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Gustave Doré’s engraving of David standing crowned and bowed as he mourns Absalom

Psalm 53

One of the psalms St Athanasius said to pray when people mock the idea that God cares for the world, in a letter from the 300s.

  • 6Verses
  • 1Situation

St Athanasius, Letter to Marcellinus

When to pray it

In the 300s, St Athanasius of Alexandria wrote a letter to his friend Marcellinus about praying the Psalms. In it he matched psalms to what people go through. This is what he gave this one for.

People around you mock the idea that God looks after the world, and it's starting to get to you.

When you hear people speaking against God's care for the world, don't join in their contempt. Plead with God, and say Psalms 14 and 53.

Letter to Marcellinus

For this, the quiz gives Psalm 14, and this psalm beside it.

6 verses, Berean Standard Bible

The whole psalm

Psalm 53

Its own heading For the choirmaster. According to Mahalath. A Maskil of David.

  1. 1The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt; their ways are vile. There is no one who does good.
  2. 2God looks down from heaven upon the sons of men to see if any understand, if any seek God.
  3. 3All have turned away, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.
  4. 4Will the workers of iniquity never learn? They devour my people like bread; they refuse to call upon God.
  5. 5There they are, overwhelmed with dread, where there was nothing to fear. For God has scattered the bones of those who besieged you. You put them to shame, for God has despised them.
  6. 6Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come from Zion! When God restores His captive people, let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad!

Psalm 53 is 52 in the Greek numbering Athanasius used, which Orthodox Bibles and some older Catholic ones still follow.

When the world seems upside down

Close to this

All 53 situations, in one guide.

Your turn

Which Psalm are you living right now?

A few honest taps about your life right now, and the psalm an early Church Father gave for exactly that.

  • 3 min
  • 7 questions
Start

Suggest a correction. Corrections that are applied are recorded in the public changelog.

Bible text: Berean Standard Bible, public domain. Athanasius’s advice is paraphrased from his Greek.