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It does not appear upon what occasion this psalm was penned nor whether upon any particular occasion. Some say David penned it when Saul persecuted him; others, when Absalom rebelled against him. But they are mere conjectures, which have not certainty enough to warrant us to expound the psalm by them. The apostle, in quoting part of this psalm (Ro 3:10, etc.) to prove that Jews and Gentiles are all under sin (Ro 3:9) and that all the world is guilty before God (Ro 3:19), leads us to understand it, in general, as a description of the depravity of human nature, the sinfulness of the sin we are conceived and born in, and the deplorable corruption of a great part of mankind, even of the world that lies in wickedness, 1Jo 5:19. But as in those psalms which are designed to discover our remedy in Christ there is commonly an allusion to David himself, yea, and some passages that are to be understood primarily of him (as in Ps 2:1-12,16:1-11,22:1-31, and others), so in this psalm, which is designed to discover our wound by sin, there is an allusion to David's enemies and persecutors, and other oppressors of good men at that time, to whom some passages have an immediate reference. In all the psalms from the 3rd to this (except the 8th) David had been complaining of those that hated and persecuted him, insulted him and abused him; now here he traces all those bitter streams to the fountain, the general corruption of nature, and sees that not his enemies only, but all the children of men, were thus corrupted. Here is, I. A charge exhibited against a wicked world, Ps 14:1. II. The proof of the charge, Ps 14:2,3. III. A serious expostulation with sinners, especially with persecutors, upon it, Ps 14:4-6. IV. A believing prayer for the salvation of Israel and a joyful expectation of it, Ps 14:7.
1-7
Human Depravity
简体中文
人的败坏
大卫的诗，交与伶长。
¹ 愚顽人心里说：没有神。他们都是邪恶，行了可憎恶的事，没有一个人行善。
² 耶和华从天上垂看世人，要看有明白的没有，有寻求神的没有。
³ 他们都偏离正路，一同变为污秽；并没有行善的，连一个也没有。
我们若像所罗门那样（传7:25）专心查考邪恶的愚妄，就是愚昧和狂妄，这些经文将帮助我们查考，并要向我们显明罪是极其有罪的。罪是人类的疾病，在此显为恶性且是流行的。
- 看它是何等恶性（诗14:1），在两件事上：
（1）它对神之尊荣的藐视：因为一切罪的根底都有某种实际的无神论。愚顽人心里说：没有神。我们有时受试探想："必是从前没有像我们这时代这样多的无神论与亵渎"；但我们看见从前的日子并不更好；即便在大卫的时代，也已有人到了如此不敬虔的高度，竟否认神的存在，并否认宗教首要而自明的原则。当留意：〔1〕此处所描述的罪人。他是那心里说：没有神的人；他是无神论者。"没有以罗欣，没有审判者，没有世界的治理者，没有掌管人事的护理。"他们不能怀疑神的存在，却要质疑他的统治。他在心里如此说；这不是他的判断，而是他的想象。他不能使自己确信没有神，却愿没有神，并以此幻想自娱——或许可能没有神。他不能确知有一位，所以宁肯以为没有。他不敢明说，怕被驳倒、被唤醒，却在心里秘密低语，为要止息良心的控告，并壮胆行恶。〔2〕这罪人的特征。他是愚顽人——他简单而不智，这正是其证据；他邪恶而亵渎，这正是其原因。当知：无神论的思想是非常愚昧的恶念，它们是世界中大量罪恶的根底。神的话语辨别这些思想，并给那心怀此念的人贴上公正的标签。拿八是他的名，愚妄与他同在；因为他在最明显的光亮中思想——违背自己的知识与确信，违背一切智慧清醒之人的共识。没有人会说没有神，直到他在罪中刚硬到这样的地步，以至于他的利益成了没有神来追讨他。
（2）它对人性所加的羞辱与贬低。罪人已经败坏，完全偏离了人在无罪状态中的本相：他们变为污秽（诗14:3）——腐臭的。他们一切官能都如此失序，以致成为造他们之主所憎恶的，完全无力达成受造的目的。他们实在败坏了；因为：〔1〕他们不作善事，是地上无益的重担；他们不事奉神，不尊荣他，对自己也无任何真正的善行。〔2〕他们行许多害事。他们行了可憎恶的事——因为一切罪的工都是可憎的。罪是神所憎恶的；那是他所恨恶的可憎之事（耶44:4），或迟或早，它对罪人也必如此；它必显为可恨（诗36:2），是那行毁坏可憎的——即带来荒凉的（太24:15）。这是接着他们说没有神而来的；因为那些说是认识神，行事却与他相背的人，本是可憎恶的，在各样善事上是可废弃的（多1:16）。
- 看这疾病是何等流行；它已感染了全人类。为证明这一点，神自己被请来作见证，他是目击证人（诗14:2-3）。当留意：（1）他的查考：耶和华从天上垂看——从那统管这下方世界的瞭望之处；他以无所不见的眼目从那里察看一切世人，问题是：他们中有明白的没有——有明白自己本分与利益的，并寻求神、把神摆在面前的。进行这查考的，不仅是一位能找出善人——无论他藏得多深——的，更是一位乐意找出善人、并必留意他的，正如古时世界中的挪亚。（2）查考的结果（诗14:3）。经过查考——经过他的查考——显明：他们都偏离——背叛是普遍的，没有行善的，连一个也没有——直到神白白而大能的恩典带来改变。在人的一切子孙中，无论有何善，或行何善，都不是出于他们自己；那是神在他们里的工作。当神造了世界，他看自己的工，都甚好（创1:31）；但不久之后，他看人的工，见一切都甚坏（创6:5）——人心中一切思想的尽都是恶，只有恶，而且终日如此。他们偏离了本分的正路——那引到幸福的路——而转入毁灭者的道中。
我们唱此诗时，当哀叹自己本性的败坏，并看见我们何等需要神的恩典；既然从肉身生的就是肉身，我们听见必须重生就不要希奇。
⁴ 作孽的都没有知识吗？他们吞吃我的百姓如同吃饭一样，并不求告耶和华。
⁵ 他们在那里大大地害怕，因为神在义人的族类中。
⁶ 你们叫困苦人的谋算变为羞辱，因为耶和华是他的避难所。
⁷ 但愿以色列的救恩从锡安而出！耶和华救回他被掳的子民，那时雅各要快乐，以色列要欢喜。
在这些经文里，诗人尽力——
一、使罪人信服自己所行之道是恶的、是危险的——无论他们在这道上何等安稳。他向他们指出三件事——他们或许不太愿意见的——他们的恶、他们的愚、他们的险境，而他们却惯于自认智慧、善良、安稳。请看：
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他们的恶。这以四例描述：（1）他们自己就是作孽的人；他们图谋罪、实行罪，并以此事为乐，如同别人以本业为乐。（2）他们吞吃神的百姓，如同吃饭一样那样贪馋——他们对他们怀着如此天然而根深蒂固的敌意，如此由衷地愿他们灭亡，因为他们实在恨那百姓所属的神。逼迫者以行恶为饮食；这事于他们如同日常所需的食物。他们吞吃神的百姓——轻易地、日常地、安然地——既行时无良心拦阻，行后也无良心懊悔；正如约瑟的兄弟们把他丢在坑里，然后坐下吃饭（创37:24-25）。参弥3:2-3。（3）他们不求告耶和华。当知：那不顾神百姓、不顾神穷人的，也不顾神自己，反倒轻蔑地活着。人之所以陷入各样恶事，甚至最坏的恶，是因为他们不求告神赐恩典。从那些活着不祷告的人身上，能期望什么善呢？（4）他们使困苦人的谋算变为羞辱，并讥笑他们以神为避难所，如大卫的仇敌讥笑他（诗11:1）。当知：那些不仅自己抛弃信仰、活着无信仰，更尽力叫那有志于信仰的人对它失味的人——对信仰的本分讥笑，仿佛它们卑微、忧郁、无益；对信仰的特权讥笑，仿佛它们不足以使人安全快乐——这样的人实在是极其邪恶，要担当许多罪责。那戏耍信仰与信徒的人，终必发觉戏弄利刃并非小事，逼迫那以神为避难所的人也甚危险。*你们不要亵慢，恐怕你们的捆锁更紧。*他向他们指出：
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他们的愚：他们都没有知识；这是显然的，因为若他们有任何关于神的知识，若他们正当认识自己，并按人的样子思想万事，他们就不会如此虐待并野蛮地对待神的百姓。
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他们的险境（诗14:5）：*他们在那里大大地害怕。*在那里——他们吞吃神百姓之处——他们自己的良心定他们所行的为有罪，并以隐密的恐惧充满他们；他们甘甜地吮吸圣徒的血，但在他们腹中却变为茵陈，成了毒蛇的胆汁。骄傲残忍的逼迫者，有许多被弄成像帕施户尔——四处惊吓自己的人——一样的实例。那不愿敬畏神的人，或许被一片叶子被风吹动所惊吓。
二、他尽力安慰神的百姓。1. 以他们所有的。他们有神的同在（诗14:5）：他在义人的族类中。他们有他的保护（诗14:6）：耶和华是他的避难所。这既是他们的安稳，也是他们仇敌的恐惧——仇敌可以讥笑他们对神的信靠，却不能讥笑掉这信靠。在审判之日，看见神承认那曾被他们所恨所讥笑的义人之族类，必加增罪人的恐惧与混乱。2. 以他们所盼望的；那就是以色列的救恩（诗14:7）。当大卫被押沙龙和他的叛党逐出时，他以确信自慰——神必在所定之时救回他被掳的，叫他一切良善的臣民喜乐。但 surely 这可喜的展望看得更远。他在诗的起首哀叹了人类普遍的败坏；在那忧郁的景象中，他愿望那要由救赎主所成就的救恩——他必来到锡安，要消除雅各家的一切不虔（罗11:26）。世界是坏的；哦，愿弥赛亚来改变它的性情！普遍败坏啊；哦，愿改革的时日来到！那些时日必如同这些时日一般忧郁一样地喜乐。那时神必救回他被掳的子民；因为救赎主必升上高处，掳掠了被掳的；那时雅各必快乐。锡安之王的得胜，就是锡安儿女的喜乐。基督第二次再来，最终熄灭罪与撒但的权势，将是这救恩的成全——这救恩是每一个真以色列民的盼望，也将是他的喜乐。我们唱此诗时，当以此为安慰自己和彼此的依据——针对罪人现今的罪、圣徒现今的苦。
英文原文
Human Depravity
To the chief musician. A psalm of David.
¹ The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.
² The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God.
³ They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
If we apply our hearts as Solomon did (Ec 7:25) to search out the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness and madness, these verses will assist us in the search and will show us that sin is exceedingly sinful. Sin is the disease of mankind, and it appears here to be malignant and epidemic.
1. See how malignant it is (Ps 14:1) in two things:—
(1.) The contempt it puts upon the honour of God: for there is something of practical atheism at the bottom of all sin. The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. We are sometimes tempted to think, "Surely there never was so much atheism and profaneness as there is in our days;" but we see the former days were no better; even in David's time there were those who had arrived at such a height of impiety as to deny the very being of a God and the first and self-evident principles of religion. Observe, [1.] The sinner here described. He is one that saith in his heart, There is no God; he is an atheist. "There is no Elohim, no Judge or governor of the world, no providence presiding over the affairs of men." They cannot doubt of the being of God, but will question his dominion. He says this in his heart; it is not his judgment, but his imagination. He cannot satisfy himself that there is none, but he wishes there were none, and pleases himself with the fancy that it is possible there may be none. He cannot be sure there is one, and therefore he is willing to think there is none. He dares not speak it out, lest he be confuted, and so undeceived, but he whispers it secretly in his heart, for the silencing of the clamours of his conscience and the emboldening of himself in his evil ways. [2.] The character of this sinner. He is a fool; he is simple and unwise, and this is an evidence of it; he is wicked and profane, and this is the cause of it. Note, Atheistical thoughts are very foolish wicked thoughts, and they are at the bottom of a great deal of the wickedness that is in this world. The word of God is a discerner of these thoughts, and puts a just brand on him that harbours them. Nabal is his name, and folly is with him; for he thinks against the clearest light, against his own knowledge and convictions, and the common sentiments of all the wise and sober part of mankind. No man will say, There is no God till he is so hardened in sin that it has become his interest that there should be none to call him to an account.
(2.) The disgrace and debasement it puts upon the nature of man. Sinners are corrupt, quite degenerated from what man was in his innocent estate: They have become filthy (Ps 14:3), putrid. All their faculties are so disordered that they have become odious to their Maker and utterly incapable of answering the ends of their creation. They are corrupt indeed; for, [1.] They do no good, but are the unprofitable burdens of the earth; they do God no service, bring him no honour, nor do themselves any real kindness. [2.] They do a great deal of hurt. They have done abominable works, for such all sinful works are. Sin is an abomination to God; it is that abominable thing which he hates (Jer 44:4), and, sooner or later, it will be so to the sinner; it will be found to be hateful (Ps 36:2), an abomination of desolation, that is, making desolate, Mt 24:15. This follows upon their saying, There is no God; for those that profess they know God, but in works deny him, are abominable, and to every good work reprobate, Tit 1:16.
2. See how epidemic this disease is; it has infected the whole race of mankind. To prove this, God himself is here brought in for a witness, and he is an eye-witness, Ps 14:2,3. Observe, (1.) His enquiry: The Lord looked down from heaven, a place of prospect, which commands this lower world; thence, with an all-seeing eye, he took a view of all the children of men, and the question was, Whether there were any among them that did understand themselves aright, their duty and interests, and did seek God and set him before them. He that made this search was not only one that could find out a good man if he was to be found, though ever so obscure, but one that would be glad to find out one, and would be sure to take notice of him, as of Noah in the old world. (2.) The result of this enquiry, Ps 14:3. Upon search, upon his search, it appeared, They have all gone aside, the apostasy is universal, there is none that doeth good, no, not one, till the free and mighty grace of God has wrought a change. Whatever good is in any of the children of men, or is done by them, it is not of themselves; it is God's work in them. When God had made the world he looked upon his own work, and all was very good (Ge 1:31); but, some time after, he looked upon man's work, and, behold, all was very bad (Ge 6:5), every operation of the thought of man's heart was evil, only evil, and that continually. They have gone aside from the right of their duty, the way that leads to happiness, and have turned into the paths of the destroyer.
In singing this let us lament the corruption of our own nature, and see what need we have of the grace of God; and, since that which is born of the flesh is flesh, let us not marvel that we are told we must be born again.
⁴ Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people as they eat bread, and call not upon the LORD.
⁵ There were they in great fear: for God is in the generation of the righteous.
⁶ Ye have shamed the counsel of the poor, because the LORD is his refuge.
⁷ Oh that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion! when the LORD bringeth back the captivity of his people, Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad.
In these verses the psalmist endeavours,
I. To convince sinners of the evil and danger of the way they are in, how secure soever they are in that way. Three things he shows them, which, it may be, they are not very willing to see—their wickedness, their folly, and their danger, while they are apt to believe themselves very wise, and good, and safe. See here,
1. Their wickedness. This is described in four instances:—(1.) They are themselves workers of iniquity; they design it, they practise it, and take as much pleasure in it as ever any man did in his business. (2.) They eat up God's people with as much greediness as they eat bread, such an innate and inveterate enmity they have to them, and so heartily do they desire their ruin, because they really hate God, whose people they are. It is meat and drink to persecutors to be doing mischief; it is as agreeable to them as their necessary food. They eat up God's people easily, daily, securely, without either check of conscience when they do it or remorse of conscience when they have done it; as Joseph's brethren cast him into a pit and then sat down to eat bread, Ge 37:24,25. See Mic 3:2,3. (3.) They call not upon the Lord. Note, Those that care not for God's people, for God's poor, care not for God himself, but live in contempt of him. The reason why people run into all manner of wickedness, even the worst, is because they do not call upon God for his grace. What good can be expected from those that live without prayer? (4.) They shame the counsel of the poor, and upbraid them with making God their refuge, as David's enemies upbraided him, Ps 11:1. Note, Those are very wicked indeed, and have a great deal to answer for, who not only shake off religion, and live without it themselves, but say and do what they can to put others out of conceit with it that are well-inclined—with the duties of it, as if they were mean, melancholy, and unprofitable, and with the privileges of it, as if they were insufficient to make a man safe and happy. Those that banter religion and religious people will find, to their cost, it is ill jesting with edged-tools and dangerous persecuting those that make God their refuge. Be you not mockers, lest your bands be made strong. He shows them,
2. Their folly: They have no knowledge; this is obvious, for if they had any knowledge of God, if they did rightly understand themselves, and would but consider things as men, they would not be so abusive and barbarous as they are to the people of God.
3. Their danger (Ps 14:5): There were they in great fear. There, where they ate up God's people, their own consciences condemned what they did, and filled them with secret terrors; they sweetly sucked the blood of the saints, but in their bowels it is turned, and become the gall of asps. Many instances there have been of proud and cruel persecutors who have been made like Pashur, Magormissabibs—terrors to themselves and all about them. Those that will not fear God perhaps may be made to fear at the shaking of a leaf.
II. He endeavours to comfort the people of God, 1. With what they have. They have God's presence (Ps 14:5): He is in the generation of the righteous. They have his protection (Ps 14:6): The Lord is their refuge. This is as much their security as it is the terror of their enemies, who may jeer them for their confidence in God, but cannot jeer them out of it. In the judgment-day it will add to the terror and confusion of sinners to see God own the generation of the righteous, which they have hated and bantered. 2. With what they hope for; and that is the salvation of Israel, Ps 14:7. When David was driven out by Absalom and his rebellious accomplices, he comforted himself with an assurance that god would in due time turn again his captivity, to the joy of all his good subjects. But surely this pleasing prospect looks further. He had, in the beginning of the psalm, lamented the general corruption of mankind; and, in the melancholy view of that, wishes for the salvation which should be wrought out by the Redeemer, who was expected to come to Zion, to turn away ungodliness from Jacob, Ro 11:26. The world is bad; O that the Messiah would come and change its character! There is a universal corruption; O for the times of reformation! Those will be as joyful times as these are melancholy ones. Then shall God turn again the captivity of his people; for the Redeemer shall ascend on high, and lead captivity captive, and Jacob shall then rejoice. The triumphs of Zion's King will be the joys of Zion's children. The second coming of Christ, finally to extinguish the dominion of sin and Satan, will be the completing of this salvation, which is the hope, and will be the joy, of every Israelite indeed. With the assurance of that we should, in singing this, comfort ourselves and one another, with reference to the present sins of sinners and sufferings of saints.
本篇是因何事而作,或是否因任何特殊之事而作,均无痕迹可寻。有人说大卫是在扫罗逼迫他时所作;也有人说是在押沙龙背叛他时所作。但这都是臆测,证据不够确切,不足以借此解释本诗。使徒引用本诗的一部分(罗3:10等)以证明犹太人与外邦人都在罪之下(罗3:9)、普世的人都伏在神审判之下(罗3:19),由此引导我们将本诗笼统地理解为对人性败坏的描述——论我们成孕出生时所带的罪的恶毒,以及大部分人类、甚至那卧在恶者手下的世界(约壹5:19)那可悲的败坏。但正如那些为要显明我们在基督里之救药的诗篇中,通常暗指大卫自己,且其中有些经文首先是指着他说的(如诗2:1-12,16:1-11,22:1-31等);同样,在这篇为要显明我们因罪受创的诗篇中,也暗指大卫的仇敌与逼迫者,以及当时其他欺压善人的人,其中有些经文直接指向他们。从第三篇到本篇之间所有的诗(除第八篇外),大卫都在抱怨那些恨他逼迫他、凌辱他虐待他的人;此处他将这一切苦流追溯到源头——本性的普遍败坏——并看见不仅他的仇敌,一切人类子孙,也都如此败坏。本篇结构如下:一、对邪恶世界所发的指控(诗14:1);二、那指控的证据(诗14:2,3);三、就此对罪人、尤其是逼迫者的严肃规劝(诗14:4-6);四、为以色列救恩所发的信靠祷告与对其喜乐的期盼(诗14:7)。