Psalm Fifty Eight

by Dr. Henry M. Morris

(taken from the Defender's Study Bible)

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To the chief Musician, Al-Taschith, Michtam of David.

Michtam. There are six “michtams” (see note on Psalm 16: Title) written by David (Psalms 16, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60).

Psalm 58:1 Do ye indeed speak righteousness, O congregation? do ye judge uprightly, O ye sons of men?

Psalm 58:2 Yea, in heart ye work wickedness; ye weigh the violence of your hands in the earth.

Psalm 58:3 The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies.

as soon as they be born. Infants naturally begin “speaking lies” and acting deceptively essentially as soon as they are born, for this is our inborn sin-nature, ever since Adam and Eve. It takes the new birth to give a person a true love and respect for the laws and character of God (Colossians 3:9-10).

Psalm 58:4 Their poison is like the poison of a serpent: they are like the deaf adder that stoppeth her ear;

deaf adder. This is believed to be the very poisonous Egyptian cobra.

Psalm 58:5 Which will not hearken to the voice of charmers, charming never so wisely.

Psalm 58:6 Break their teeth, O God, in their mouth: break out the great teeth of the young lions, O LORD.

in their mouth. This is one of the most graphic imprecations in the imprecatory psalms. See note on Psalm 5.

Psalm 58:7 Let them melt away as waters which run continually: when he bendeth his bow to shoot his arrows, let them be as cut in pieces.

Psalm 58:8 As a snail which melteth, let every one of them pass away: like the untimely birth of a woman, that they may not see the sun.

snail which melteth. This seems to be a reference to the slimy substance secreted by Palestinian snails as they crawl along the ground, thus apparently melting away, eventually leaving empty shells.

Psalm 58:9 Before your pots can feel the thorns, he shall take them away as with a whirlwind, both living, and in his wrath.

Psalm 58:10 The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance: he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.

Psalm 58:11 So that a man shall say, Verily there is a reward for the righteous: verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth.