, is because they do not call upon God for
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his grace. What good can be expected from those that live without
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prayer?
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(4.) They <I>shame the counsel of the poor,</I> and upbraid them with
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making God their refuge, as David's enemies upbraided him,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ps+11:1">Ps. xi. 1</A>.
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Note, Those are very wicked indeed, and have a great deal to answer
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for, who not only shake off religion, and live without it themselves,
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but say and do what they can to put others out of conceit with it that
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are well-inclined--with the duties of it, as if they were mean,
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melancholy, and unprofitable, and with the privileges of it, as if they
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were insufficient to make a man safe and happy. Those that banter
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religion and religious people will find, to their cost, it is ill
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jesting with edged-tools and dangerous persecuting those that make God
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their refuge. <I>Be you not mockers, lest your bands be made
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strong.</I> He shows them,</P>
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<P>
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2. Their folly: <I>They have no knowledge;</I> this is obvious, for if
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they had any knowledge of God, if they did rightly understand
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themselves, and would but consider things as men, they would not be so
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abusive and barbarous as they are to the people of God.</P>
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<P>
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3. Their danger
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ps+14:5"><I>v.</I> 5</A>):
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<I>There were they in great fear.</I> There, where they ate up God's
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people, their own consciences condemned what they did, and filled them
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with secret terrors; they sweetly sucked the blood of the saints, but
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in their bowels it is turned, and become the gall of asps. Many
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instances there have been of proud and cruel persecutors who have been
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made like Pashur, <I>Magormissabibs--terrors to themselves</I> and all
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about them. Those that will not fear God perhaps may be made to fear at
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the shaking of a leaf.</P>
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<P>
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II. He endeavours to comfort the people of God,
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1. With what they have. They have God's presence
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ps+14:5"><I>v.</I> 5</A>):
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He <I>is in the generation of the righteous.</I> They have his
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protection
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ps+14:6"><I>v.</I> 6</A>):
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<I>The Lord is their refuge.</I> This is as much their security as it
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is the terror of their enemies, who may jeer them for their confidence
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in God, but cannot jeer them out of it. In the judgment-day it will add
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to the terror and confusion of sinners to see God own the generation of
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the righteous, which they have hated and bantered.
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2. With what they hope for; and that is the <I>salvation of Israel,</I>
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ps+14:7"><I>v.</I> 7</A>.
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When David was driven out by Absalom and his rebellious accomplices, he
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comforted himself with an assurance that god would in due time <I>turn
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again his captivity,</I> to the joy of all his good subjects. But
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surely this pleasing prospect looks further. He had, in the beginning
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of the psalm, lamented the general corruption of mankind; and, in the
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melancholy view of that, wishes for the salvation which should be
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wrought out by the Redeemer, who was expected <I>co come to Zion,</I>
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to <I>turn away ungodliness from Jacob,</I>
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ro+11:26">Rom. xi. 26</A>.
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The world is bad; O that the Messiah would come and change its
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character! There is a universal corruption; O for the times of
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reformation! Those will be as joyful times as these are melancholy
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ones. Then shall God <I>turn again the captivity of his people;</I> for
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the Redeemer shall <I>ascend on high, and lead captivity captive,</I>
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and Jacob shall then rejoice. The triumphs of Zion's King will be the
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joys of Zion's children. The second coming of Christ, finally to
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extinguish the dominion of sin and Satan, will be the completing of
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this salvation, which is the hope, and will be the joy, of every
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Israelite indeed. With the assurance of that we should, in singing
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this, comfort ourselves and one another, with reference to the present
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sins of sinners and sufferings of saints.</P>
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