Faithlife Study Bible (Biblia.com)

58:title–11 In this corporate lament psalm (meant for group use), the psalmist curses his enemies and petitions God to punish them. He accuses the rulers of the earth of injustice (vv. 1–2), and then describes the actions of the wicked (vv. 3–5) and asks God to destroy them (vv. 6–9). Finally, he describes the reaction of the righteous: They will rejoice because God has carried out justice (vv. 10–11).

Justice

58:title music director See note on 4:title.

Do not Destroy See note on 57:title.

Of David See note on 3:title.

A miktam See note on 16:title.

58:2 in your heart you plan injustices The psalmist concludes that rulers do not judge righteously (see v. 1). Instead, they are characterized by wickedness (awlah; see note on 107:42) and violence (chamas; see note on Gen 16:5).

58:3–5 The wicked are characterized by deceit. The psalmist shows the extent of their wickedness by describing them as evil from birth. He describes their wickedness as poison (Ps 140:3; see note on Job 20:16): They are as dangerous as snakes that ignore their charmers (Jer 8:17).

Serpent DBI

Serpent ZEB Q—Z

58:6–9 In this section, the psalmist speaks graphically as he calls on God to destroy the wicked. These types of statements—common in the Psalms (Ps 109:6–20; 137:8–9)—seem harsh in light of other statements about loving enemies (e.g., Prov 25:21; Matt 5:44). However, the psalmist does not merely seek revenge; he asks God to enact justice. He desires that the wicked perish so that righteousness will triumph over wickedness. If God fails to punish the wicked, His righteousness, justice, and power may come into question (see Ps 10:2–11 and notes).

Imprecations in the Psalms EBC Ps—So

Imprecatory Psalms OUP

58:6 break their teeth Means destroying the effectiveness of an enemy.Q

58:8 that do not see the sun The psalmist wishes that his enemies, whom he describes as wicked from the womb (v. 3), would have died there. See note on v. 6.

The Hebrew word used here, nephel (which may be translated “stillborn child”), occurs only three times in the ot. In lamenting his own misfortune, Job wished the same thing on himself (see Job 3:16 and note). The author of Ecclesiastes stated that an unsatisfied person is worse off than a stillborn child (see Eccl 6:3 and note).

58:9 a thornbush Just as thorns burn quickly (see note on Ps 118:12; note on Eccl 7:6), the psalmist anticipates that destruction will come quickly to his enemies.

58:10 The righteous will rejoice The righteous respond to God’s punishment of the wicked by rejoicing because justice has been restored (compare note on Psa 58:6–9). His vengeance on the wicked is closely tied to His vindication of the righteous (Deut 32:35–36). The righteous delight because God’s justice prevails over wickedness.

58:11 Surely there is a reward for the righteous God’s punishment of the wicked testifies to the reality of God’s justice. Because the wicked do not go unpunished, humankind recognizes God as a righteous judge.

	About Faithlife Study Bible Faithlife Study Bible (FSB) is your guide to the ancient world of the Old and New Testaments, with study notes and articles that draw from a wide range of academic research. FSB helps you learn how to think about interpretation methods and issues so that you can gain a deeper understanding of the text.
Copyright	Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software.
Support Info	fsb

Table of Contents

About Faithlife Study Bible