Psalm 53:3
“Every one of them is gone back: they are altogether become filthy; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.”
King James Version (KJV)
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God's verdict on His examination of humanity concludes with a sweeping judgment: all have gone away from understanding and seeking God; all are defiled; none do good. This sets the stage for God's response in verses 4–6.
What Does Psalm 53:3 Mean?
The divine inspection yields a grim result. Every person has 'gone back'—turned away, departed from the path of understanding and seeking God. The metaphor is movement: they were on a path toward God, but they have reversed course. The physical image of filthiness describes spiritual corruption, a defilement that has spread throughout the whole community. The triple emphasis—'every one,' 'altogether,' 'none...not one'—leaves no room for exception. This is a universal indictment that echoes Romans 3 and confronts readers with the reality of human sinfulness.
Yet this verse is not pure despair. Its very starkness serves a purpose: it demolishes any pretense of human goodness or self-sufficiency. Before grace can be received, one must acknowledge the true condition—turned away, defiled, incapable of good without God. This verse invites honest reckoning. Do we recognize our own 'going back'—the many ways we choose other paths over seeking God? The answer is meant to humble us, to break the pride that says 'I can do good on my own,' and to open us to the hope that follows in verse 6.
In the Original Language
shub (שׁוּב) — to turn back, return, or turn away; here indicating a reversal of course from seeking God
Cross References
“They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.”
- Romans 3:12
“But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags.”
- Isaiah 64:6
“They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.”
- Psalm 14:3
Application
Acknowledge your own tendency to 'go back' from seeking God, and recognize that honest recognition of corruption opens the door to restoration.