Psalm 58

Psalm 58

A Psalm about the Terribly Wicked Among Us

who show

constant opposition to God.

They refuse to submit to righteousness.

-

This Psalm explains the certainty

of the

Downfall of the Wicked.

Note:

This psalm is a very difficult one to interpret.

I am giving you my best understanding.

Verse 1

Do ye indeed speak righteousness, O congregation?

do ye judge uprightly, O ye sons of men?

Elem

The word "Congregation" is translated from the Hebrew word " elem. " 

The word translated "elem - congregation" is only used

once in the Bible. Its meaning is not certain. 

Some translators think it means

"silence."

For example the translation could be,

"Do you indeed in silence speak righteousness?"

Meaning -

They are silent when they should speak for righteous verdicts.

All Hebrew words in the Bible

are only

consonants.

None of the words in the Hebrew Bible

are written with vowels in them. 

So...

The Hebrew word translated "congregation" 

has no vowels in it. 

So the word "Elem" might be the word "Elim."

Elim

Some scholars believe that the word being translated is not "elem" but the Hebrew word "elim."

If the word is actually "elim,"

then that would draw translators to chose

a translation such as...

  "Oh, ye gods" or "sons of God" or "mighty ones." 

If "elim" is true,

then the translation could be:

"Do you indeed, O ye gods, speak righteousness?"

Oh ye gods...

Oh, ye gods 

(or... sons of God or... mighty ones)

This could refer to the wicked fallen angels

or

this could refer to earthly judges

who give injustice instead of just verdicts.

See our page Psalm 82 where the concept of

 - calling a person "god" who is in legal authority - 

is explained in a video. 

Here is a quick snapshot of that page ...

In Psalm 82, God speaks of evil earthly judges as "gods"

and he does it in anger not in a literal sense.

God in anger refers to their "position" as civil judges who

are supposed to rule in place of God on this earth -

meaning... to rule as God would and render righteous

judgements.

But they do not.

Many scholars believe the this word

"elim"

refers to fallen angels that interfere in the affairs of men.

If that is the correct interpretation,

then

part of the verse is referring to fallen angels and

part of the verse is referring to earthly wicked judges.

Righteousness

"Righteousness" is a key word in verse one.

Some or all of the people being spoken about

in verse 1

are earthly evil judges

in the courts of law.

Earthly judges should reflect the

righteousness and justice of God.

The word translated "righteousness" can be translated "Justly."

You might want to see verse one in various translations shown here...

https://biblehub.com/psalms/58-1.htm

Do ye indeed speak righteousness, O congregation?

do ye judge uprightly, O ye sons of men?

"Sons of Men"

The last three words of the verse

Some scholars think the phrase translated "sons of men" refers to evil judges who judge legal cases.  So the translation would be, "Do you judge uprightly you judges of men?"

Here the "sons of men" would be men placed in seats of authority to preside over justice, and they turned their backs on justice and fairness. See my page Psalm 82 for more information on that.

Other scholars think the translation should be "Do you judge uprightly the sons of men?

(Sons of men would be referring to the people who come before their court for justice.)

So

there is some disagreement on several aspects of

the interpretation of this verse.

My Personal Belief at this time,

is that it all refers to earthly wicked judges.

So I translate

the first part of verse 1 as...

"Do you indeed, O ye gods, speak righteousness?"

(The obvious answer is "No, they don't.")

This does not mean that

the Bible is saying that there is more than one god.

Those words are being used in the same way as

Psalm 82 uses them.

I have posted a video on that page to fully explain. 

Please go to Psalm 82 and check out that video.

And I translate

the second part of verse 1 as...

"Do ye judge uprightly, O ye sons of men?"

(The obvious answer is "No, they don't.")

And I believe "sons of men" reminds the evil judges

that they are

not gods but just human men.

However, this verse is difficult to interpret.

Again:

The job of these judges was

to represent God.

They were given the power to rule

as God himself would rule.

~

Instead,

these powerful "mighty ones"

turned their back on their purpose

and followed their own desires.

Verse 2

2 Yea, in heart ye work wickedness;

ye weigh the violence of your hands in the earth.

Note the second half of verse 2

You weigh out (you give out) violence (injustice or cruelty) by your hands.

(The "hands" of a judge are powerful for justice or injustice.)

You might want to see verse two in various translations shown here...

https://biblehub.com/psalms/58-2.htm

These men are supposed to weigh out

with scales of justice.

But they choose injustice.

Verse 3

3 The wicked are estranged from the womb:

they go astray as soon as they be born,

speaking lies.

They are estranged from God and his Word.

The people referred to here are specific kinds of people.

This verse appears to tell us that

the wicked ones that are referred to in this psalm

are people

who never had their hearts touched

by the needs of others.

People whose thoughts were

evil continually from a young child.

A person who was - all his life - estranged from God

and God's Word.

A person who fought

against the principles

that God created for us to live under.

Verse 4-5

4 Their poison is like the poison of a serpent: they are like the deaf adder that stoppeth her ear;

5 Which will not hearken to the voice of charmers, charming never so wisely.

These evil men are like serpents.

Note:

Satan is referred to as a serpent.

And these men follow Satan knowingly or unknowingly.

Deaf Adder

This passage talks about a snake that cannot hear the voice of a charmer so it does as it pleases. It cannot be "tamed."

These evil ones referred to in this psalm, do as they please.

They will not be tamed.

They will not listen to reason.

They are deaf to appeals to righteousness.

Jeremiah 8:17 is a Bible verse that refers to snake charming.

Verse 6-9

6 Break their teeth, O God, in their mouth:
break out the great teeth of the young lions, O Lord.

7 Let them melt away as waters which run continually: when he bendeth his bow to shoot his arrows,
let them be as cut in pieces.

8 As a snail which melteth,
let every one of them pass away:
like the untimely birth of a woman,
that they may not see the sun.

9 Before your pots can feel the thorns,
he shall take them away as with a whirlwind,
both living, and in his wrath.

In verse 6,

the evil ones are referred to as lions.

Verses 7-8...

Break their power.

Let them melt away and vanish. 

(Snails seem to be melting as they leave their slime.)

Render them powerless and defeated.

Verse 9 - Do it quickly.

* * * 

In this section,
the psalm is describing the future of the evil ones
if they do not repent.

~

God's wrath toward these evil ones

will be their future wages for their sins.

~

God's Wrath is an expression of his holiness. 

He gives us time on earth to turn to him

and thus avoid

the wrath of God which will come one day.

Isaiah 55:6-7 NKJV

Seek the Lord while He may be found,

Call upon Him while He is near.

⁷ Let the wicked forsake his way,

And the unrighteous man his thoughts;

Let him return to the Lord,

And He will have mercy on him;

And to our God,

For He will abundantly pardon.

Hebrews 3:15 NKJV

Today, if you will hear His voice,

Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.

Verses 10-11

10 The righteous shall rejoice
when he seeth the vengeance:
he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.

11 So that a man shall say,
Verily there is a reward for the righteous:
verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth.

Those evil ones who never turn an ear to God

nor give compassion toward their fellow man

will one day

be paid for their wages of injustice

and all their sinful acts.

~

The righteous ones rejoice

over righteousness.

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