58:1 «To
the chief Musician, Altaschith, Michtam of David.» Do ye indeed speak
righteousness, O a congregation? do ye
judge uprightly, O ye sons of men?
(a) You counsellors of Saul, who under pretence
of consulting for the common wealth, conspire my death being an innocent.
58:2 Yea, in heart ye work wickedness; ye weigh the
violence of b your hands in the earth.
(b) You are not ashamed to execute that cruelty
publicly, which you have imagined in your hearts.
58:3 The wicked c
are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking
lies.
(c) That is, enemies to the people of God even
from their birth.
58:4 Their poison [is] like the poison of a serpent:
[they are] like the deaf d adder [that]
stoppeth her ear;
(d) They pass in malice and subtilty the crafty
serpent who could preserve himself by stopping his ears from the enchanter.
58:6 Break their e
teeth, O God, in their mouth: break out the great teeth of the young lions, O
LORD.
(e) Take away all opportunity and means by which
they hurt.
58:7 Let them f
melt away as waters [which] run continually: [when] he bendeth [his bow to
shoot] his arrows, let them be as cut in pieces.
(f) Considering God's divine power, he shows
that God in a moment can destroy their force of which they brag.
58:9g
Before your pots can feel the thorns, he shall take them away as with a
whirlwind, both living, and in [his] wrath.
(g) As flesh is taken raw out of the pot before
the water boils: so he desires God to destroy their enterprises before they
bring them to pass.
58:10 The righteous shall h
rejoice when he seeth the vengeance: he shall wash his feet in the i
blood of the wicked.
(h) With a pure affection.
(i) Their punishment and slaughter will be so
great.
58:11 So that a man shall say, k
Verily [there is] a reward for the righteous: verily he is a God that judgeth in
the earth.
(k) Seeing God governs all by his providence, he
must put a difference between the godly and the wicked.
Psalm 58 Bible Commentary
The Geneva Study Bible
(a) You counsellors of Saul, who under pretence of consulting for the common wealth, conspire my death being an innocent.
58:2 Yea, in heart ye work wickedness; ye weigh the violence of b your hands in the earth.
(b) You are not ashamed to execute that cruelty publicly, which you have imagined in your hearts.
58:3 The wicked c are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies.
(c) That is, enemies to the people of God even from their birth.
58:4 Their poison [is] like the poison of a serpent: [they are] like the deaf d adder [that] stoppeth her ear;
(d) They pass in malice and subtilty the crafty serpent who could preserve himself by stopping his ears from the enchanter.
58:6 Break their e teeth, O God, in their mouth: break out the great teeth of the young lions, O LORD.
(e) Take away all opportunity and means by which they hurt.
58:7 Let them f melt away as waters [which] run continually: [when] he bendeth [his bow to shoot] his arrows, let them be as cut in pieces.
(f) Considering God's divine power, he shows that God in a moment can destroy their force of which they brag.
58:9 g Before your pots can feel the thorns, he shall take them away as with a whirlwind, both living, and in [his] wrath.
(g) As flesh is taken raw out of the pot before the water boils: so he desires God to destroy their enterprises before they bring them to pass.
58:10 The righteous shall h rejoice when he seeth the vengeance: he shall wash his feet in the i blood of the wicked.
(h) With a pure affection.
(i) Their punishment and slaughter will be so great.
58:11 So that a man shall say, k Verily [there is] a reward for the righteous: verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth.
(k) Seeing God governs all by his providence, he must put a difference between the godly and the wicked.