서론
無標題
英文原文
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
人的敗壞
交與伶長。大衛的詩。
¹ 愚頑人心裏說：沒有神。他們都是邪惡，行了可憎惡的事；沒有一個人行善。 ² 耶和華從天上垂看世人，要看有明白的沒有，有尋求神的沒有。 ³ 他們都偏離正路，一同變為污穢；沒有行善的，連一個也沒有。
我們若像所羅門那樣專心察明邪惡就是愚妄，甚至愚妄就是狂妄（傳七25），這些經文必幫助我們在這察考上，並向我們顯明罪是極其邪惡的。罪是人類的疾病，此處顯明它是惡性的，也是流行性的。
- 當看它是何等惡性（詩十四1），在兩件事上：
（1）它對神的榮耀所加的輕蔑：因為一切罪的底部都有某種實際的無神論。愚頑人心裏說：沒有神。我們有時受試探想：「從前必定沒有像我們這時代這麼多的無神論與褻瀆」；但我們看見從前的日子並不更好；即使在大衛的時代，也有人已經高升到如此不敬虔的地步，竟否認神的存在，否認宗教首要而自明的原則。當留意：〔一〕此處所描述的罪人。他就是那心裏說沒有神的人；他是個無神論者。「沒有以羅欣，沒有世界的審判官或治理者，沒有掌管人事的護理。」他們不能懷疑神的存在，卻要質疑他的統治。他在心裏如此說；這不是他的判斷，而是他的想像。他不能使自己確信沒有神，卻巴不得沒有神，並以為可能沒有神的幻想自娛。他不能確定有一位，所以他樂意認為沒有。他不敢明說出來，免得被駁倒、便不再受欺騙，卻在心裏暗暗耳語——為要止息他良心的喧嚷，並壯大自己在惡道上的膽量。〔二〕這罪人的品格。他是個愚頑人；他是無知無識的，這便是證據；他是邪惡褻瀆的，這便是根源。當注意：無神論的思想是非常愚拙邪惡的思想，它們是世上許多邪惡的根源。神的道能辨明這些思想，並給那心存此念的人貼上公道的標籤。他的名叫拿八，他為人果然愚頑；因為他違背最清楚的光、違背自己的知識與信念、並違背一切智慧清醒之人的共同見解而思想。除非一個人在罪中剛硬到一個地步，使無神成了他的利益所在——免得有神來追討他——否則無人會說沒有神。
（2）它對人的本性所加的羞辱與貶損。罪人是敗壞的，完全從人在無辜狀態中的樣式墮落了：他們變為污穢（詩十四3），原文為腐爛。他們一切的功能如此紊亂，以致在造他們的主面前成為可憎，完全不能達成他們受造的目的。他們誠然敗壞了；因為：〔一〕他們不行善，只是地上無用的重擔；他們不事奉神，不帶榮耀給他，也不為自己作任何真正的善事。〔二〕他們行許多害處。他們行了可憎惡的事，因為一切罪的作為都是如此。罪在神眼中是可憎的；它是他所恨惡的那可憎之事（耶四十四4），遲早對罪人自己也要成為如此；它必被顯為可恨（詩三十六2），是那行毀壞可憎的——就是使地荒涼的（太二十四15）。這是他們說沒有神之後緊接而來的；因為那些宣稱認識神，卻在行為上否認他的人，本是可憎的，在各樣善事上是可廢棄的（多一16）。
- 當看這病是何等流行；它已經感染了全人類。為證明這事，神自己在此被引為見證人，且是親眼看見的見證人（詩十四2、3）。當留意：（1）他的考察：耶和華從天上垂看——那是一處可瞭望的地方，俯瞰這下面的世界；從那裏他以洞察一切的眼目察看了一切世人，問題是：在他們中間有沒有一個明白的——明白自己和自己的本分與利益，並尋求神、將神擺在自己面前的。那作這考察的，不僅是一位只要有一個好人便無論多隱蔽也能尋見的，更是一位樂意尋見一個、並必定留意他的人——正如在古時的世界留意挪亞那樣。（2）這考察的結果（詩十四3）。經考察——經他考察之後，顯明他們都偏離了正路，背道是普遍的，沒有行善的，連一個也沒有——直到神白白而大能的恩典造成了改變。在人類任何兒女裏面、或由他們所作的任何善，都不是出於他們自己；乃是神在他們裏面的工作。當神造了世界，他觀看自己的工作，都甚好（創一31）；但不久之後，他觀看人的工作，不料，全都甚為敗壞（創六5）——人心中一切思想的作為盡都是惡，只有惡，而且終日如此。他們偏離了當盡之義的正路——那引到幸福的路——轉入了滅亡者的途徑。
唱此詩之時，我們當為自己本性的敗壞哀歎，並看見自己是何等需要神的恩典；既然從肉身生的就是肉身，我們就不可希奇，當我們被告知必須重生之時。
⁴ 作孽的都沒有知識嗎？他們吞吃我的百姓如同吃飯一樣，並不求告耶和華。 ⁵ 他們在那裏大大地害怕；因為神在義人的族類中。 ⁶ 你們叫困苦人的謀算變為羞辱；因為耶和華是他的避難所。 ⁷ 但願以色列的救恩從錫安而出！耶和華救回他被擄的子民那時，雅各要快樂，以色列要歡喜。
在這些經文中，詩人竭力：
一、使罪人確信他們所行之道的邪惡與危險，無論他們在那道上多麼安穩。他向他們指出三件事——這也許是他們不太情願看見的——他們的邪惡、他們的愚妄、他們的危險；而他們卻傾向於相信自己是智慧、善良、安全的。在此當看：
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他們的邪惡。這由四個事例描述：（1）他們自己是作孽的人；他們圖謀罪惡、實行罪惡，並如人從事自己的本行那樣從中取樂。（2）他們吞吃神的百姓如同吃飯那樣貪婪——他們對百姓懷有如此根深蒂固的敵意，如此真心渴望他們的毀滅，因為他們實在恨惡那百姓所屬的神。逼迫者以行惡為飲食；這對他們而言正如日常所需的食物一般合宜。他們吞吃神的百姓，輕易地、日日如此、安然地——行時沒有良心的責備，行之後也沒有良心的懊悔；正如約瑟的兄弟把他丟在坑裏，然後坐下吃飯（創三十七24、25）。見彌三2、3。（3）他們不求告耶和華。當注意：那些不顧神百姓的人，不顧神的窮人的人，也不顧神自己，反倒活在輕蔑他之中。人之所以陷於各樣邪惡之中——甚至最壞的邪惡——原因乃是他們不求告神賜恩。從那些活在無禱告之中的人，還能期望甚麼良善呢？（4）他們使困苦人的謀算變為羞辱，並嘲笑他們以神為避難所，正如大衛的仇敵嘲笑他那樣（詩十一1）。當注意：那些不僅自己拋棄宗教、活在無宗教之中，更竭其所能使那些心存善意的人對宗教生厭的人——對宗教的本分生厭，彷彿那些本分是卑微、憂鬱、無益的，又對宗教的特權生厭，彷彿那些特權不足以使人安全快樂——這樣的人實在非常邪惡，將要大大交賬。那些戲弄宗教與虔誠之人的人，終必發現，拿利器開玩笑是危險的，逼迫那以神為避難所的人也是危險的。*你們不要褻慢，恐怕你們的捆鎖反更結實。*他向他們指出：
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他們的愚妄：他們都沒有知識；這是顯而易見的，因為他們若對神有任何認識，若正確地認識自己，並肯像人那樣思想，便不會對神的百姓如此虐待、如此野蠻。
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他們的危險（詩十四5）：*他們在那裏大大地害怕。*在那裏——他們吞吃神百姓之處——他們自己的良心責備他們所作的，並使他們充滿隱秘的恐懼；他們甜甜蜜蜜地吸吮聖徒的血，但那血在他們腹中變質，成了毒蛇的苦膽。曾有許多驕傲殘忍的逼迫者，被弄得像巴施戶珥一樣——四面驚嚇——成了自己與周圍一切人的驚嚇。那些不肯敬畏神的人，也許會因葉子的搖動而被驚嚇。
二、他竭力安慰神的百姓：1. 以他們所擁有的安慰。他們有神的同在（詩十四5）：他在義人的族類中。他們有他的保護（詩十四6）：耶和華是他們的避難所。這既是他們的安全，也是他們仇敵的驚嚇——仇敵可以嘲笑他們對神的信靠，卻不能以嘲笑把他們從中趕出。在審判的日子，看見神承認義人的族類——他們所恨惡、所嘲笑的那族類——必加增罪人的恐懼與混亂。2. 以他們所盼望的安慰；那就是以色列的救恩（詩十四7）。當大衛被押沙龍和他同謀叛亂的人驅逐之時，他以神必按時救回他被擄的人、使一切良善的臣民歡喜這確據來安慰自己。但這令人欣喜的展望，必是看得更遠的。他在本篇起頭曾哀歎人類普遍的敗壞；在那憂鬱的景象中，他渴望那要由救贖主所成就的救恩——他正是所期望來到錫安、要消除雅各家一切不虔敬的那位（羅十一26）。世界是敗壞的；願彌賽亞來改變它的性情！敗壞是普遍的；願改革的日子臨到！那將是令人歡喜的日子，正如如今這些是憂鬱的日子一般。那時神必救回他被擄的子民；因為救贖主必升上高天、擄掠了仇敵，雅各也必因此而歡喜。錫安君王的得勝，必成為錫安兒女的喜樂。基督的第二次再來——最終撲滅罪與撒但的統治——必成全這救恩，這救恩是每一個真以色列人所盼望的，也必是他們的喜樂。我們唱此詩之時，當帶著這確據，因罪人現今的罪惡與聖徒現今的苦難，彼此安慰，也安慰自己。
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.
本篇詩篇究竟於何時寫成，並無明顯線索，甚至是否為某特定事件而作亦未可知。有人說是大衛在掃羅逼迫他時所寫；也有人說是押沙龍背叛他時所作。然而這些不過是揣測，尚無足夠確定性使我們可據此來解釋本篇。使徒在引用本篇部分內容（羅 3:10 等）以證明猶太人與外邦人都在罪之下（羅 3:9），以及普世在神面前都有罪（羅 3:19）之時，引導我們從總體上將其理解為對人性敗壞的描繪——即我們在母腹中懷胎出生時所沾染之罪的邪惡，以及大部分人類，甚至那臥在惡者手下的世界（約一 5:19）那可悲的腐敗。然而正如那些旨在揭示我們在基督裡得蒙救治的詩篇中，通常會影射大衛本人，其中有些經文首先要從他身上來理解（如詩 2:1-12、16:1-11、22:1-31 等）；照樣，這篇旨在揭示我們因罪受傷的詩篇，也影射了大衛的仇敵與逼迫者，以及當時其他壓迫敬虔人之輩，其中有些經文是直接針對他們而發。從第三篇到本篇之間所有的詩篇中（除第八篇外），大衛一直訴苦那些恨惡他、逼迫他、侮辱他、苦待他的人；如今在此，他追溯這一切苦水直到其源頭——本性普遍的敗壞——並看見不僅他的仇敵，而是全人類都同樣敗壞。本篇內容為：一、對邪惡世界所提出的控告（詩 14:1）。二、對該控告的證明（詩 14:2-3）。三、基於此對罪人，特別是逼迫者的嚴正質問（詩 14:4-6）。四、為以色列得拯救的信心祈禱，並歡然期待其實現（詩 14:7）。