Commentary - Psalm 58:1-5

Bird's-eye view

Psalm 58 is a blistering indictment of corrupt human judges. David, writing a Mikhtam, or a "golden" psalm, confronts the powerful men who are supposed to represent God's justice on earth but who instead traffic in wickedness. He begins with a sharp, rhetorical cross-examination, exposing their internal corruption and its violent external results. The psalm then diagnoses the root of the problem: total depravity. These men are not merely mistaken; they are wicked from their origin, estranged from God from birth. David uses the potent image of a deaf serpent to describe their willful, obstinate refusal to listen to truth or reason. This psalm is a raw cry for God's justice in a world where human justice has been thoroughly perverted, reminding the righteous that while men may fail, there is a God who judges on the earth.

The musical direction, Al-tashheth ("Do Not Destroy"), provides a crucial framework. While David calls down judgment on the wicked, the title suggests a plea for the preservation of God's people in the midst of this corruption. It is a prayer that God would destroy the wicked systems and their purveyors, but not His own covenant people. This is not a call for blanket destruction, but for a targeted, righteous judgment that distinguishes between the wicked and the righteous.

Outline

Context In Psalms

This psalm belongs to a collection of psalms that grapple with the problem of evil, particularly the evil perpetrated by those in positions of authority. It shares a thematic link with psalms like Psalm 12, which laments the disappearance of the godly, and Psalm 82, which also directly confronts corrupt "gods" or earthly rulers. The heading attributes the psalm to David, and it reflects the many instances in his life when he was the victim of unjust rulings and malicious plots from men in power, most notably King Saul. The Mikhtam designation, also found on Psalms 16 and 56-60, may indicate a particularly precious or skillfully crafted psalm, and its content is certainly weighty. The direction Al-tashheth connects it to Psalms 57, 59, and 75, suggesting a common tune or theme of divine preservation in the face of destructive threats.

Key Issues

Commentary

For the choir director. Al-tashheth. Of David. A Mikhtam.

The superscriptions in the psalms are part of the inspired text, and we should not neglect them. They are the stage directions from the Divine Author. "For the choir director" tells us this is for public worship. This is not a private journal entry; it is a song for the covenant community to sing together. "Al-tashheth" means "Do Not Destroy," a musical setting that frames the psalm's harsh requests for judgment with an overarching plea for preservation. David is saying, "God, deal with them, but do not destroy us." It is a prayer for discriminating judgment. It is a psalm of David, the king who knew firsthand the treachery of unjust courts. And it is a Mikhtam, a term whose exact meaning is lost to us but is often thought to mean a "golden" or "inscribed" psalm, indicating its value and importance.

Verse 1: Do you indeed speak righteousness, O gods? Do you judge with equity, O sons of men?

David opens with a blistering set of rhetorical questions, like a prosecutor addressing a corrupt jury. He is not genuinely asking for information. He is setting a trap. The word translated "gods" here is elim. This isn't a reference to idols or pagan deities. In the Old Testament, human rulers, magistrates, and judges are sometimes called "gods" because they are God's delegated authorities on earth. They wield power on His behalf and are meant to mirror His justice (see Psalm 82:6). So David addresses them by their high and lofty title, "O gods," only to immediately contrast it with their humble origin, "O sons of men." You have a grand title, but you are just men, born of Adam. The question hangs in the air: are you living up to your job description? Are you speaking righteousness? Are you judging with equity? The implied answer is a thunderous "No."

Verse 2: No, in heart you work unrighteousness; On earth you prepare a path for the violence of your hands.

Here is the answer. The silence of the accused is filled by David's indictment. The problem is not a simple mistake or a miscalculation. The corruption is located "in heart." This is a foundational biblical principle: the heart of the problem is the problem of the heart. All our external wickedness flows from an internal fountain of corruption. They don't just stumble into injustice; they "work" it, they craft it, they fashion it in their hearts. And what is the result? "On earth you prepare a path for the violence of your hands." The Hebrew for "prepare a path" can also be translated as "weigh out." This suggests a deliberate, calculated evil. They are putting injustice on the scales and tipping them in favor of violence. This is not random chaos; it is carefully measured and dispensed wickedness, perpetrated by the very men appointed to stop it.

Verse 3: The wicked are estranged from the womb; These who speak falsehood wander in error from birth.

David now performs a deep diagnosis. Why are these judges so corrupt? Is it a lack of education? A bad environment? No, the root goes much deeper. This verse is one of the clearest biblical statements on the doctrine of original sin. The wicked are "estranged from the womb." From the moment of their conception and birth, they are alienated from God. The sinful nature we inherit from Adam means we are not born as neutral observers who later choose a side. We are born in rebellion, turned inward on ourselves, estranged from our Creator. "These who speak falsehood wander in error from birth." This does not mean that infants are telling articulate lies in the crib. It means that the trajectory of their nature is bent toward falsehood and error from the very beginning. Sin is not a learned behavior; it is an inherited condition. And until the grace of God intervenes, that trajectory is fixed.

Verse 4: They have venom like the venom of a serpent; Like a deaf cobra that stops up its ear,

Having diagnosed the disease, David now provides a vivid illustration of its effects. Their nature is not just flawed; it is poisonous. "They have venom like the venom of a serpent." This points directly to their words, their decrees, their judgments. What comes out of their mouths is not life and justice, but death and destruction. The serpent imagery, of course, takes us right back to the garden and the original lie of the devil. But it is the second half of the verse that is most striking. They are "like a deaf cobra that stops up its ear." This is not an inability to hear, but a refusal to hear. It is a willful, obstinate, determined deafness.

Verse 5: So that it does not hear the voice of charmers, Or a skillful caster of spells.

This verse completes the image. The ancient world had snake charmers who would use music to soothe and control serpents. But this cobra is beyond their reach. It actively plugs its own ears so that it cannot hear the music. Even the most "skillful caster of spells," the most eloquent persuader, cannot get through. This is a picture of total, willful depravity. The law is proclaimed, the gospel is offered, wisdom cries out in the streets, but the wicked man shoves his fingers in his ears. He loves his wickedness and will not be parted from it. He is not a victim of ignorance; he is a perpetrator of rebellion. This is why a simple appeal to reason or morality is insufficient to change the wicked heart. The problem is not a lack of information, but a love of darkness, and only a sovereign work of God can unstop those ears.