Psalms 53:4

"The Lord from Heaven has looked forth upon the sons of men, that He might see if there is one understanding and seeking after God" [Psalm 53:3]. What is this? "Corrupted they are," all these that say, "There is no God"? And what? Did it escape God, that they had become such? Or indeed to us would their inward thought be opened, except by Him it were told? If then He understood, if then He knew, what is this which has been said, "that He might see"? For the words are of one inquiring, of one not knowing. "God from Heaven has looked forth," etc. And as though He had found what He sought by looking upon, and by looking down from Heaven, He gives sentence: "All men have gone aside, together useless they have become: there is not one that does good, not so much as one" [Psalm 53:4]. Two questions arise somewhat difficult: for if God looks out from Heaven, in order that He may see if there is one understanding or seeking after God; there steals upon an unwise man the thought, that God knows not all things. This is one question: what is the other? If there is not one that does good, is not so much as one; who is he that travails amid bad men? The former question then is solved as follows: ofttimes the Scripture speaks in such manner, that what by the gift of God a creature does, God is said to do....For hence has been said the following also, "For the Spirit searches all things, even the depth of God;" [1 Corinthians 2:10] not because He that knows all things searches, but because to you has been given the Spirit, which makes you also to search: and that which by His own gift you do, He is said to do; because without Him you would not do it: therefore God is said to do, when you do. And because this by the gift of God you doest, God from heaven is "looking forth upon the sons of men." The former question then, according to our measure, thus has been solved.

"Shall they not know," etc. Above, the Psalmist introduced the judge looking upon iniquity and uselessness. Here he treats of the sentence of judgment. And first as to the condemnation of the wicked. Second as to the salvation of the good, at "Who shall give," …

Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge? They have no wisdom, certainly, but even so common a thing as knowledge might have restrained them. Can they not see that there is a God? that sin is an evil thing? that persecution recoils upon a man's own head? Are they such utter fools as not to know that they are their own enemies, and are ruining themselves? Who eat up my people as they eat bread.

Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge? They have no wisdom, certainly, but even so common a thing as knowledge might have restrained them. Can they not see that there is a God? that sin is an evil thing? that persecution recoils upon a man's own head? Are they such utter fools as not to know that they are their own enemies, and are ruining themselves? Who eat up my people as they eat bread. Do they not see that such food will be hard to digest, and will bring on them a horrible vomit when God deals with them in justice? Can they imagine that the Lord will allow them to devour his people with impunity? They must be insane indeed. They have not called upon God. They carry on their cruel enterprises against the saints, and use every means but that which is essential to success in every case, namely, the invocation of God. In this respect persecutors are rather more consistent than Pharisees who devoured widow's houses, and prayed too. The natural man, like Ishmael, loves not the spiritual seed, is very jealous of it, and would fain destroy it, because it is beloved of God; yet the natural man does not seek after the like favour from God. The carnal mind envies those who obtain mercy, and yet it will not seek mercy itself. It plays the dog in the manger. Sinners will out of a malicious jealousy devour those who pray, but yet they will not pray themselves.

Have the workers of iniquity - For פעלי, poaley, workers seventy-two of Kennicott’s and De Rossi’s MSS., with several ancient editions, the Chaldee, though not noticed in the Latin translation in the London Polyglot, the Syriac, Vulgate, Septuagint, Ethiopic, and the Arabic, with the Anglo-Saxon, add the word כל col, all, - All the workers of iniquity; which is the reading in the parallel place in Psa 14:1-7: It may be necessary to observe, that the Chaldee, in the Antwerp and Paris Polyglots, and in that of Justinianus, has not the word כל col, All. Have not Called upon God - אלהים Elohim; but many MSS. have יהוה Jehovah, Lord.