Mahalath Maschil

Mahalath Maschil is the superscription of Psalm 53, a psalm that is nearly identical to Psalm 14 with minor variations, both described as the fool saying "there is no God" and depicting universal human corruption. Mahalath likely indicates a tune, instrument, or liturgical mode — possibly a lyre-type instrument. Maschil (maskil) indicates a contemplative or didactic composition, a term appearing in the superscriptions of thirteen psalms.

The duplication of Psalm 14 as Psalm 53 with different divine names (Psalm 14 uses YHWH; Psalm 53 uses Elohim) reflects the editorial history of the Psalter, where different collections used different divine name conventions. The Mahalath designation appears only here and in Psalm 88, suggesting a particular musical connection between these two psalms. Paul quotes Psalm 14:1–3 (equivalent to Psalm 53) in Romans 3:10–12 as the scriptural foundation for his argument that both Jews and Gentiles are under sin, making it one of the Old Testament passages most significant for Pauline soteriology.