Down to Earth But Heavenly Minded

What does Psalms Chapter 58 mean?

This is one of several “imprecatory” psalms. These are songs which call on God, in emotional and often graphic terms, to bring justice to wicked people (Psalm 5; 10; 17; 59; 137). They are not appeals for other people to act, nor are they promises that the psalmist will make these events occur. Rather, they are prayers for the Lord to act, spoken out of deep pain and anger.

David’s anger is directed at the leaders—probably politicians and judges—of Israel during what was probably his exile and escape from King Saul. Rather than applying truth and righteousness, these men plot evil. The result of such corruption is violence and harm (Psalm 58:1–2).

These evil men are described as inherently, thoroughly corrupt. Though all people are tainted by sin (Psalm 51:5; Romans 3:10, 23), the men criticized here are deliberate about their sin. They enthusiastically choose to ignore what God has said. David compares this to a venomous snake which purposefully ignores the music of a snake charmer. His point is that the evil men in question are not confused. Nor are they sincere. Rather, they know what they do is evil, yet they choose to do it all the same (Psalm 58:3–5).

What David seeks is God’s harsh and immediate justice. This partly involves removing their ability to do further harm. David begins by referring to smashing teeth, breaking fangs, and cutting off the sharp tips of arrows. He also asks God to apply gruesome, graphic retaliation on these evil men. David uses the imagery of creatures who decompose into slime and even a miscarried infant to depict the end he desires for these evildoers. He asks for the Lord to act with speed, bringing this fate immediately (Psalm 58:6–9).

David presumes that when God’s people see this dramatic justice, they will turn to praise God. He anticipates that the results will be as obvious as if one were walking through the bloody remnants of a battlefield. David’s hope and prayer is that the world will see this judgment and acknowledge God’s position of authority (Psalm 58:10–11).

Chapter Context
David decries the injustice of wicked rulers and judges, likely during the later years of Saul’s reign. David would have been in exile when he wrote this psalm. He prayed for deliverance from wicked leaders and for God’s vengeance to be done. This is one of several “imprecatory” psalms which ask God to bring harsh punishment on His enemies.

Verse by Verse

Verse 1. Do you indeed decree what is right, you gods?Do you judge the children of man uprightly?

David begins this short psalm with a question: whether a particular group of human judges was applying justice correctly. He uses an obscure Hebrew word which, depending on how it is pronounced, can make this phrase refer either to silence or to human nobility. Those are drastically different concepts, but either option works for his essential point. The first interpretation suggests David sarcastically asking if these men can say nothing in the face of injustice and call it good judgment. The second translation would be David calling out the judges as self-important among the world of men.

The question will be answered immediately (Psalm 58:2). These men are immoral and harmful to others (Psalm 58:3–5). For that reason, David will pray for them to fall under the Lord’s judgment (Psalm 58:6–9).

At the time David is thought to have written this psalm, Saul was Israel’s king. Moral and spiritual decline in the land were significant. The rulers and judges did not care about the people they were supposed to protect. Instead, they cared only for themselves and acted out of their desire to get rich. Likely, the men who joined David in exile had suffered loss at the hands of unscrupulous rulers and judges. First Samuel 22:2 describes them as being in distress or in debt. In that way, Israel under King Saul was headed towards the example of Israel in the times of the judges, when “everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25).

As with psalms 57, 59, and 75, this passage is probably meant to be sung as lyrics to a tune known as “Do Not Destroy.” It is also referred to as a “miktam,” likely a style of song. The “chief musician” or “choirmaster” would have been the person who led group worship sessions. Because of David’s vivid prayers for punishment against evil, this is considered one of the “imprecatory” psalms.

Context Summary
Psalm 58:1–5 contains David’s accusation of Israel’s rulers and judges for their injustice. This was probably written during the rule of King Saul when David was still a fugitive. David indicates that these officials are guilty of injustice and violence. He says that evil originates in their hearts from birth and compares them to poisonous snakes. Further, their sin is deliberate as they purposefully ignore God’s will and His goodness.

Verse 2. No, in your hearts you devise wrongs;your hands deal out violence on earth.

This psalm began with a pointed, possibly sarcastic question. David asked if certain judges were truly applying justice (Psalm 58:1). Here, he gives his own answer. The men sin in both secret and overt ways, harming the people they are supposed to protect. In their hearts and minds, they think of evil and make plans to do what is wrong. The results of their judgments are violence.

David’s criticism parallels that of Micah, a later prophet who used graphic imagery to describe the injustice of Israel’s rulers (Micah 3:1–3). David’s critique is not specific, but Micah accused leaders of his day of hating justice, perverting right and wrong, and filling Jerusalem with blood as they took bribes (Micah 3:9–11).

David correctly identified the ultimate source of the rulers’ and judges’ wrongdoing: their hearts. Jeremiah writes: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9). Zechariah, another prophet, called upon the people of Judah to stop creating evil schemes in their hearts: “Thus says the Lᴏʀᴅ of hosts, Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another, do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, or the poor, and let none of you devise evil against another in your heart” (Zechariah 7:9–10).

Verse 3. The wicked are estranged from the womb;they go astray from birth, speaking lies.

Scripture makes the point that all people are born with an inherent sinfulness (Psalm 51:5; Romans 3:10, 23). And yet, some people seem to embrace evil, even from a young age. Rather than struggling with sin, or seeking to do what is right, these people intentionally wallow in evil for their own benefit. When David refers to those who are “wicked,” here, he means those who obstinately ignore what is good (Psalm 1; 10:3–4; 53:1; Proverbs 2:20–22; 21:10).

While not all people are so enthusiastic about evil, sin is still a universal flaw of mankind. The fallen Adamic nature characterizes every person. Paul writes in Romans 5:12 that “sin came into the world through one man.” Fortunately, Jesus died for sinners (Romans 5:8; 1 Corinthians 15:3; 1 John 2:2), and God forgives all who believe on Jesus as their Savior (Ephesians 1:7; 2:4–10).

The opposite of belief in God would be to pursue what is false: to lie. Isaiah 53:6 depicts the entire human race as having gone astray, and Paul attributes lying to the unsaved, unspiritual condition (Colossians 3:9).

Verse 4. They have venom like the venom of a serpent,like the deaf adder that stops its ear,

In the prior verse (Psalm 58:3), David accused certain human authorities (Psalm 58:1–2) of being purposefully wicked. Not only were these men plotting evil, and causing violence, but they were opposed to truth. Their words were lies, but they also made a deliberate effort to ignore what was true, including the will of God. Here, David begins an analogy that captures how insidious this attitude can be. Scripture sometimes compares lies and slander to poison and venom (Psalm 140:1–3; Romans 3:13). A cobra’s mouth delivers a venomous bite causing death: a liar delivers poisonous slander causing harm. During the era of Saul (1 Samuel 19:1–2; 20:32–33), it’s likely his officials said many untrue, evil things about David.

The wicked rulers and judges of Israel did not merely resemble poisonous snakes, such as cobras and adders, but “deaf” serpents. Even worse, this was deliberate deafness. A snake-charmer (Psalm 58:5) plays music to give the impression that he is mesmerizing a snake to stand up and dance. The illusion of snake-charming suggests that the snake listens to the charmer’s music and avoids biting. What truly happens is a simple defense mechanism, since snakes perceive sounds differently than humans. David depicts the unjust judges as deadly snakes who metaphorically plug their own ears to ignore the music and lash out with poison.

Vicious lies and hardened sin are characteristics of those still belonging to Satan, whom Jesus described as not standing in the truth. He said “there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44). When the Devil tempted Eve, appearing as a serpent (Revelation 20:2), he lied about what God had said. God had told Adam and Eve: “Of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die” (Genesis 2:17). “But the serpent said to the woman, ‘You will not surely die’” (Genesis 3:4).

Verse 5. so that it does not hear the voice of charmersor of the cunning enchanter.

Continuing his comparison of Israel’s wicked rulers and judges (Psalm 58:1–3) to venomous snakes, David expands on the idea that these snakes are “deaf” (Psalm 58:4). But this is a deliberate lack of hearing: they themselves have chosen not to hear what God has to say. Instead of hearing a charmer’s music, and acting accordingly, they remain hostile.

Snake-charming is an illusion using a venomous serpent and music. This trick makes it seem as if the charmer’s music hypnotizes the snake into obedience, making it safe to handle. Actual snakes perceive sounds differently than people, and at best react to the music with a defense mechanism. In David’s symbolism, however, the snakes purposefully ignore the music. These evil human rulers choose to plug their ears to the voice of God, and His will, as they create lies and enact injustice. The later prophet Jeremiah would make similar comments about Israel’s enemies (Jeremiah 8:17).

Much human sin is rooted in deliberate rebellion (John 5:39–40). What God reveals (Romans 1:18–20; Psalm 19:1) is often ignored by those who prefer sin and don’t want to find truth (Matthew 7:7–8). Jesus admonished His audience: “Take care then how you hear, for to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he thinks that he has will be taken away” (Luke 8:18). Unfortunately, as Paul writes, “The time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions” (2 Timothy 4:3).

Verse 6. O God, break the teeth in their mouths;tear out the fangs of the young lions, O Lord!

This is one of the so-called “imprecatory” psalms, which call on God to bring retribution against evil people, often using sharp, pointed imagery. The wicked in this psalm (Psalm 58:1–5) are judges and other leaders who have deliberately ignored God’s will. Their sin has resulted in lies and violence.

Asking God to “break the teeth” of these evil people has at least two meanings. The first is the obvious imagery of violence: striking someone in the face with such force that their teeth crack. The second implies silencing their lies by making them incapable of speech. This is further emphasized with reference to taking away a lion’s teeth: removing one of its primary weapons. The danger of lions, and God demonstrating power over such threats, is a theme in Scripture (Daniel 6:19–22; 1 Peter 5:6–11).

Asaph predicts the judgment that awaits the arrogant wicked. He writes, “Truly you set them in slippery places; you make them fall to ruin. How they are destroyed in a moment, swept away utterly by terrors! Like a dream when one awakes, O Lord, when you rouse yourself, you despise them as phantoms” (Psalm 73:18–20). Revelation 20:10 reveals that the Devil, himself, will be “thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur … [to] be tormented day and night forever and ever.”

Context Summary
Psalm 58:6–11 follows a description of Israel’s wicked rulers and judges with David’s prayer for divine punishment. His words are emotional and somewhat graphic. David prays the Lord will obliterate these violent, evil people. He anticipates the joy the righteous will experience when the unscrupulous rulers and judges succumb to the Lord’s punishment. When humanity sees God’s justice done, they will celebrate and recognize the Lord’s authority.

Verse 7. Let them vanish like water that runs away;when he aims his arrows, let them be blunted.

David asks the Lord to harshly judge wicked rulers and judges (Psalm 58:1–2). These men have deliberately ignored God and His will (Psalm 58:3–5), resulting in violence and harm. Much as with his prior request (Psalm 58:6), David’s prayer involves removing the ability of these men to hurt others. He prays they disappear, like water that soaks into the ground or dries up and disappears. Another image is that of an arrow with no point: stripped of its primary means to injure.

As an “imprecatory” psalm, this is David’s call for God to issue punishment on evil people. David does not plan to take on this role himself. He is not proclaiming his intent to take revenge. Rather, he asks God to be the avenger (Deuteronomy 32:35; Romans 12:19). David lived out this same attitude when he refused to kill Saul—who was then king—despite being persecuted and hunted by the ruler (1 Samuel 24:6–7).

Verse 8. Let them be like the snail that dissolves into slime,like the stillborn child who never sees the sun.

“Imprecatory” psalms are songs calling on God to deliver harsh punishment to evil people. These can use graphic terminology, such as this verse. David expresses his emotional response to the violence of wicked judges (Psalm 58:1–2) who deliberately sin for their own reasons (Psalm 58:3–5). He does not plan to take revenge himself, however. This is not a promise that David will take these steps, or a request that he be allowed to do so. David is asking for the Lord’s gruesome intervention, but leaving that to God, alone (Deuteronomy 32:35; Romans 12:19).

David’s first image is that of a snail or slug; in Hebrew, the word for this creature implies “melting.” The root word can also imply something being crushed or destroyed. Stomping on a slug leaves nothing but a smear of goo. David wishes a similar fate on the oppressive, wicked leaders. The second comparison is to a miscarriage or stillbirth. This plays on both emotional and physical ideas. The suggestion is provocative and meant to inspire a deep, gut-wrenching response, reflecting David’s intense anger.

As with the disarming of dangers (Psalm 58:6–7), he wishes for these depraved people to not merely be defeated, but to be obliterated in gruesome fashion. David’s commentary is not about the value of snails or miscarried children, but the idea that the wider world barely even knows they existed.

Verse 9. Sooner than your pots can feel the heat of thorns,whether green or ablaze, may he sweep them away!

In this passage, David points out the harm done by wicked judges and rulers (Psalm 58:1–2). He notes that they deliberately shut their ears to what is right (Psalm 58:3–5). And so, he calls on God to bring terrible, gruesome justice to these evil men (Psalm 58:6–8). Using deliberately shocking imagery, David appeals to the Lord to completely defeat such men and prevent them from doing further harm. David does not plan to take these matters into his own hands, however: these are emotional appeals for the Lord to act.

This verse emphasizes the speed with which David hopes God will act. Thorn bushes and briars typically have thin, light branches. When ignited, they are consumed very quickly. They might make good kindling (Judges 9:15), but without other fuel, they are consumed too soon to be of use. A pot set over nothing but a pile of thorns would barely feel any heat before the fire died out. The reference translated as “green or ablaze” is literally a comparison of “alive” versus “angry.” This might refer to food that is raw or partly cooked—meaning the pots being cooked—or to God’s ability to extinguish a fire regardless of how long it has been tended.

In another of the “imprecatory” psalms, Asaph uses the imagery of the Lord sweeping the wicked away in judgment. He writes: “How they [the prosperous, proud wicked] are destroyed in a moment, swept away utterly by terrors!” (Psalm 73:19). No one intentionally discards something of value, but a person intentionally sweeps away litter and dirt. The life that opposes God and assaults others will be swept away in judgment, because it rejected the Savior and did nothing of eternal value.

Verse 10. The righteous will rejoice when he sees the vengeance;he will bathe his feet in the blood of the wicked.

David expects the righteous people of Israel to rejoice when they see God’s vengeance carried out on the wicked rulers and judges (Psalm 58:1–2). He has described these men as obstinate, willing sinners (Psalm 58:3–5) and made graphic appeals for the Lord to punish such men (Psalm 58:6–9). Here, the people are depicted in their response to God’s vengeance. As with the earlier verses, this does not call on God-followers to take revenge. In these “imprecatory” psalms, there is no sense in which those praying are asking God to approve of their own actions. Instead, they are placing vengeance in the Lord’s hands (Deuteronomy 32:35; Romans 12:19) and trusting Him to bring it about.

The imagery of bathing feet in blood is a reference to the aftermath of a battle. The idea is something so abundant that one cannot help but step in it (Job 29:6). In this case, David implies that God’s wrath will be so great that God’s people will walk through pools of the wicked men’s blood (Psalm 68:23).

Aspects of this verse are echoed in the book of Revelation. Revelation 7:17 portrays Christ’s comfort for His people This anticipation leads to immense praise (Revelation 19:6–7). Tears of sadness may flow now, but tears of joy will flow when Jesus judges the wicked. Some aspects of that judgment are brutally violent—though not the result of human efforts—and are also depicted as creating enormous amounts of blood (Revelation 14:20).

Verse 11. Mankind will say, “Surely there is a reward for the righteous;surely there is a God who judges on earth.”

This is an “imprecatory” psalm, which prays for God to take harsh revenge on wicked people. In this case, the wicked ones are judges and other leaders whom David sees spreading lies and violence (Psalm 58:1–2). They deliberately ignore God’s will (Psalm 58:3–5) so David makes an emotional appeal for the Lord to bring graphic, gruesome punishment to the evil ones (Psalm 58:6–9). He does not plan to do this himself—the request is for God to act. David expects to see the Lord’s people celebrate when they see His judgment (Psalm 58:10).

David’s other assumption is that divine vengeance will inspire mankind to confess that there is a God who rightly judges, rewards, and punishes. The judgment mentioned in this passage is aimed at corrupt rulers and judges of Israel during David’s era. Yet someday, God will judge all the wicked. Today, when injustice occurs, people may ask, “Where is God?” but no one will raise that question when He judges the wicked decisively, openly, and conclusively. Acts 17:31 promises that God “has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.” That day of judgment awaits the time all the dead unbelievers, small and great, stand before the Great White Throne. Everyone whose name is not written in the book of life will be consigned to the lake of fire (Revelation 20:11–15).

End of Psalm 58

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