Psa 14:1 | NETfull | STEP | Fools say to themselves, “There is no God.” They sin and commit evil deeds; none of them does what is right.

Psalms 14:1

1 Fools say to themselves, ^{▼▼ Heb “a fool says in his heart.” The singular is used here in a collective or representative sense; the typical fool is envisioned.} “There is no God.” ^{▼▼ “There is no God.” The statement is probably not a philosophical assertion that God does not exist, but rather a confident affirmation that God is unconcerned about how men live morally and ethically (see Ps 10:4, 11).}
They sin and commit evil deeds; ^{▼▼ Heb “they act corruptly, they make a deed evil.” The verbs describe the typical behavior of the wicked. The subject of the plural verbs is “sons of man” (v. 2). The entire human race is characterized by sinful behavior. This practical atheism – living as if there is no God who will hold them accountable for their actions – makes them fools, for one of the earmarks of folly is to fail to anticipate the long range consequences of one’s behavior.}
none of them does what is right. ^{▼▼ Heb “there is none that does good.”}