The wicked in general
In Psalm 53 we have the wicked in general, the whole mass of the
people, all, save where grace had come in. It is the same as Psalm
14, but does not speak of Jehovah, but of God, for the remnant are
no longer in the place of covenant relation. Hence here it is not
God is in the generation of the righteous, but the utter ruin of
those encamped against them — the public judgment of the external
enemies. Those who are in great fear are the ungodly Jews (see
Isaiah 33:14; Isaiah 8:12; and Isaiah 10:24). In Psalm 14 they
despised the poor who trusted in Jehovah. There they were
outwardly together. This is not so now. God has put His enemies to
shame — not the proud ungodly the poor of the flock. The desire of
the full salvation of Israel out of Zion as a centre, not merely
God's deliverance by judgment from enemies without, is then
expressed. The power which comes from heaven and destroys the
faithless oppressor, is a distinct thing from the establishment of
the result of covenant power in Zion according to promise.
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