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Psalm Fifty-eight
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO Psalm 58
To the chief Musician
Altaschith
Michtam of David. According to
the Syriac version
this psalm was written when Saul threatened the priests
because they did not show him where David was
when they knew it. Dr. Lightfoot
thinks that the title "Altaschith" refers to David's not destroying
Nabal
as he threatened; and that the venom of Nabal's tongue in reviling him
and the deafness of his ears in not attending to the messengers that told their
errand wisely
are designed in this psalm; and in which the psalmist prophesies
of his sudden death
before the pots for his feast could be warmed by the
thorns under them
and while he was lively and jovial. Jarchi is of opinion
that it was composed after David had been in the trench where Saul lay
and
took away the spear and cruse
and went his way
and called to Abner
saying
"answerest thou not?" which is as if he should say
hast thou it not
in thy power now to convince Saul
and show him that he pursues me without
cause
since
if I would
I could have slain him? Kimchi says it was written on
account of Abner
and the rest of Saul's princes
who judged David as a rebel
against the government
and said it was for Saul to pursue after him to slay
him; for if they had restrained him
Saul would not have pursued after him; and
indeed they seem to be wicked judges who are addressed in this psalm; "do
not destroy". Arama says
it declares the wickedness of Saul's judges.
Psalm 58:1 Do
you indeed speak righteousness
you silent ones? Do you judge uprightly
you
sons of men?
YLT
1To the Overseer. --
`Destroy not.' -- A secret treasure
by David. Is it true
O dumb one
righteously ye speak? Uprightly ye judge
O sons of men?
Do ye indeed speak righteousness
O congregation?.... Of the
mighty
as in Psalm 82:1; the
judges of the land
who were many
and therefore called a congregation
as it
is necessary they should; for
being many
they are not so easily bribed; and
besides
one may see that in a cause which another does not. The word signifies
a "sheaf"F20אלם "e
manipulo"
Tigurine version
Junius & Tremellius
Piscator; "e
manipulo justifiae"
Cocceius. ; and so it is by some rendered
to which a
bench or assembly of judges may be compared; because consisting of many
and a
select body
who should unite together in a sentence or decree
and act
uprightly
like a sheaf of wheat standing upright; see Genesis 37:7; some
think the word has the signification of dumbness
or silence; so Jarchi and R.
MosesF21In Aben Ezra in loc. ; as "elem" in Psalm 56:1
title
and render it
"do ye indeed speak dumb justice?" or "the
dumbness of justice"F23So Varenius
Reinbech
Michaelis. ; or
are you dumb
or your mouth silent
when ye should speak righteousness? and so
the psalmist accuses them for their criminal silence
in not contradicting Saul
and his courtiers when they spake against him; and for not advising him to
another kind of conduct towards him. All men ought to speak that which is right
and truth; but especially judges on the bench
who are to judge the people with
just judgment
Deuteronomy 16:18;
but here this is doubted of
and called in question; at least their sincerity
in giving judgment: yea
it is denied; for this interrogation carries in it a
strong denial; and the meaning is
that they did not speak righteousness
or
that which was just and right in the cause of David
when before them;
do ye judge uprightly
O ye sons of men? no
they did
not; they were unjust judges. The psalmist calls them "the sons of
men"
as in 1 Samuel 26:19
in
distinction from God the Judge of all
and to put them in mind of their frailty
and mortality; for though they were gods by office
they were but men
and
should die like men
and be accountable to the supreme Judge for all their
proceedings in judgment here
Psalm 82:1.
Psalm 58:2 2 No
in heart you work
wickedness; You weigh out the violence of your hands in the earth.
YLT
2Even in heart ye work
iniquities
In the land the violence of your hands ye ponder.
Yea
in heart ye work wickedness
.... So far were they
from speaking righteousness
and judging uprightly. The heart of man is
wickedness itself; it is desperately wicked
and is the shop in which all
wickedness is wrought; for sinful acts are committed there as well as by the
tongue and hand
as follows. This phrase also denotes their sinning; not with
precipitancy
and through surprise; but with premeditation and deliberation;
and their doing it heartily
with good will
and with allowance
and their
continuance and constant persisting in it;
ye weigh the violence of your hands in the earth; they were
guilty of acts of violence and oppression
which
of all men
judges should not
be guilty of; whose business it is to plead the cause of the injured and
oppressed
to right their wrongs
and to protect and defend them: these they pretended
to weigh in the balance of justice and equity
and committed them under a show
of righteousness; they decreed unrighteous decrees
and framed mischief by a
law; and this they did openly
and everywhere
throughout the whole land.
Psalm 58:3 3 The wicked are estranged
from the womb; They go astray as soon as they are born
speaking lies.
YLT
3The wicked have been
estranged from the womb
They have erred from the belly
speaking lies.
The wicked are estranged from the womb
.... Which
original corruption of nature accounts for all the wickedness done by men: they
are conceived in sin
shapen in iniquity
and are transgressors from the womb;
they are alienated from God
and from that godly life which is agreeable to
him
and he requires; and from the knowledge and fear of him
and love to him;
and they desire not the knowledge of him nor his ways; they are far from his
law
and averse to it; and still more so to the Gospel of Christ; the doctrines
of which
as well as the great things written in the law
are strange things to
them; and they are aliens from the commonwealth of Israel
estranged from the
people of God
know nothing of them
neither of their joys
nor of their
sorrows;
they go astray as soon as they be born
speaking lies; they are wicked
from their infancy
from their youth upward; and sin
which is meant by
"going astray"
as soon as they are capable of it
and which is very
early. Sin soon appears in the temper and actions of then; they go out of God's
way
and turn everyone to their own way
and walk in the broad road which leads
to destruction: and particularly they are very early guilty of lying; as soon
as they can speak
and before they can speak plain
they lisp out lies
which
they learn from their father the devil
who is the father of lies; and so they
continue all their days strangers to divine things
going astray from God
the
God of truth
continually doing abominations and speaking lies; which
continuance in these things makes the difference between reprobate men and God's
elect; for though the latter are the same by nature as the former
yet their
natures are restrained
before conversion
from going into all the sins they
are inclined to; and if not
yet at conversion a stop is put to their progress
in iniquity.
Psalm 58:4 4 Their poison is
like the poison of a serpent; They are like the deaf cobra that
stops its ear
YLT
4Their poison [is] as poison
of a serpent
As a deaf asp shutting its ear
Their poison is like the poison of a serpent
.... Either
their "wrath" and fury
as the wordF24חמת
θυμος
Sept. "furor"
V. L. may be rendered
against God
his people
and even one another
is like
that of a serpent when irritated and provoked; or their mischievous and
devouring words are like the poison of asps under their lips
Romans 3:13; or the
malignity of sin in them is here meant
which
like the poison of a serpent
is
latent
hid
and lurking in them; is very infectious to all the powers and
faculties of the soul
and members of the body; and is deadly and incurable
without the grace of God and blood of Christ;
they are like the deaf
adder that stoppeth her ear; the adder is a kind of
serpent
in Hebrew called "pethen"; hence the serpent
"Python". This is not
deaf naturally
otherwise it would have no
need to stop its ear
but of choice; and naturalistsF25Plin. Nat.
Hist. l. 8. c. 23. observe
that it is quicker of hearing than of sight. Jarchi
indeed says
when it grows old it becomes deaf in one of its ears
and it stops
its other ear with dust
that it may not hear the voice of the charmer; though
others sayF26Isidor. Hispal. Origin. l. 12. c. 4. it stops one ear
with its tail
and lays the other to the ground; but these seem fabulous. David
speaks of it figuratively
that it acts as if it was deaf
regarding no
enchantments
but bites notwithstanding; these having no influence on it
which
if they had any
could not be hindered by its deafness; and he compares
wicked men to it
who are wilfully deaf to all good counsel and advice given
themF1Vid. Gataker. Adversaria
c. 8. p. 70
&c. .
Psalm 58:5 5 Which will not heed the
voice of charmers
Charming ever so skillfully.
YLT
5Which hearkeneth not to the
voice of whisperers
A charmer of charms most skilful.
Which will not hearken to the voice of charmers
.... Or
"that use enchantments"
to enchant serpents
by muttering certain
words
or by magical songs; by which means it is said that they have been drawn
out of their holes
or caused to fly
or have become stupefied
and have lost
their poison
and even burst asunder; as BochartF2Hierozoic. par. 2.
l. 2. c. 6. col. 390. relates from Pliny
Aelianus
Lucan
Isidore
Virgil
Ovid
Horace
and others: but an "asp" is unmoved by enchantments
and they are of no avail against its bites and poisonF3Aelian. de
Animal. l. 1. c. 54. . Nor do these words suppose that the psalmist approved of
enchantments
or affirms the virtue of them to be real
but rather suggests the
contrary; he only takes his similitude from the seeming deafness and disregard
of serpents to enchantments
to set forth the obstinacy of wicked men: and
their resolution to continue in their wicked ways; like the serpent that
disregards men:
charming never so wisely; being "wise
skilful"F4חובר חברים
מחכם "incantantis incantationem periti"
Vatablus; "vel incantationes exercitati ac peritissimi"
Michaelis;
"of him that is made wise"
Ainsworth.
or made wise in enchanting
enchantments; one very learned and expert in the art; or in "associating
associations
skilful"F5"Jungentis conjunctiones
docti"
Montanus; "consociantis societates serpentum"
Michaelis. : who makes a consort of magical words to obtain his point
as some
think; or because by his enchantments he associates and gathers many serpents
together
and tames them; or because he does this by society and fellowship
with the devil; methods no ways approved of by the psalmist
only alluded to.
It may perhaps better be rendered
"which will not hearken to the voice of
the eloquent
putting things together ever so wisely": the word is used
for an eloquent orator
Isaiah 3:3. Such
Gospel ministers are
who are mighty in the Scriptures. The voice of the Gospel
is a charming voice; it publishes good news and glad tidings; it is a voice of
love
grace
and mercy
of peace
pardon
righteousness
and salvation by
Christ; and is wisely charmed when it gives no uncertain sound
is all of a
piece
and is faithfully preached
as it was by the apostles of Christ; who
as
wise men
laid him as the foundation of eternal life and salvation; and
especially as it was preached by Christ himself
who spake as never man did:
and yet
such were the hardness and obstinacy of the wicked Jews
that they
stopped their ears to his ministry
nor would they suffer others to attend upon
it; and so it is now: which shows the insufficiency of the best means of
themselves
and the necessity of powerful and efficacious grace
to work upon
the hearts of men.
Psalm 58:6 6 Break their teeth in their
mouth
O God! Break out the fangs of the young lions
O Lord!
YLT
6O God
break their teeth in
their mouth
The jaw-teeth of young lions break down
O Jehovah.
Break their teeth
O God
in their mouth
.... From the
description of the wicked
the psalmist passes to imprecations on his enemies;
whom he represents as cruel and bloodthirsty
and as being stronger than he;
and therefore he applies to God
who could
as he sometimes did
smite his
enemies on the cheekbone
and break the teeth of the ungodly; which is done by
taking the power and instruments of hurting from them: and it may be by
"their teeth in their mouth" may be meant their malicious words
calumnies
and detractions; teeth being the instrument of speech; and by
"breaking" them
preventing the mischief designed by them;
break out the great teeth of the young lions
O Lord: Saul was the
old lion; his princes
nobles
and courtiers
the young ones; whose jaw teeth
were as knives to devour David and his men
unless plucked out; or God in his
providence should interpose
and hinder the performance of their mischievous
and cruel designs; and who could easily destroy them by his blast
and by the
breath of his nostrils
Job 4:9.
Psalm 58:7 7 Let them flow away as
waters which run continually; When he bends his bow
Let
his arrows be as if cut in pieces.
YLT
7They are melted as waters
They go up and down for themselves
His arrow proceedeth as they cut themselves
off.
Let them melt away as waters which run continually
.... Let them
be disheartened
and their courage fail them
and let there be no spirit left
in them
Joshua 7:5; or let
them be unstable as water that is continually running
ever upon the flux and
motion; let them never be settled
but always changing in their state and
circumstances
Genesis 49:4; or
let them "come to nought"
as the Septuagint and Vulgate Latin
versions; which is the case of water that runs over or runs away: or "let
them be despised"
as Jarchi
and the Arabic
Syriac
and Ethiopic
versions; being useless and unprofitable
as water is when passed and gone: or
let their ruin and destruction be as swift as the gliding water; let them be
brought to desolation in a moment; Job 24:18; and let
it be irrecoverable
as water running over the cup
and scattering itself
is
spilled upon the ground
and cannot be gathered up
2 Samuel 14:14. The
Targum is
"let
them melt in their sins as water;'
when he bendeth his
bow to shoot his arrows
let them be as cut in pieces; either when
the wicked man bends his bow to shoot his arrows against the righteous; when he
devises
his chief against him
shoots out bitter words
and attempts to do
hurt unto him; let it be as if the string of his bow and his arrows were all
cut to pieces; let all his designs
words
and actions
be without effect
and
let not his hand perform his enterprise: or when God bends his bow against the
wicked
so Jarchi; and prepares the instruments of death for them
and ordains
his arrows against the persecutors
Psalm 7:12; let
then his and his people's enemies be cut off
as the tops of the ears of corn;
as the word used signifies
Job 24:24. The
words may be rendered
"let him (God) direct his arrows; as the tops of
the ears of corn are cut off"F6כמו יתמללו "concidantur
succidantur instar
spicarum"
Michaelis. ; so let them be.
Psalm 58:8 8 Let them be
like a snail which melts away as it goes
Like a stillborn child of a
woman
that they may not see the sun.
YLT
8As a snail that melteth he
goeth on
[As] an untimely birth of a woman
They have not seen the sun.
As a snail which melteth
let everyone of them pass
away
.... As a snail when it comes out of its shell liquefies
drops
its moisture
and with it makes a "path"
from whence it has its name
שבלול
in the Hebrew language; and so the Targum
here
"as
the snail moistens its way;'
which
moistness it gradually exhausts
and melts away
and dies: so the psalmist
prays that everyone of his enemies might die in like manner. Some think
reference is had to the snail's putting out its horns to no purpose when in
danger
and apply it to the vain threatenings of the wicked; a strange
difference this
between a roaring young lion
Psalm 58:6
and a
melting snail. The Septuagint
Vulgate Latin
and all the Oriental versions
render it
"as wax which melteth": see Psalm 68:2;
like the untimely
birth of a woman
that they may not see the sun; see Job 3:16. The
Targum is
"as
an abortive and a mole
which are blind and see not the sun.'
So
Jarchi renders it a "mole"
agreeably to the TalmudF7T.
Bab. Moed Katon
fol. 6. 2. . Or
"let them not see the sun"F8בל חזו שמש
"ne videant solem"
Pagninus
Montanus. ; let them die
and never see
the sun in the firmament any more; Christ
the sun of righteousness; nor enjoy
the favour of God
and the light of his countenance; nor have the light of
life
or eternal glory and happiness; see Psalm 49:19.
Psalm 58:9 9 Before your pots can feel the
burning thorns
He shall take them away as with a whirlwind
As in His
living and burning wrath.
YLT
9Before your pots discern
the bramble
As well the raw as the heated He whirleth away.
Before your pots can feel the thorns
.... Which is
soon done; for as dry thorns make a great blaze
so they give a quick heat; the
pots soon feel them
or the water in them soon receives heat from them. From
imprecations the psalmist proceeds to prophesy
and foretells the sudden
destruction of wicked men
which would be before a pot could be heated with a
blaze of thorns. The Targum is
"before
the wicked become tender
they harden as the thorn:'
that
is
they never become tender
or have any tender consciences
but are hardened
in sin from their infancy. Some render the words
"before your thorns grow
up to a brier" or "bramble"F9Tigurine version. ;
little thorns become great ones
tender thorns hard ones
as Jarchi; that is
as he interprets it
before the children of the wicked are grown up
they are
destroyed; those sons of Belial
who are like to thorns thrust away
2 Samuel 23:6.
Others
as Aben Ezra
"before they understand"; that is
wise and
knowing men; "that your thorns are a bramble"; or from lesser ones
are become greater; and so denotes
as before
the suddenness and quickness of
their destruction
as follows:
he
that is
God
shall take them away as with a whirlwind: not to
himself
as Enoch; nor to heaven
whither Elijah went up by a whirlwind; but
out of the land of the living
and as with a tempest
to hell
where snares
fire
and brimstone
are rained upon them; see Job 27:20;
both living
and in his wrath: when in
health and full strength
and so go quick to hell; as Korah and his company
alive into the earth; and all in wrath and sore displeasure: for the righteous
are also taken away; but then it is from the evil to come
and to everlasting
happiness; and through many tempestuous providences
which are in love
and for
their good
do they enter the kingdom: and those that are alive at Christ's
coming will be caught up to meet him in the air; but the wicked are taken away
as in a whirlwind
alive
and in wrath.
Psalm 58:10 10 The righteous shall
rejoice when he sees the vengeance; He shall wash his feet in the blood of the
wicked
YLT
10The righteous rejoiceth
that he hath seen vengeance
His steps he washeth in the blood of the wicked.
The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance
.... Before
imprecated and foretold; the punishment inflicted by the Lord
to whom
vengeance belongs
in a way of vindictive wrath; for what befalls the wicked in
an afflictive way is in wrath
and as a vengeance upon them: and as the
judgments of God are sometimes manifest
are to be seen
they are observed by
the righteous
who rejoice at them; not as evils and miseries simply
considered
nor from a private affection; but as the glory of divine justice is
displayed therein
and the goodness of God is shown to them
by delivering them
out of their hands; see Revelation 18:20;
he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked; which denotes
the great destruction of the wicked
and the abundance of blood that shall be
shed; see Revelation 14:20;
and the entire victory the saints shall have over them
and their security from
them
Psalm 68:21; as
well as the satisfaction
and pleasure and refreshment
as it were
they shall
have in their destruction; signified by their feet being washed in their blood
instead of being washed in water
usual in the eastern countries; because of
the glory of the divine perfections appearing therein. The Septuagint
Vulgate
Latin
and all the Oriental versions
read
"his hands".
Psalm 58:11 11 So that men will say
“Surely
there is a reward for the righteous; Surely He is God who judges in the
earth.”
YLT
11And man saith: `Surely
fruit [is] for the righteous: Surely there is a God judging in the earth!'
So that a man shall say
.... Any man
and every
man
especially
that is observing
wise
and knowing; he shall conclude
from
such a dispensation of things
from God's dealing with the wicked after this
manner:
verily
there is a reward for the righteous; or
"fruit"F11פרי
"fructus"
V. L. Pagninus
Montanus
&c. for them: they have the
fruits of divine love
the blessings of an everlasting covenant; and the fruit
of Christ
the tree of life
which is sweet unto their taste
as are the
benefits of his death
his word and ordinances; and the fruits of the Spirit
his several graces wrought in their souls; and the fruits of righteousness
the
effect of which is peace; and is a reward they receive in
though not for
keeping the commands of God; and they gather fruit unto eternal life
which is
the recompence of reward
the reward of the inheritance
the great reward in
heaven
which remains for them; and which they shall have
not for their own
righteousness's sake
but for the sake of Christ's righteousness; from which
they are denominated righteous persons
and which gives them a right and title
to it: so that this is a reward
not of debt as due to them
and to be claimed
by them on account of any thing they have done; but of grace
streaming through
the blood and righteousness of Christ;
verily
he is a God that judgeth in the earth; that there is
a God is known by the judgments that he executeth; and that he judgeth in the
earth
and is the Judge of all the earth
who will do right
may be concluded
from the vengeance inflicted on wicked men; and he will one day judge the world
in righteousness
by him whom he has ordained to be Judge of quick and dead.
The words in the Hebrew text are in the plural number
אלהים
שפטים
"gods that judge": which Kimchi and
Ben Melech say is on account of honour; or as they
with Aben Ezra
interpret
it
of the angels: but these are not judges in the earth; rather it is
expressive of a trinity of Persons in the Godhead
Father
Son
and Spirit. The
Father is the Judge of all
though he does not execute judgment; but has
committed it to the Son
who is Judge of quick and dead; and the Spirit judges
reproves
and convinces the world of sin
righteousness
and judgment.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)