Psalms 14:1

“The fool hath said in his heart, etc.] This is to be understood not of a single individual person, as Nabal, which is the word here used; nor of some Gentile king, as Sennacherib, or Rabshakeh his general, as Theodoret; nor of Nebuchadnezzar, nor of Titus, as some Jewish writers f222 interpret it, making one to be here intended, and the other in the fifty third psalm: the same with this; but of a body, a set of men, who justly bear this character; and design not such who are idiots, persons void of common sense and understanding; but such who are fools in their morals, without understanding in spiritual things; wicked profligate wretches, apostates from God, alienated from the life of God;…”

“The practical atheism and total and universal depravity of the wicked, with their hatred to the good, are set forth. Yet, as they dread God's judgments when He vindicates His people, the Psalmist prays for His delivering power. (Psa 14:1-7) Sinners are termed "fools," because they think and act contrary to right reason (Gen 34:7; Jos 7:15; Psa 39:8; Psa 74:18, Psa 74:22). in his heart--to himself (Gen 6:12).”

“The fool - The word “fool” is often used in the Scriptures to denote a wicked man - as sin is the essence of folly. Compare Job 2:10; Psalms 74:18; Genesis 34:7; Deuteronomy 22:21. The Hebrew word is rendered “vile person” in Isaiah 32:5-6. Elsewhere it is rendered “fool, foolish,” and “foolish man.” It is designed to convey the idea that wickedness or impiety is essential folly, or to use a term in describing the wicked which will, perhaps, more than any other, make the mind averse to the sin - for there is many a man who would see more in the word “fool” to be hated than in the word “wicked;” who would rather be called a “sinner” than a “fool.” Hath said - That is, has “thought,” for the…”

“The fool - The wicked man. Good - That is, actions really good or pleasing to God. Psalms 14:2”

“Ps 14 This wisdom psalm contains some characteristics of lament and prophetic speech. The ideals of Ps 8 have run aground on the reality of foolish human attitudes and sinful actions. With the exception of vv 5-6, this psalm parallels Ps 53. 14:1-3 Paul uses phrases from the Greek translation of this passage in his description of the depravity of all people (Rom 3:10-12). 14:1 Also known as fools, the wicked speak to themselves, think, scheme (10:4, 6, 11), and make claims; however, because they do not heed God’s revelation, they possess no understanding (14:1; 39:8; 53:1; 74:18, 22).”

“fool: Psa 73:3, Psa 92:6, Psa 107:17; Sa1 25:25; Pro 1:7, Pro 1:22, Pro 13:19, Pro 27:22; Luk 12:20 no: Psa 10:4 \*marg. Psa 52:1-6; Job 22:13; Rom 1:28; Eph 2:12 They are: Psa 36:1-4, Psa 94:4-8; Gen 6:5, Gen 6:11, Gen 6:12; Isa 1:4 abominable: Job 15:16; Mat 12:34, Mat 15:19; Joh 3:19, Joh 3:20; Rom 1:21-32; Tit 1:16, Tit 3:3; Rev 21:8 there: Rom 3:10-12; Eph 2:1-3 Psalms 14:2”

“The perfect אמר, as in Psa 1:1; Psa 10:3, is the so-called abstract present (Ges. 126, 3), expressing a fact of universal experience, inferred from a number of single instances. The Old Testament language is unusually rich in epithets for the unwise. The simple, פּתי, and the silly, כּסיל, for the lowest branches of this scale; the fool, אויל, and the madman, הולל, the uppermost. In the middle comes the notion of the simpleton or maniac, נבל - a word from the verbal stem נבל which, according as that which forms the centre of the group of consonants lies either in נב (Genesis S. 636), or in בל (comp. אבל, אול, אמל, קמל), signifies either to be extended, to relax, to become frail, to wither,…”