"The fool says in his heart there is no god”—this is the provocative verse that opens Psalm 14 in the Bible (ESV). This sounds harsh to modern ears. Who exactly qualifies as a fool? And why is it a sign of foolishness to say there is no God? Does it mean that atheists aren’t smart? Probably not in the way we commonly measure intelligence.
No one would make the case that British professor Stephen Hawking, a theoretical physicist, was not brilliant or wildly intelligent. And yet, according to Al Webb in The Christian Century, Hawking stated, “the concept of heaven is ‘a fairy story for people afraid of the dark.’” In response, John Lennox, an Irish mathematician and Christian apologist, countered, “Atheism is a fairy tale for people afraid of the light.” Both intelligent, successful, academically inclined men, but one rejected the idea of God and the other embraced it. Was one of them a fool?
One clue to deciphering the meaning of “the fool says in his heart there is no god” lies in Proverbs 1. King Solomon, son of Bathsheba by King David, wrote in Proverbs 1:7 words that provide the contrast that decodes the question of the fool. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.” (ESV) To fear or revere, honor, and respect the Lord is elemental to correctly understanding all else. Without this foundation, every other path becomes foolish in comparison.
Where Is the Verse “The Fool Says in His Heart” Found in the Bible?
In most English Bibles, the Book of Psalms, where this verse is found, is located dead center or at the heart of God’s Word. The sixty-six books of the Bible are written in a variety of genres, including narrative or history, gospel (which also contains parables or short teaching stories), prophecy, letters (epistles), and wisdom writings. Understanding the genre of the particular book we’re studying is key to approaching how to apply it. Wisdom literature (Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon (or Song of Songs), and sometimes Lamentations) is found in the Old Testament and is unique in its form.
The Book of Proverbs, for example, contains short, true sayings that offer practical wisdom about life. Biblical proverbs are often as amusing as they are thought-provoking, imparting wisdom but also requiring it for understanding. The Book of Proverbs (largely authored by Solomon) utilizes this short form (similar to tweets on social media) to convey nuggets of truth for wise living. Many Christians employ the spiritual practice of reading one chapter of Proverbs every day. There are thirty-one chapters so it fits beautifully into the calendar year as a means of attaining and expanding wisdom for daily living. Of course, the reader must then apply the truth revealed and live what has been read to reap the benefit.
The Book of Psalms is the ancient song book of the Israelites and is written in poetic form, a poetic form unique to Hebrew writing, utilizing techniques such as chiasms, parallelism, and Hebraic acrostics. What Psalms shares with English poetry is its focus on imagery to communicate truth. The psalms are full of rich images, metaphors, and emotional language which is why Psalms is one of the most favored books by many modern believers.
The meaning of “the fool says in his heart there is no god” can best be discerned by first reading Psalm 14 as a whole.
The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”
They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds;
there is none who does good.2 The Lord looks down from heaven on the children of man,
to see if there are any who understand,
who seek after God.3 They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt;
there is none who does good,
not even one.4 Have they no knowledge, all the evildoers
who eat up my people as they eat bread
and do not call upon the Lord?5 There they are in great terror,
for God is with the generation of the righteous.
6 You would shame the plans of the poor,
but the Lord is his refuge.7 Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!
When the Lord restores the fortunes of his people,
let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad.
Psalm 14 is nearly identical to Psalm 53. Both psalms are laments, the lament of the people of Israel crying out because the people of the world who deny God (the “fools”) visit cruelty on God’s people. Israel was frequently under siege from neighboring nations that worshipped idols. Even after they encountered the power of the Living God through Israel, while there are individuals who turned from idolatry to worship the true God (Rahab or Ruth, for instance), most stubbornly clung to the familiarity of their idols fashioned from wood and stone, usually suffering the consequences of defeat in battle by this relatively small nation.
David, the author of Psalm 14, uses the imagery of a fool, not so the Israelites would imagine they fought against unintelligent armies or to insinuate that they weren’t to be taken seriously as opponents. Instead, the imagery reminds the people that because the enemy says there is no God, no matter what victories they obtain in this life, death awaits them in the next, and the inevitability of that death turns all their choices now into those of fools.
While the Israelites may suffer in this life, they are wise to remain faithful to the Living God because then, through the Messiah, they will see eternal life and know forever they were no fools.
Who Is the “Fool” According to Scripture?
In the Bible, the “fool” was not someone of deficient intelligence, but rather this was a moral designation. Biblical fools are those who refuse to acknowledge the existence of God and so reject spiritual wisdom. These “fools” are described as frequently repeating their mistakes because they reject correction and teaching (“The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice” Proverbs 12:16 ESV).
In the Bible, the “fool” usually begins as someone who is “simple” or “naïve.” They could become wise if they received and heeded instruction. Too often, however, their folly leads them down the path of the “wicked,” and they become morally corrupt, engaging in many dangerous, destructive, or sinful activities because they are centered not on God, but on themselves.
The “fool” and the “wicked” are contrasted with the “wise” or the “righteous.” Since fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 1:7), following the Lord in obedience to His Word and receptivity to His correction and instruction leads to a life marked by righteousness and wise living. People of every intelligence level and from every walk of life can choose to become wise by following God. In fact, from James 1:5 ESV we learn, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.”
So, neither the “fool” nor the “wicked” is left without remedy, especially now that Jesus has died and risen again. People in either condition can turn from their ways (repent) and heed the call of Jesus to follow him, thereby walking the path that leads to wisdom.
The Wise Vs. the Foolish in Scripture
God’s Word isn’t subtle in demonstrating the difference between those who choose to be foolish and those who choose to be wise. Here are some examples:
- “The wise lay up knowledge, but the mouth of a fool brings ruin near” (Proverbs 10:14 ESV).
- “Doing wrong is like a joke to a fool, but wisdom is pleasure to a man of understanding” (Proverbs 10:23 ESV).
- “The vexation of a fool is known at once, but the prudent ignores an insult” (Proverbs 12:16 ESV).
- “One who is wise is cautious and turns away from evil, but a fool is reckless and careless” (Proverbs 14:16 ESV).
- “The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouths of fools pour out folly” (Proverbs 15:1 ESV).
How to Respond to Those Who Say There Is No God
So, should we, like David in his psalm, start responding to people who say there is no God by telling them they are fools? Most of the time,* that would be a “no.” David’s psalm was an “in-house” endeavor, not a letter to the enemies of Israel. It was a conversation between God and His people just as many atheists don’t say aloud there is no God, but only think it in their hearts.
This psalm was written to remind the Israelites what is true and to caution them to remain close to the Living God. This is our primary takeaway, to understand that when people act in ways contrary to biblical wisdom, it is evidence that in their hearts, they believe there is no God and so make themselves fools. Sadly, besides meaning they don’t fear judgment for their actions, they also live not knowing of the great love God has for them and the grace that awaits them if only they would turn to Jesus.
1. So, first, we should look on those who say there is no God with no pride or sense of superiority. We are saved by the grace of God through Jesus Christ and live by faith, empowered by the Holy Spirit. This salvation and the wisdom we receive through it is not to our credit or glory but to His. We are blessed to live with the knowledge that we are loved by a great God and forgiven for our many trespasses.
2. Second, remember that the Bible says, “For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18 ESV). We can respond to atheists with compassion for the wall their choices have set up between them and the truth. We can pray, asking God to draw them to Himself for salvation.
3. Third, we should study how Jesus spoke, taught, and preached. He asked questions. He told stories. He used imagery familiar to his listeners (sweeping a room, shepherding sheep, fishing). And His life backed up the truth of His words.
Likewise, we can ask questions of those who say there is no God, such as “How do you answer the big questions of life, such as how we got here, what went wrong to make the world this way, what is our purpose here, and what happens when we die?”
We can get to know them well enough to use examples to which they can relate as we share stories of our experiences with God or stories from the Bible in our conversation. And we can walk closely with Jesus so our actions over days and years testify to the truth of our words.
4. Fourth, we can love and serve them in the name of Jesus, not with the goal of “producing a new convert” but simply with the same love by which God supplies the common grace of sun, rain, and natural beauty to everyone who passes through this world. We don’t love transactionally but freely because that is the wise choice for those who have been freely loved.
*On occasion, we may encounter a conversation with someone making destructive life choices where we have opportunity (prompted by the Holy Spirit) to mention the message of this verse. For instance, “Your choices tell me that in your heart, you don’t expect to ever stand before God for judgment. The Bible says this makes you a fool because we all will. I just want you to know this because it’s also true that you are loved by God and He would want you to know that, too.” Don’t hesitate if the Spirit opens the door for this message.
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This article is part of our larger resource library of popular Bible verse phrases and quotes. We want to provide easy to read articles that answer your questions about the meaning, origin, and history of specific verses within Scripture's context. It is our hope that these will help you better understand the meaning and purpose of God's Word in relation to your life today.
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