God looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, that did seek God.

God looked down from the heavens upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, that did seek God.

God from the heavens looked on the sons of men, To see if there be an understanding one, One seeking God.

God was looking down from heaven on the children of men, to see if there were any who had wisdom, searching after God.

The fool hath said in his heart: 'There is no God'; They have dealt corruptly, and have done abominable iniquity; There is none that doeth good.

God looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who are wise, who seek after God.

God looked down from heaven - See the notes at Psalm 14:2. The only change which occurs in this verse is the substitution of the word אלהים 'Elohiym, rendered "God," for "Yahweh," rendered Lord, in Psalm 14:2. The same change occurs also in Psalm 14:4, Psalm 14:6. It is to be observed, also, that the word "Yahweh" does not occur in this psalm, but that the term used is uniformly. אלהים 'Elohiym, God. In Psalm 14:1-7 both terms are found - the word אלהים 'Elohiym three times Psalm 14:1-2, Psalm 14:5, and the word יהוה Yahweh four times, Psalm 14:2, Psalm 14:4,Psalm 14:6-7. It is impossible to account for this change. There is nothing in it, however, to indicate anything in regard to the authorship of the psalm or to the time when it was written, for both these words are frequently used by David elsewhere.

God looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were [any] that did understand, that did (c) seek God.
(c) By which he condemns all knowledge and understanding that tends not to seek God.

God looked down from heaven upon the children of men,.... In Psalm 14:2, it is read, "the Lord" or "Jehovah"; in everything else there is an agreement in this verse; See Gill on Psalm 14:2;
to see if there were any that did understand; the Targum is, "that were understanding" in the law; it doubtless means understanding in divine and spiritual things;
that did seek God; the above paraphrase is, "seeking doctrine from before the Lord".

In both recensions of the Psalm the name of God occurs seven times. In Psalm 14:1-7 it reads three times Elohim and four times Jahve; in the Psalm before us it is all seven times Elohim, which in this instance is a proper name of equal dignity with the name Jahve. Since the mingling of the two names in Psalm 14:1-7 is perfectly intentional, inasmuch as Elohim in Psalm 53:1, Psalm 53:2 describes God as a Being most highly exalted and to be reverentially acknowledged, and in Psalm 52:5 as the Being who is present among men in the righteous generation and who is mighty in their weakness, it becomes clear that David himself cannot be the author of this levelling change, which is carried out more rigidly than the Elohimic character of the Psalm really demands.