Psa 53:4 | KingComments | STEP | Having observed fallen humanity, David now moves on to speak of God’s people in the midst of that fallen humanity. In amazement, he wonders about the knowledge of those “who eat up My people” ( ). It seems as if these people, who have no knowledge of God and therefore no knowledge of those who are associated with Him, can do as they please, targeting in particular David’s “people”, which are God’s godly ones. The fools gorge on his people, who they eat as if they were eating bread. It should not surprise us that these wicked people act this way. They are people who do not have the slightest connection to God. They do not call upon Him, for He does not exist for them. Therefore they behave even worse than beasts, for these still cry out to God when they are hungry and God hears them. But these wicked people do not need Him because they trust in their wealth (cf. ). Then David points to the fear that controls them as a result of God’s judgment ( ). This is a second difference from Psalm 14. We find in this verse God’s judgment on the enemies of God’s people at the end of the great tribulation. This is also instruction for the understanding, the maskilim . Those who say they have no fear of God are therefore not without fear. They are “through fear of death … subject to slavery all their lives” (cf. ). For all their snobbery and boasting of their wealth and so-called wisdom, they are “in great fear [where] no fear had been” (cf. ; ; ). He describes it as if they were already wandering in fear. By faith, he actually sees where things are heading with these pruners and boasters. David sees a battlefield before him with the limbs of the assailants lying there scattered by God (cf. ; ). They are not buried, whereby they are “put to shame” by God (cf. ).

‏ Psalms 53:4

Rejected by God

Having observed fallen humanity, David now moves on to speak of God’s people in the midst of that fallen humanity. In amazement, he wonders about the knowledge of those “who eat up My people” (Psa 53:4). It seems as if these people, who have no knowledge of God and therefore no knowledge of those who are associated with Him, can do as they please, targeting in particular David’s “people”, which are God’s godly ones.

The fools gorge on his people, who they eat as if they were eating bread. It should not surprise us that these wicked people act this way. They are people who do not have the slightest connection to God. They do not call upon Him, for He does not exist for them. Therefore they behave even worse than beasts, for these still cry out to God when they are hungry and God hears them. But these wicked people do not need Him because they trust in their wealth (cf. Pro 18:11).

Then David points to the fear that controls them as a result of God’s judgment (Psa 53:5). This is a second difference from Psalm 14. We find in this verse God’s judgment on the enemies of God’s people at the end of the great tribulation. This is also instruction for the understanding, the maskilim.

Those who say they have no fear of God are therefore not without fear. They are “through fear of death … subject to slavery all their lives” (cf. Heb 2:15). For all their snobbery and boasting of their wealth and so-called wisdom, they are “in great fear [where] no fear had been” (cf. Lev 26:36; Job 15:21; Pro 28:1a). He describes it as if they were already wandering in fear. By faith, he actually sees where things are heading with these pruners and boasters.

David sees a battlefield before him with the limbs of the assailants lying there scattered by God (cf. Isa 66:24; Eze 39:11-15). They are not buried, whereby they are “put to shame” by God (cf. Isa 14:19-20).