Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people as they eat bread: they have not called upon God.
Psalm 53 is just like Psalm 14 with the exception of a few verbal changes, one noticeable change being in the Hebrew names for God, where the name JEHOVAH occurring four times in Psalm 14 is changed for another of the divine names in Psalm 53. It belongs to psalms about the Hebrew captives' sorrows and afflictions under persecution, and their assurance of divine help and final deliverance from their persecutors. It speaks only of the Jews, of them that are under the law, and its charge against the workers of iniquity who eat up God's people as bread and have not called upon God describes the Jews, as does Paul's quotation of it in Romans 3:10-19 directed to Jews.
The fool who denies God in his heart is not only the professed atheist who openly avows disbelief in a Supreme Being. The abominably wicked workers of iniquity who have no knowledge, eat up God's people and do not call upon God show the fearful state that is the real condition of Adam's fallen race viewed in the light of God's holy law, so that the fool is he that breaks the commandments of God. Having no knowledge means those who break God's commandments and try to abolish His perfect, true and righteous law lack knowledge, understanding and even common sense, with shut eyes so they cannot see and hearts that cannot understand. A deceived heart has turned them aside so they feed on ashes and cannot deliver their soul nor see the lie in their right hand.
Lack of knowledge is displayed by teaching that the law was given to sinners in wrath to make them worse and the gospel was given to saints in love to make them better. It is displayed by teaching that the law was given to one nation while the gospel was given to all nations, making that one nation the only sinners and all nations saints. Such teaching displays lack of knowledge, since the law of the Lord is perfect for converting the soul rather than making it worse. Together with the next verse, the verse describes people who lack the fear of God that leads them to call upon him and trust in him, so that though they are in great fear, their terror has no true ground, and they are left to face coming doom.
The verse is a question God asks the people of the United States about their treatment of colored Americans. The workers of iniquity who have no knowledge are religious and irreligious Americans, especially those who honor the founders of the republic and those who profess to be disciples of Christ, who are indifferent to the welfare, improvement and advancement of black people and show aversion toward them for having skin not colored like their own. Eating up God's people as bread means maltreating and scorning free people of color and enslaving and wronging enslaved people. The verse summons the nation to answer to God for these things.
Psalm 53 is just like Psalm 14 with the exception of a few verbal changes, one noticeable change being in the Hebrew names for God, where the name JEHOVAH occurring four times in Psalm 14 is changed for another of the divine names in Psalm 53. It belongs to psalms about the Hebrew captives' sorrows and afflictions under persecution, and their assurance of divine help and final deliverance from their persecutors. It speaks only of the Jews, of them that are under the law, and its charge against the workers of iniquity who eat up God's people as bread and have not called upon God describes the Jews, as does Paul's quotation of it in Romans 3:10-19 directed to Jews.
The fool who denies God in his heart is not only the professed atheist who openly avows disbelief in a Supreme Being. The abominably wicked workers of iniquity who have no knowledge, eat up God's people and do not call upon God show the fearful state that is the real condition of Adam's fallen race viewed in the light of God's holy law, so that the fool is he that breaks the commandments of God. Having no knowledge means those who break God's commandments and try to abolish His perfect, true and righteous law lack knowledge, understanding and even common sense, with shut eyes so they cannot see and hearts that cannot understand. A deceived heart has turned them aside so they feed on ashes and cannot deliver their soul nor see the lie in their right hand.
Lack of knowledge is displayed by teaching that the law was given to sinners in wrath to make them worse and the gospel was given to saints in love to make them better. It is displayed by teaching that the law was given to one nation while the gospel was given to all nations, making that one nation the only sinners and all nations saints. Such teaching displays lack of knowledge, since the law of the Lord is perfect for converting the soul rather than making it worse. Together with the next verse, the verse describes people who lack the fear of God that leads them to call upon him and trust in him, so that though they are in great fear, their terror has no true ground, and they are left to face coming doom.
The verse is a question God asks the people of the United States about their treatment of colored Americans. The workers of iniquity who have no knowledge are religious and irreligious Americans, especially those who honor the founders of the republic and those who profess to be disciples of Christ, who are indifferent to the welfare, improvement and advancement of black people and show aversion toward them for having skin not colored like their own. Eating up God's people as bread means maltreating and scorning free people of color and enslaving and wronging enslaved people. The verse summons the nation to answer to God for these things.