What is the meaning of Psalm 14:5?

There they are

• The psalmist points to a specific moment: the enemies of God’s people suddenly stand exposed (Psalm 14:4).

• It is not a vague fear; it happens “there,” in real time and space, just as Pharaoh’s army met its doom at the Red Sea (Exodus 14:26-27).

• God allows evil to run its course, then unmasks it—echoed in Psalm 37:13: “The Lord laughs, for He sees their day is coming.”

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overwhelmed with dread

• Terror grips the ungodly, not because the righteous threaten them, but because conscience finally screams (Proverbs 28:1).

• The suddenness recalls Belshazzar’s panic when God wrote on the wall (Daniel 5:5-6).

• They sense the Judge is near; Isaiah 2:19 pictures the proud “fleeing to the caves… from the terror of the LORD.”

• The righteous, by contrast, are told, “Fear not, for I am with you” (Isaiah 41:10).

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for God is in the company

• The dread has a cause: “God is with us.” As in Psalm 46:7, “The LORD of Hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.”

• His presence isn’t symbolic; He actively sides with His people, as when the fourth man walked in the furnace with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (Daniel 3:24-25).

• Jesus fulfills this promise: “I am with you always” (Matthew 28:20).

• God’s nearness turns the tables—what terrifies the wicked comforts the faithful (Psalm 23:4).

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of the righteous

• Scripture defines the righteous as those who trust the Lord and walk in His ways (Genesis 15:6; Psalm 1:6).

• They are not perfect in themselves; their standing comes from faith, foreshadowing the justification later clarified in Romans 4:3-5.

• God’s people are distinct from the world (2 Corinthians 6:16-18), so His presence with them becomes a dividing line.

• Ultimately, the righteous will shine “like the sun in their Father’s kingdom” (Matthew 13:43), while the unrepentant remain in dread.

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summary

Psalm 14:5 declares that when God openly backs His faithful ones, the wicked are seized with sudden terror. Their dread springs from realizing that the Almighty stands among the very people they despised. For believers, this verse is a promise of divine companionship and final vindication; for the unbelieving, it is a warning that opposition to God’s righteous will end in fearful judgment.