Psalm 52 — The fool said in his heart, “There is no God”

^52:1^ Unto the end, understandings to David for Amalek. The fool said in his heart, “There is no God.”

^52:2^ They are corrupted, and become abominable in iniquities: there is none who does good.

^52:3^ God looked down from heaven on the children of men to see if there were any who did understand, or did seek God.

^52:4^ All have gone aside; they have become unprofitable together; there is none who does good, no not one.

^52:5^ Shall not all the workers of iniquity know, who eat up my people as they eat bread?

^52:6a^ They have not called upon God: there have they trembled for fear, where there was no fear.

^52:6b^ For God has scattered the bones of those who please men: they have been confounded, because God has despised them.

^52:7^ Who will give out of Zion the salvation of Israel? When God shall bring back the captivity of his people, Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad.

515. The fool said. Above, the psalmist condemned the iniquity of sinners from the perspective of their affection for sin; here, he condemns their iniquity from the perspective of contempt for God.

The title is unto the end, understandings to David for Amalek. His story is in 1 Samuel 27 when David, fleeing, came to Achish, king of the Philistines, who gave him the city of Ziklag, and it happened that the Amalekites, when he was gone, burned the city, but David pursued them and recovered what they had plundered.

Mystically, Christ is signified through David; and thus in the gloss it says that the Amalekites are a people who lap blood, and they signify the antichrist and his followers, who bathe in carnal desire. Flesh and blood has not revealed it to you (Matt 16:17). Therefore, their wickedness would be thus interpreted, and from this they are led to Christ.

Augustine says, for Maeleth, which means “mourning and giving birth” and signifies the Church, about which John says, a woman, when she is in labor, has sorrow (John 16:21), and so it (the psalm) stands for the tribulations that the Church endures because of the world’s evils. (Augustine, Expositions on the Psalms 52.1 (Corpus Christianorum Series Latina, 39:638).)

And this therefore is by Korah, who was one of the principle cantors; and thus this psalm was sung through his ministry.

It should also be known that this psalm is located above, as Psalm 13; but it is not the same trajectory, and not all the verses, and there it is introduced because of the first advent of Christ, whereas here it is introduced because of the advent of Christ for judgment.

And regarding this he makes two points.

First, he lays out the wickedness of sinners.

Second, he introduces divine judgment, at God looked down from heaven.

Regarding the first, he makes two points.

First, he lays out the root of evil, namely, contempt.

Second, he shows what springs from such a root, at they are corrupted.

It should be known that wisdom, if taken rightly, differs from knowledge, because wisdom is concerned with the understanding of divine things, knowledge with the understanding of human things. (Cf. ST II-II, q. 9, a. 2.) The fool has contempt for the understanding of divine things. Depart from us, we desire not the knowledge of your ways (Job 21:14). Their foolish heart was darkened (Rom 1:21).

Therefore, the fool said, that is, he showed contempt for God and the knowledge of God, and he did this in his heart—he said, “There is no God.”

On the other hand, Anselm says that no one can know that God does not exist. (Cf. Anselm, Proslogion 3.4.)

It should be said that something can be unknown to us in two ways:

in one way, because of itself;

in another way, because of us.

In the first way, those things are unknown to us that have primacy in being, like contingent things, prime matter, motion, and time. (Cf. ST I, q. 2, a. 1, resp.)

In the second way, those things are unknown to us that exceed our knowledge.

This is why I say that, were we considering God in himself, then he cannot be thought not to exist, and no proposition is more known than that whose predicate is included in the subject. God’s existence is his essence, and therefore this proposition—God is—is eminently known in itself.

But in relation to us, God’s essence is not known to us, but it is made known to us through his effects. And thus it is that he who denies some effects of God—for example, his providence over good and bad men and over all things, and the miracles of God, and that he is omnipotent—denies God, and says in his heart, because it is in everyone’s heart from God that God exists, because no one wants to be thought a fool because he says that God does not exist.

Alternatively, the fool is the Jew—understand, you senseless among the people (Ps 93:8)—because he said that Christ is not God. You, being a man, make yourself God (John 10:33).

516. They are corrupted. This is the effect of their malice. Just as fear, knowledge, and love of God is the principle of every good work, so when knowledge and love of God are taken away, a good life is entirely taken away.

And first, he shows that this follows regarding the working of evil;

second, regarding the loss of good.

There are two evils that follow.

The first is that they are corrupted. A body is corrupted through the loss of natural heat and through the removal of actual external heat.

The heat of the natural human soul is God himself; and thus as long as there is in the soul knowledge of God, the soul contains its form, which God impresses on it, namely, innocence and the divine image.

But when that heat is lost, actual heat is removed (namely the heat of concupiscence and fear), the soul is corrupted, and consequently it follows that many remove from themselves fear and love and knowledge of God and are corrupted in impurity, and thus, they are made abominable in iniquities. They became abominable, as those things were, which they loved (Hosea 9:10).

And he says iniquity, that is, because of iniquities, and they also lose the good. There is not one who does good. They are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge (Jer 4:22).

517. He looked down from heaven. Here he lays out the judgment of God.

And first, he presents a consideration of the judgment.

Second, he shows what the judge has found: all have gone aside.

Third, he adds the idea: shall they not all know?

The reason why they deny God is because they believe that because of his greatness God does not look down on what is happening. Do you not think that God is higher than heaven? And you say, “What does God know? He judges as it were through a mist. He walks about the poles of heaven, and he does not consider our things” (Job 22:12–14).

But it relates to the perfection of his wisdom that he sees all things. Who is like the Lord, who dwells on high and looks down on the low things in heaven and in earth? (Ps 112:5). And therefore, he says that the Lord looks down even from heaven; that is, he considers the sons of men from his greatness. For what is my soul in such an immense creation? (Sir 16:17). All the ways of a man are open to his eyes (Prov 16:2). From heaven the Lord has looked upon the earth (Ps 101:20).

Or, from heaven means from Christ.

Or from the soul of the just man.

He searches among the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, or seek God. The difference between God and man is that human judges search out things that are done exteriorly, but God looks into the heart. God is the searcher of hearts and reins (Ps 7:10).

518. In his heart. There are two things that should happen in relation to God:

namely, that the intellect within should be fixed on the knowledge of God,

and that the emotions should tend toward God as toward their end.

Hence he says that he looked down to see if there were any who did understand. And if one takes this as referring to the just man, he corrects him gently; but if as referring to the evil man, it is said of him that he would not understand that he might do well (Ps 35:4). Therefore, it says, or did seek God, because God is trying to make him come to him—seek the Lord, and your soul will live (Ps 68:33)—but when the Lord looks down to see this latter man, he finds great wickedness.

519. All have gone aside. First, he touches on falling away from the root;

second, on what follows from this.

And he explains this. Thus, he says that he sought, but he found that all have gone aside, they have become unprofitable together; there is none who does good. All have fallen away from the understanding of and search for God. Every one has turned aside into his own way (Isa 53:6).

From this it follows that they are unprofitable both to themselves and to others. For those who do not have love of God do not have true faith; whatever kind of good works such a man does are unprofitable for him in relation to the prize of eternal life. (Cf. ST I-II, q. 114, a. 2.) This is why he says, they have become unprofitable together—that is, they have been doing unprofitable works. If I should distribute all my goods to feed the poor . . . and have not charity, it profits me nothing (1 Cor 13:3). But you are cast out of your grave, as an unprofitable branch defiled (Isa 14:19).

And he explains how they are unprofitable: because there is none who does good, because things that do not occur in the virtue of faith and are not informed by the love of God are objectively not good. What is not of faith is dead (Rom 14:23).

And he shows that they have fallen away when he says, no, not one, that is, not even one good person can be found.

But is there not someone good somewhere?

In one way, if one takes this as referring to the company of evil men, then there is no good man.

In another way, it can be taken universally: no, not one, that is, until Christ, there is no one who is good by his own power. For it is God who works in you, both to will and to accomplish (Phil 2:13).

520. Shall not all the workers of iniquity know. Above, the psalmist depicted the judge looking down on wickedness and unprofitableness. Here he treats the sentence of judgment:

first, regarding the condemnation of the wicked;

second, regarding the salvation of the good, at who will give out of Zion the salvation of Israel?

First, he makes two points.

First, he proposes a question;

second, he reveals a proposition, at for God has scattered the bones.

Regarding the first, he makes two points.

First, he investigates the very failure to repent.

Second, he assigns the merit of the punishment, at workers of iniquity.

Regarding the first, we should consider that it frequently happens that in a state of prosperity men do not think of God, but through the punishments inflicted by God they remember that God exists—as if he were to say, “And this is necessary because of wrongdoing.” The Lord shall be known when he executes judgments (Ps 9:17).

And we have an example of this in Pharaoh: I know not the Lord (Exod 5:2). And after the punishments were inflicted, they (the Egyptians) said, let us flee from Israel, for the Lord is fighting for them against us (Exod 14:25).

It was said above that the fool said in his heart, “There is no God,” and because of this he says, shall not all the workers of iniquity know through punishments that God exists. As if to say, “They will indeed know that only God can inflict punishments.”

And this is absolutely necessary because of the wrongdoing that they committed. And they committed a double wrongdoing, namely, in deed and in desire.

Wrongdoing is the enactment of iniquity, and therefore, he says, workers of iniquity. Iniquity, properly speaking, is sin against one’s neighbor, which is opposed to equity.

He portrays this wrongdoing in exaggerated form when he says, who eat up my people as they eat bread. Bread is sustaining and delightful, so it is as if he were saying, “These men persevere with delight in their evildoing and take delight in inflicting injustices.” They have eaten the flesh of my people and their corpses, and have taken away their goods (Mic 3:3). First the king of Assyria devoured Israel (Jer 50:17).

After all this, he says about the effect, they have not called upon God. Sinners are doubly disordered in their desires:

first, through contempt of God;

second, through their disordered love for temporal things.

Regarding the first, he says, they have not called upon God for two reasons.

First, they do not believe in God: how then shall they call on him, in whom they have not believed? (Rom 10:14).

Second, they believe that they are self-sufficient: our lips are our own; who is Lord over us? (Ps 11:5).

Regarding the second, he says, there have they trembled for fear, where there was no fear, as if to say, “For this reason they feared where there was nothing to fear.”

The word there designates not a place but a cause. So Augustine says that fear is caused by love. Those men, namely evil ones, or sinners, have love only for temporal things; and therefore, they fear only temporal loss, something which ought not be feared. Fear not those who kill the body and are not able to kill the soul (Matt 10:28). And thus one should not fear the loss of temporal things, because our real good does not truly exist in them, and it is certain that if we were to cling to God, he would also give us all this: seek first the kingdom of God, and his justice, and all these things shall be added unto you (Matt 6:33).

521. For the Lord has scattered. Here he exposes the question of how correction may occur, that is, through punishment.

And he sets out a double punishment,

namely, interior

and exterior.

He lays out the first when he says, God has scattered the bones of those who please men, that is, who desire in the end to please men.

Bones means courage. And this courage is either entirely corporeal, and this is consumed by God, or it is spiritual, and this is consumed through sin.

These bones are the virtues of good men; so on the Cross, Christ’s bones were not broken, but the bones of the thieves were crushed.

But he says, those who please men. Is it wrong to please men? It seems not. Be without offense (1 Cor 10:32). The Apostle says in the same place, in all things I please all men (10:33).

It should be said that if someone wants to please another for empty glory, or to have human glory, this is wrong in those who make this their goal, because such men sin with insouciance in secret even as they please outwardly.

But sometimes someone wishes to please others in order to draw them to God, and such pleasing is meritorious and good; and this is the sense in which the Apostle wanted us to please others and thus himself pleased them.

After this interior punishment, he juxtaposes an exterior punishment: they have been confounded, because their sins have been uncovered. The heavens shall reveal his iniquity (Job 20:27), because they deceived, and because they lose the temporal things through which they thought they would have happiness. They shall be greatly confounded (Jer 20:11). Let those who persecute me be confounded (Jer 17:18).

And they shall suffer this because God has despised them. They are honored whom God loves. Your friends, O God, are made exceedingly honorable (Ps 138:17), but those whom God has despised are confounded.

522. Who will give out of Zion? Here he treats of good things.

And first, he proposes a question;

second, a response.

The question is, “Who will save Israel coming forth from Zion?” Who indeed? Christ, because salvation is of the Jews (John 4:22). Therefore, the preachers of salvation came forth from Zion, that is, from the Jews, and from David, and from Zion’s upper room, where the Apostles received the Holy Spirit; and only God will give this.

And how? When God shall bring back the captivity of his people. For God brought back his faithful people who were held in captivity, that is, in the Devil’s prison, when he released them. Bring back our captivity, O Lord (Ps 125:4).

And what will follow on this? Joy and gladness. When the Lord brought back the captivity of Zion, we became like men comforted (Ps 125:1).

But the faithful have two states, namely, sorrow and the crown; merit and reward; and there is joy in each. (Cf. ST II-II, q. 28, a. 2.)

And first is the joy of participation in grace. (Cf. ST II-II, q. 28, a. 1.) The kingdom of God is justice (Rom 14:17). And thus he says, Jacob shall rejoice. My heart has rejoiced in the Lord (1 Sam 2:1).

There is also joy in the reward, the gloss says. Everlasting joy shall be upon their heads (Isa 35:10). And thus he says, Israel shall be glad.