Albert Barnes Commentary Psalms 14:6

"Ye put to shame the counsel of the poor, Because Jehovah is his refuge." — Psalms 14:6 (ASV)

You have shamed — The address here is made directly to the wicked themselves, to show them the baseness of their own conduct, and, perhaps, in connection with the previous verse, to show them what occasion they had for fear. The idea in the verse seems to be that, as God was the protector of the poor who had come to Him for refuge, and as they had shamed the counsel of the poor who had done this, they had real occasion for alarm. The phrase “you have shamed” seems to mean that they had despised it, or had treated it with derision; that is, they had laughed at, or had mocked the purpose of the poor in putting their trust in Yahweh.

The counsel — This refers to the purpose, the plan, the act of the poor; that is, their putting their trust in the Lord. They had derided this as vain and foolish, since they maintained that there was no God (Psalms 14:1). They therefore regarded such an act as mere illusion.

The poor — This refers to the righteous, considered as poor or afflicted. The word here rendered “poor”—עני ‘ânı̂y—means more properly afflicted, distressed, or needy. It is often rendered “afflicted” (Job 34:28; Psalms 18:27; Psalms 22:24; Psalms 25:16; Psalms 82:3; and elsewhere); in (Psalms 9:12; Psalms 10:12) it is rendered “humble.”

The common rendering, however, is “poor,” but it refers properly to the righteous, with the idea that they are afflicted, needy, and in humble circumstances. This is the idea here.

The wicked had derided those who, in circumstances of poverty, depression, want, and trial, had no other resource and had sought their comfort in God. These reproaches tended to take away their last consolation and to cover them with confusion; it was proper, therefore, that those who had done this should be overwhelmed with fear.

If there is anything that deserves punishment, it is the act that would take away from the world the last hope of the wretched—that “there is a God.”

Because the Lord is his refuge — He has made the Lord his refuge. In his poverty, affliction, and trouble, he has come to God and put his trust in Him. This source of comfort, the doctrine of the wicked—that there was no God—tended to destroy. Atheism cuts off every hope of man and leaves the wretched to despair. It would put out the last light that gleams on the earth and cover the world with total and eternal night.