Psalm 58

Psalm 58 belongs to Book II of the Psalms (Psalms 42–72). Like the preceding Psalm 57 and the following Psalm 59, it bears a superscription that includes "Michtam of David" and a note that it is set to Al-taschith (meaning "Do Not Destroy"). The superscriptions of Psalms 57 and 59 describe David's circumstances while he was being pursued by Saul, but the superscription of Psalm 58 gives no such background.

Structure

• Verses 1–2 The psalmist rebukes the "sons of men" who ought to speak righteousness and judge uprightly but remain silent, and who instead devise wickedness in their hearts and weigh out the violence of their hands in the earth.
• Verses 3–5 The wicked go astray from the womb and speak lies. They are likened to a deaf adder that stops its ear and will not heed the voice of the snake charmer.
• Verses 6–9 The psalmist asks God to break the teeth of the wicked and the great teeth of the young lions. He prays that they may become like water that runs away, like broken arrows, like a snail that melts away, and like a stillborn child that never sees the sun. The Hebrew text of verse 9 is difficult, and English versions differ considerably in their renderings.
• Verses 10–11 The righteous rejoice when they see the wicked repaid, and people will say that there is a reward for the righteous and a God who judges in the earth.

Key Verses

• Psalm 58:1 "Do ye indeed speak righteousness, O congregation? do ye judge uprightly, O ye sons of men?" — The starting point of the psalm, which calls to account those entrusted with judging and governing.
• Psalm 58:3 "The wicked are estranged from the womb" — Frequently cited to show that human sin is present from birth.
• Psalm 58:11 "Verily there is a reward for the righteous: verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth." — The conclusion of the psalm, a confession that God judges justly.

People and Places

• David: The king of Israel named in the superscription as the author of the psalm.
• The LORD: The one to whom the psalmist calls in verse 6, asking for judgment on the wicked.
• The "sons of men": Those rebuked in verse 1, understood as unjust judges or rulers.

Points for Reflection

• The translation of the address in verse 1 depends on how a particular Hebrew word is read. The KJV has "O congregation," while other versions render it "O rulers" or "O gods." Because it rebukes unjust judges, the psalm is sometimes read alongside Psalm 82.
• Verse 3 is often cited together with Psalm 51:5 in explaining the doctrine of original sin. Interpreters differ, however, on whether the verse speaks of the nature of all people or only of the "wicked" with whom this psalm is concerned.
• Psalms that pray for the destruction of enemies, as in verses 6–10, are commonly called "imprecatory psalms." In particular, the question of how verse 10, "he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked," fits with the teaching of love for enemies (Luke 6:27–36) has long been debated. Many interpreters read this psalm as a prayer that leaves vengeance to God rather than taking it into one's own hands, and they connect it with "Vengeance is mine" in Romans 12:17–21.
• The confession in verse 11 of a God who judges the earth is read in continuity with the New Testament belief in the Last Judgment.