Fools, because of their transgression - Wicked people, considered as fools, because they “are” transgressors. Compare Psalms 14:1, note; Psalms 73:3, note; Psalms 75:4, note. The immediate allusion here, probably, is to the Jews, who had been so wicked and so supremely foolish in violating the commands of God, and making it necessary to bring upon them as a punishment the captivity at Babylon; but the language is made general because it will with equal propriety describe the conduct of all wicked people. There is nothing more foolish than an act of wickedness; there is no wisdom equal to that of obeying God.
And because of their iniquities, are afflicted - A more literal rendering of this verse would be, “Fools from the way of their transgressions (that is, by their course of transgression), and by their iniquities, afflict themselves.” The idea is, that it is “in the very line” of their trangressions; or, that they “bring it upon themselves.” All punishment is in fact in the line of the offence; that is, sin leads directly to it; or, in other words, if a man treads along in the path of sin, he will come to this result - to punishment. Punishment is not arbitrary on the part of God, and it is not of the nature of a mere direct infliction from his “hand.” It is what people mete out to themselves, and what they might have avoided if they had chosen to do so.