The fool has said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that does good.
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Augustine of Hippo
AD 430
2. "The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God" (ver. 1). For not even have certain sacrilegious and abominable philosophers, who entertain perverse and false notions of God, dared to say, "There is no God." Therefore it is, hath said "in his heart;" for that no one dares to say it, even if he has dared to think it. "They are corrupt, and become abominable in their affections:" that is, whilst they love this world and love not God; these are the affections which corrupt the soul, and so blind it, that the fool can even say, "in his heart, There is no God. For as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind." "There is none that doeth goodness, no not up to one." "Up to one," can be understood either with that one, so that no man be understood: or besides one, that the Lord Christ may be excepted. As we say, This field is up to the sea; we do not of course reckon the sea together with the field. And this is the better interpretation, s...
1. What "to the end" means, must not be too often repeated. "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth;" as the Apostle saith. We believe on Him, when we begin to enter on the good road: we shall see Him, when we shall get to the end. And therefore is He the end.
Fool: the man of the most depraved morals, the atheist and deist. There have always been (Berthier) such pests of society. (Haydock)
David has refuted them again, Psalm lii. (Berthier)
Some have imagined that this psalm was composed in consequence of the blasphemies of Rabsaces, (4 Kings xviii. 32.; Theodoret) or of the Babylonians. (Calmet)
The Fathers explain it of Jesus Christ, denied by the Jews
Heart. This must be strangely corrupted, before the mouth can utter such impiety. (Haydock)
No God. Chaldean, "no power of God on earth. "Elohim denotes particularly "judges. "There have been a few philosophers who have denied the existence of God; and more who have called in question his Providence: though this amounts to the same thing. But the number of those who confess God with the mouth, and deny him by their works, is immense. (Haydock)
These live as if there were no judge. (Calmet)
By sin they come at last to think there is none to govern the world. (Worthington)
Plato (Leg....
) that they may indulge their passions. (Haydock)
My people. These we may conclude, were just; (Berthier) at least in comparison with their cruel oppressors, (Haydock) who made it their daily practice to injure them, (St. Augustine) as they could do it with facility, Numbers xix. 9., Proverbs xxx. 14., and Micheas iii. 2. (Calmet)
The prophet, in God's name, complains of their eagerness to hurt the good. (Worthington)
