Psalms 53

Psalms 53:1-6

The progress of evil and the throwing off of God. To the chief musician, upon Mahalath: Maskil of David. The fifty-third psalm shows us the growth of the evil, both in breadth and intensity. God is here altogether thrown off, and the wicked one gathers after him a multitude of followers. The title is a peculiar and significant one: “It is prefixed to two psalms, the fifty-third and the eighty-eighth: ‘To the chief musician upon Mahalath.’ Some Hebraists have supposed it to intend that the psalm was to be accompanied by an ancient musical instrument which bore such a name; or that, being derived from ‘Machol,’ it denoted a choral song to be sung in the Levitical service. But this last interpretation would be very unsuitable to the psalms in the inscriptions of which the word occurs. Since psalm eighty-eight is the gloomiest of all the psalms, and psalm fifty-three, although having a bright border, is still also a dark picture, the signification of Mahalath, -‘sickness, sorrow,’ -which is capable of being supported by Exodus 15:26, must be retained. ‘Upon Mahalath’ signifies after a sad tone or manner, whether it be that Mahalath itself is a name for such an elegiac kind of melody, or that it was thereby designed to indicate the initial word of some popular song. So that we may regard Mahalath as equivalent to mesto, and piano, or andante.”* The best reason for this strangely sad title is found, indeed, in its mystical fitness to the psalms of which it is the inspired prefix.
“It is to be interpreted, therefore, ‘upon Sickness,’ a title of direction that the words should be accompanied by some soft, sad, melancholy flow of sound, in accord with their deeply sorrowful tone.”*
The fifty-third psalm is, for the most part, a repetition of the fourteenth; and as such has provoked various criticism. In both psalms the divine Name is found seven times; but in the former one four times it is Jehovah, while in the present Elohim (God) is used in every case. This is, of course, in keeping with the general character of the second book. In either case the sevenfold affirmation of God in the presence of the multitude of the ungodly who deny Him, surely has significance. (1) As in the fourteenth psalm, the general mass of men, and not merely Israelites, are seen to be deniers of God. As to Antichrist, the man of sin, it is said of him that “he opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshiped.” (2 Thessalonians 2:4.) And of the lawless one in Daniel, that “he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvelous things against the God of gods, . . . neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, . . . nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all” (Daniel 11:36-37). John also declares that he shall deny “the Father and the Son.” This does not prevent him honoring, instead of the true God, “the God of forces” (Daniel 11:38); even as the second “beast” of Revelation 13:1-18 (who is the same person) causes men to worship the first beast (the head of the revived Roman empire) and his image in the temple. This last -idolatry set up in the temple -is the fullest challenge to Him whose throne is there. Thus he does not abandon all worship of God openly, but uses it for his purpose, and is, of course, atheist in heart. The mass who follow him have the same character. Even the Comtist has his worship of the Grand Etre; but he knows perfectly well that this “Great Being” of Humanity is only a play of imagination, -a concession to the emotional side of his nature, and no real god. So also may the followers of the “beast” have their political god and yet be godless. Their works show what they are at heart, and that to dethrone God there is much easier than to make another. (2) All the time while they regard not God, He is regarding them. Patiently He searches among them so as to know if there be one that understands or seeks after Him. This anthropomorphism as to God is beautiful. Put it how you will, you must not believe that the living God is careless of His creatures. He will not judge hastily, or in a lump, but with careful discrimination. (3) But there is not one that can be found: they have turned aside, all of them; they have together become corrupt; none doeth good, no, not one. These statements the apostle applies, as (apart from the grace of God) they must be applied, to the whole human race. That does not show that the design here is not more limited than this. The psalm as a whole, -each psalm as a whole -has plainly indeed such a limited application; but “as in water, face answereth to face, so the heart of man to man;” and this abundantly justifies the apostle’s “no difference” doctrine. The place of the psalm in this series it is that shows the prophetic application. (4) The next verse accordingly speaks of those whom God calls His people, and who are not to be confounded with these. They are being eaten up like bread by these scornful men here depicted. Yet are these workers of vanity merely, -without knowledge, not knowing even the feebleness, which would have brought them to call upon God. (5) But the panic of their doom at last and as in a moment falls upon them; and here the present psalm turns away from the fourteenth, which speaks of the general principle, to announce, as if it were accomplished, the doom of those encamped against Jerusalem. “God hath scattered the bones of those that encamped against thee.” The feeble remnant also become the executors of divine judgment “thou hast put them to shame, because God hath despised them.” (6) The psalm ends, as the fourteenth does, with the expression of longing desire that the salvation of Israel had indeed come; and that what faith foresees and declares were already a fact in experience.