Psalm 53

This is Psalm 14 with some minor revisions and the addition of the last two lines in verse 5. One of the sanctuary musicians revised the original psalm to fit a new occasion, perhaps the defeat of the Assyrian army in the days of King Hezekiah (v. 5; Isa. 37). It’s a good thing to adapt older songs to celebrate new experiences with the Lord. The major change is the use of Elohim (“God”) instead of Jehovah, the God of the covenant. The psalm still exposes and refutes the foolish unbelief of those who reject God. The boasting of the Assyrians is a good example.

Verse 5b describes the scattered corpses of a defeated army after God’s great victory. For a body to remain unburied was a great disgrace in the ancient Near East, even an executed criminal was supposed to have a decent burial (Deut. 21:23; see 2 Kings 23:14; Ezek. 6:5). The Lord despised the arrogance of the Assyrians and put them to open shame. So will He do to the armies of the world that oppose Him (Rev. 19:11-21).