What is the meaning of Psalm 53:3? All have turned away Psalm 53:3 opens with, “All have turned away.” • The word “all” sweeps every person into view—no exceptions (see Romans 3:12, which quotes this psalm verbatim). • Turning away pictures a deliberate pivot from the Lord’s path, echoing Isaiah 53:6, “We all like sheep have gone astray; each one has turned to his own way.” • This is not a momentary lapse but a chosen direction, the same rebellion that marked humanity before the flood (Genesis 6:5) and at Babel (Genesis 11:4). • Scripture consistently shows that apart from God’s intervention people drift, then run, from Him (Jeremiah 2:13; Ephesians 2:1–2). they have together become corrupt The verse continues, “they have together become corrupt.” • Sin is never merely personal; it spreads through families, cultures, and nations (Hosea 4:1–3; 1 Corinthians 15:33). • The phrase “together” underlines collective decay—society confirming and amplifying individual sin (Micah 7:2–4). • “Corrupt” points to moral rot, like fruit gone bad, unable to repair itself (Ephesians 4:22; Titus 1:15–16). • Even well-intentioned human systems show this corruption—laws, politics, religion—because they are shaped by fallen hearts (Psalm 14:3; Jeremiah 17:9). there is no one who does good, not even one The blunt finale reads, “there is no one who does good, not even one.” • Any goodness apart from God is at best partial and tainted (Isaiah 64:6; Ecclesiastes 7:20). • Jesus affirmed this verdict when He said, “No one is good except God alone” (Mark 10:18). • Paul cites the verse to prove universal guilt and the necessity of grace (Romans 3:10–12, 23). • The line demolishes every hope of self-salvation, preparing us to embrace Christ’s righteousness as our only rescue (Galatians 2:16; Ephesians 2:8–9). summary Psalm 53:3 stacks three sweeping charges: we have turned away, we have grown collectively corrupt, and none of us does genuine good. The verdict is universal, leaving no room for self-righteous pride. Yet by exposing the depth of our need, the verse also points us to the depth of God’s mercy—fulfilled in Jesus, who bore our corruption and offers His perfect goodness to all who believe. |
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