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, 8:12 and 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 center, 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.