Psalms 58 Study Notes: A Plea Against Unjust Rulers
David confronts corrupt rulers who pervert justice and describes the wicked as wayward from birth and deaf to warning like a stubborn snake. He asks God to break their power and ends confident that the righteous will be rewarded and that God truly judges the world.
General
What conclusion will people draw when God acts, according to Psalm 58:11?
Answer: The righteous are rewarded; God judges all
David says the righteous will be glad as they watch God avenge the wrongs done to them, and he uses a battlefield picture of the wicked's total defeat (58:10). Then people will conclude that the righteous really are rewarded and that there truly is a divine Judge over the earth (58:11). The psalm began with human judges who failed (58:1-2) and ends with the true Judge who does not. Abraham appealed to God as the one who judges the whole world and does right (Genesis 18:25), David calls God a righteous judge (Psalm 7:11), and in Revelation heaven praises God because He judges truly and has avenged His servants (Revelation 19:2).
- Psalm 58:10-11 (BSB)“The righteous will rejoice when they see they are avenged; they will wash their feet in the blood of the wicked. Then men will say, “There is surely a reward for the righteous! There is surely a God who judges the earth!””The righteous rejoice at justice done, and people confess that God judges the earth.
- Genesis 18:25 (BSB)“Far be it from You to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous and the wicked are treated alike. Far be it from You! Will not the Judge of all the earth do what is right?””Abraham appeals to God as the Judge of all the earth who does right.
- Psalm 7:11 (BSB)“God is a righteous judge and a God who feels indignation each day.”David calls God a righteous judge.
- Revelation 19:2 (BSB)“For His judgments are true and just. He has judged the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality. He has avenged the blood of His servants that was poured out by her hand.””Heaven praises God's true and just judgments that avenge His servants.
Theological
What confession does Psalm 58:11 say God's judgment will draw from people?
Answer: The righteous are rewarded; God judges all
The righteous rejoice when God avenges the wrong done to them, portrayed in the battlefield imagery of 58:10, and the conclusion drawn is a public confession: the righteous are rewarded, and God is Judge over the earth (58:11). The psalm moves from corrupt human judges (58:1-2) to the divine Judge. The same conviction grounds Abraham's intercession (Genesis 18:25), David's confession of God as righteous judge (Psalm 7:11), and heaven's praise at the final vindication of God's servants (Revelation 19:2).
- Psalm 58:10-11 (BSB)“The righteous will rejoice when they see they are avenged; they will wash their feet in the blood of the wicked. Then men will say, “There is surely a reward for the righteous! There is surely a God who judges the earth!””The righteous rejoice at justice done, and people confess that God judges the earth.
- Genesis 18:25 (BSB)“Far be it from You to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous and the wicked are treated alike. Far be it from You! Will not the Judge of all the earth do what is right?””Abraham appeals to God as the Judge of all the earth who does right.
- Psalm 7:11 (BSB)“God is a righteous judge and a God who feels indignation each day.”David calls God a righteous judge.
- Revelation 19:2 (BSB)“For His judgments are true and just. He has judged the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality. He has avenged the blood of His servants that was poured out by her hand.””Heaven praises God's true and just judgments that avenge His servants.
General
In Psalm 58:6-9, to whom does David turn to break the power of the wicked?
Answer: God, whom he asks to disarm and remove them
David brings his requests to God (58:6). He asks the LORD to break the teeth and fangs of these lion-like oppressors, that is, to take away their power to harm. He prays that they would drain away like water, that their arrows would be blunted, and that they would pass away like a slug melting or a child who never sees daylight, and he is confident God will swiftly carry them off (58:7-9). These are strong words, but they are prayers, not plans: David hands vengeance to God instead of taking it himself, as Scripture teaches (Deuteronomy 32:35; Romans 12:19). The rulers of 58:1-2 were dealing out violence in the land, so this is a cry for God's justice to stop persistent wickedness. Jesus also calls His followers to love enemies and to pray for persecutors (Matthew 5:44), and Christians have understood how that command relates to prayers like this one in different ways.
- Psalm 58:6-9 (BSB)“O God, shatter their teeth in their mouths; O LORD, tear out the fangs of the lions. May they vanish like water that runs off; when they draw the bow, may their arrows be blunted. Like a slug that dissolves in its slime, like a woman’s stillborn child, may they never see the sun. Before your pots can feel the burning thorns—whether green or dry—He will sweep them away.”David asks God to break the power of the wicked and sweep them away.
- Deuteronomy 32:35 (BSB)“Vengeance is Mine; I will repay. In due time their foot will slip; for their day of disaster is near, and their doom is coming quickly.””The LORD declares that vengeance and repayment belong to Him.
- Romans 12:19 (BSB)“Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but leave room for God’s wrath. For it is written: “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, says the Lord.””Paul tells believers to leave vengeance to God rather than avenge themselves.
- Matthew 5:44 (BSB)“But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,”Jesus commands His followers to love their enemies and pray for them.
Theological
To whom are the imprecations of Psalm 58:6-9 addressed?
Answer: God, whom he asks to disarm and remove them
The imprecations are addressed to God (58:6): that He break the teeth and fangs of the lion-like oppressors, and that they vanish, be rendered harmless, and pass away before God sweeps them off (58:7-9). The language is severe, but it is petition, not personal retaliation: vengeance is committed to the LORD (Deuteronomy 32:35; Romans 12:19), and the occasion is the violent injustice of those entrusted with judgment (58:1-2). Christ commands love and prayer for enemies (Matthew 5:44), and Christians have understood the relationship between that command and the imprecatory psalms in different ways.
- Psalm 58:6-9 (BSB)“O God, shatter their teeth in their mouths; O LORD, tear out the fangs of the lions. May they vanish like water that runs off; when they draw the bow, may their arrows be blunted. Like a slug that dissolves in its slime, like a woman’s stillborn child, may they never see the sun. Before your pots can feel the burning thorns—whether green or dry—He will sweep them away.”David asks God to break the power of the wicked and sweep them away.
- Deuteronomy 32:35 (BSB)“Vengeance is Mine; I will repay. In due time their foot will slip; for their day of disaster is near, and their doom is coming quickly.””The LORD declares that vengeance and repayment belong to Him.
- Romans 12:19 (BSB)“Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but leave room for God’s wrath. For it is written: “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, says the Lord.””Paul tells believers to leave vengeance to God rather than avenge themselves.
- Matthew 5:44 (BSB)“But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,”Jesus commands His followers to love their enemies and pray for them.
General
In Psalm 58:4-5, David compares the wicked to a snake that stops its ears against the charmer. What does this picture?
Answer: Their stubborn refusal to heed any warning
David says the wicked carry poison like a snake's (58:4): their words and deeds do deadly harm. Worse, they are like a cobra deaf to the charmer's voice, however skillful he is (58:4-5). They refuse every call to change and cannot be reached by warning or correction. Paul uses the image of snake venom on the lips to describe human sin (Romans 3:13, drawing on Psalm 140:3), and the prophet Zechariah describes Israel stopping up their ears and hardening their hearts against God's word (Zechariah 7:11-12).
- Psalm 58:4-5 (BSB)“Their venom is like the venom of a snake, like a cobra that shuts its ears, refusing to hear the tune of the charmer who skillfully weaves his spell.”The wicked are like a venomous cobra that will not listen to the charmer.
- Psalm 140:3 (BSB)“They sharpen their tongues like snakes; the venom of vipers is on their lips. Selah”Another psalm describes the wicked as having the venom of vipers on their lips.
- Romans 3:13 (BSB)““Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.” “The venom of vipers is on their lips.””Paul includes the image of snake venom in his description of human sin.
- Zechariah 7:11-12 (BSB)“But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder; they stopped up their ears from hearing. They made their hearts like flint and would not listen to the law or to the words that the LORD of Hosts had sent by His Spirit through the earlier prophets. Therefore great anger came from the LORD of Hosts.”Israel stopped their ears and hardened their hearts against God's word.
Theological
What does the image of the snake that stops its ears against the charmer depict in Psalm 58:4-5?
Answer: Their stubborn refusal to heed any warning
The wicked carry venom like a serpent's (58:4), and like a cobra stopping its ears against the most skilled charmer (58:4-5), they are impervious to warning and correction. The image portrays willful hardness. Paul uses the serpent's venom as part of his indictment of human sin (Romans 3:13, citing Psalm 140:3), and Zechariah describes the same stopping of ears and hardening of heart against the prophetic word (Zechariah 7:11-12).
- Psalm 58:4-5 (BSB)“Their venom is like the venom of a snake, like a cobra that shuts its ears, refusing to hear the tune of the charmer who skillfully weaves his spell.”The wicked are like a venomous cobra that will not listen to the charmer.
- Psalm 140:3 (BSB)“They sharpen their tongues like snakes; the venom of vipers is on their lips. Selah”Another psalm describes the wicked as having the venom of vipers on their lips.
- Romans 3:13 (BSB)““Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.” “The venom of vipers is on their lips.””Paul includes the image of snake venom in his description of human sin.
- Zechariah 7:11-12 (BSB)“But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder; they stopped up their ears from hearing. They made their hearts like flint and would not listen to the law or to the words that the LORD of Hosts had sent by His Spirit through the earlier prophets. Therefore great anger came from the LORD of Hosts.”Israel stopped their ears and hardened their hearts against God's word.
General
Whom does David address with his opening questions in Psalm 58:1-2?
Answer: Rulers who are meant to judge justly
David opens by asking rulers whether they really speak justly and judge people fairly (58:1). The answer is no: in their hearts they plan injustice, and with their hands they deal out violence across the land (58:2). The people entrusted with justice are the ones corrupting it. God's law required judges to judge with righteous judgment and never to take bribes or show favoritism (Deuteronomy 16:18-19), and another psalm pictures God rebuking judges who favor the wicked instead of defending the weak (Psalm 82:2-3).
- Psalm 58:1-2 (BSB)“For the choirmaster. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” A Miktam of David. Do you indeed speak justly, O rulers? Do you judge uprightly, O sons of men? No, in your hearts you devise injustice; with your hands you mete out violence on the earth.”David asks the rulers whether they judge justly and answers that they practice injustice and violence.
- Deuteronomy 16:18-19 (BSB)“You are to appoint judges and officials for your tribes in every town that the LORD your God is giving you. They are to judge the people with righteous judgment. Do not deny justice or show partiality. Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous.”God's law required judges to judge righteously, without bribes or partiality.
- Psalm 82:2-3 (BSB)““How long will you judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked? Selah Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; uphold the rights of the afflicted and oppressed.”God rebukes judges who favor the wicked and neglect the weak.
Theological
Who are the addressees of the opening questions in Psalm 58:1-2?
Answer: Rulers who are meant to judge justly
The psalm opens with an indictment of rulers entrusted with judgment (58:1): their speech and verdicts are unjust, their hearts devise injustice, and their hands deal out violence (58:2). Those charged under the Law to judge with righteousness and impartiality (Deuteronomy 16:18-19) have become agents of oppression, the same charge God brings against unjust judges in Psalm 82:2-3.
- Psalm 58:1-2 (BSB)“For the choirmaster. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” A Miktam of David. Do you indeed speak justly, O rulers? Do you judge uprightly, O sons of men? No, in your hearts you devise injustice; with your hands you mete out violence on the earth.”David asks the rulers whether they judge justly and answers that they practice injustice and violence.
- Deuteronomy 16:18-19 (BSB)“You are to appoint judges and officials for your tribes in every town that the LORD your God is giving you. They are to judge the people with righteous judgment. Do not deny justice or show partiality. Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous.”God's law required judges to judge righteously, without bribes or partiality.
- Psalm 82:2-3 (BSB)““How long will you judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked? Selah Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; uphold the rights of the afflicted and oppressed.”God rebukes judges who favor the wicked and neglect the weak.
General
True or False: Psalm 58:3 says the wicked only begin to wander from God once they are grown.
Answer: False
This is false. David traces the wicked's turning away from God all the way back to the womb, and their lying back to birth (58:3). Their corrupt judging (58:2) grows out of a nature turned from God from the very beginning. Elsewhere Scripture shows that such inborn sinfulness is true of all people, not only of these rulers: David confesses that he was sinful from the time he was conceived (Psalm 51:5), and Paul says that not one person is righteous (Romans 3:10-12) and that all were by nature under God's wrath (Ephesians 2:3). This inborn sinfulness is often called original sin.
- Psalm 58:3 (BSB)“The wicked are estranged from the womb; the liars go astray from birth.”David says the wicked are estranged and go astray from the womb and from birth.
- Psalm 51:5 (BSB)“Surely I was brought forth in iniquity; I was sinful when my mother conceived me.”David confesses that he was sinful from conception.
- Romans 3:10-12 (BSB)“As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one. There is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.””Paul teaches that no one is righteous and all have turned away.
- Ephesians 2:3 (BSB)“All of us also lived among them at one time, fulfilling the cravings of our flesh and indulging its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature children of wrath.”Paul says all people are by nature under God's wrath.
Theological
True or False: Psalm 58:3 locates the origin of the wicked's estrangement in adulthood rather than at birth.
Answer: False
This is false. The psalm locates the estrangement and deceit of the wicked at the womb and at birth (58:3), so that their unjust verdicts (58:2) flow from a nature alienated from God from the outset. Read with David's confession of sin from conception (Psalm 51:5), Paul's universal indictment (Romans 3:10-12), and his teaching that all are by nature objects of wrath (Ephesians 2:3), the verse is consistent with the doctrine of original sin, applied here to hardened oppressors.
- Psalm 58:3 (BSB)“The wicked are estranged from the womb; the liars go astray from birth.”David says the wicked are estranged and go astray from the womb and from birth.
- Psalm 51:5 (BSB)“Surely I was brought forth in iniquity; I was sinful when my mother conceived me.”David confesses that he was sinful from conception.
- Romans 3:10-12 (BSB)“As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one. There is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.””Paul teaches that no one is righteous and all have turned away.
- Ephesians 2:3 (BSB)“All of us also lived among them at one time, fulfilling the cravings of our flesh and indulging its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature children of wrath.”Paul says all people are by nature under God's wrath.