Articles on

Psalm 58

Psa. 58:1 KJV (With Strong’s)

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<<To the chief Musician
natsach (Hebrew #5329)
properly, to glitter from afar, i.e. to be eminent (as a superintendent, especially of the Temple services and its music); also (as denominative from 5331), to be permanent
KJV usage: excel, chief musician (singer), oversee(-r), set forward.
Pronounce: naw-tsakh'
Origin: a primitive root
, νAl-taschith
'Al (Hebrew #516)
Thou must not destroy; probably the opening words to a popular song
KJV usage: Al-taschith.
Pronounce: tashcheth
Origin: from 408 and 7843
, Michtam
miktam (Hebrew #4387)
an engraving, i.e. (techn.) a poem
KJV usage: Michtam.
Pronounce: mik-tawm'
Origin: from 3799
of David
David (Hebrew #1732)
Daviyd {daw-veed'}; from the same as 1730; loving; David, the youngest son of Jesse
KJV usage: David.
Pronounce: daw-veed'
Origin: rarely (fully)
.>> Do ye indeed
'umnam (Hebrew #552)
an orthographical variation of 551
KJV usage: in (very) deed; of a surety.
Pronounce: oom-nawm'
speak
dabar (Hebrew #1696)
perhaps properly, to arrange; but used figuratively (of words), to speak; rarely (in a destructive sense) to subdue
KJV usage: answer, appoint, bid, command, commune, declare, destroy, give, name, promise, pronounce, rehearse, say, speak, be spokesman, subdue, talk, teach, tell, think, use (entreaties), utter, X well, X work.
Pronounce: daw-bar'
Origin: a primitive root
righteousness
tsedeq (Hebrew #6664)
the right (natural, moral or legal); also (abstractly) equity or (figuratively) prosperity
KJV usage: X even, (X that which is altogether) just(-ice), ((un-))right(-eous) (cause, -ly, - ness).
Pronounce: tseh'-dek
Origin: from 6663
, O congregation
'elem (Hebrew #482)
silence (i.e. mute justice)
KJV usage: congregation. Compare 3128.
Pronounce: ay'-lem
Origin: from 481
? do ye judge
shaphat (Hebrew #8199)
to judge, i.e. pronounce sentence (for or against); by implication, to vindicate or punish; by extenssion, to govern; passively, to litigate (literally or figuratively)
KJV usage: + avenge, X that condemn, contend, defend, execute (judgment), (be a) judge(-ment), X needs, plead, reason, rule.
Pronounce: shaw-fat'
Origin: a primitive root
uprightly
meyshar (Hebrew #4339)
evenness, i.e. (figuratively) prosperity or concord; also straightness, i.e. (figuratively) rectitude (only in plural with singular sense; often adverbially)
KJV usage: agreement, aright, that are equal, equity, (things that are) right(-eously, things), sweetly, upright(-ly, -ness).
Pronounce: may-shawr'
Origin: from 3474
, O ye sons
ben (Hebrew #1121)
a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like 1, 251, etc.))
KJV usage: + afflicted, age, (Ahoh-) (Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-)ite, (anoint-)ed one, appointed to, (+) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-)ian, one born, bough, branch, breed, + (young) bullock, + (young) calf, X came up in, child, colt, X common, X corn, daughter, X of first, + firstborn, foal, + very fruitful, + postage, X in, + kid, + lamb, (+) man, meet, + mighty, + nephew, old, (+) people, + rebel, + robber, X servant born, X soldier, son, + spark, + steward, + stranger, X surely, them of, + tumultuous one, + valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth.
Pronounce: bane
Origin: from {SI 11129}1129{/SI}
of men
'adam (Hebrew #120)
ruddy i.e. a human being (an individual or the species, mankind, etc.)
KJV usage: X another, + hypocrite, + common sort, X low, man (mean, of low degree), person.
Pronounce: aw-dawm'
Origin: from 119
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ν
or, Destroy not, A golden Psalm of David.

More on:

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Cross References

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Ministry on This Verse

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1-2:  David reproves wicked judges;
3-5:  describes the nature of the wicked;
6-9:  devotes them to God's judgments;
10-11:  whereat the righteous shall rejoice.
(Title.)
{Al-taschith.}
or, Destroy not.
A golden Psalm.
Do.
Psa. 72:1‑4• 1Of Solomon.{HR}Give the king thy judgments, O God,{HR}And thy righteousness, unto the king's son.
2He shall judge thy people with righteousness{HR}And thine afflicted with judgment.
3The mountains shall bring peace to the people,{HR}And the hills in righteousness.
4He will judge the afflicted of the people,{HR}He will save the sons of the needy,{HR}And will crush the oppressor.
(Psa. 72:1‑4)
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Deut. 16:18‑19• 18Judges and officers shalt thou make thee in all thy gates, which Jehovah thy God giveth thee, throughout thy tribes, that they may judge the people with just judgment.
19Thou shalt not wrest judgment; thou shalt not respect persons, neither take a bribe; for the bribe blindeth the eyes of the wise, and perverteth the words of the righteous.
(Deut. 16:18‑19)
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2 Sam. 23:3• 3The God of Israel said,{HR}The Rock of Israel spake to me,{HR}He that ruleth over men must be just,{HR}Ruling in the fear of God. (2 Sam. 23:3)
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2 Chron. 19:6‑7• 6And he said to the judges, Take heed what ye do; for ye judge not for man, but for Jehovah, who will be with you in the matter of judgment.
7And now, let the terror of Jehovah be upon you; be careful what ye do, for there is no iniquity with Jehovah, nor respect of persons, nor taking of presents.
(2 Chron. 19:6‑7)
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Isa. 11:3‑5• 3and his delight will be in the fear of Jehovah: and he will not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears:
4but with righteousness will he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he will smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips will he slay the wicked [one].
5And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.
(Isa. 11:3‑5)
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Isa. 32:1• 1Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment. (Isa. 32:1)
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Jer. 23:5‑6• 5Behold the days come, saith Jehovah, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.
6In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, JEHOVAH OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.
(Jer. 23:5‑6)
O congregation.
Psa. 82:1‑2• 1A psalm of Asaph.{HR}God standeth in the assembly of God ;{HR}He judgeth among the gods .
2How long will ye judge unjustly{HR}And respect the person of the wicked? Selah.
(Psa. 82:1‑2)
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Num. 11:16• 16And Jehovah said to Moses, Gather unto me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom thou knowest to be the elders of the people, and their officers; and take them to the tent of meeting, and they shall stand there with thee. (Num. 11:16)
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Deut. 1:15‑16• 15So I took the chiefs of your tribes, wise men and known, and made them chiefs over you, captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds, and captains of fifties, and captains of tens, and officers for your tribes.
16And I commanded your judges at that time, saying, Hear the causes between your brethren, and judge righteously between a man and his brother, and him also that sojourneth with him.
(Deut. 1:15‑16)
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2 Sam. 5:3• 3So all the elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron; and King David made a league with them in Hebron before Jehovah: and they anointed David king over Israel. (2 Sam. 5:3)
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Matt. 26:3• 3Then the chief priests and the elders of the people were gathered together to the palace of the high priest who was called Caiaphas, (Matt. 26:3)
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Matt. 27:1• 1And when it was morning all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus so that they might put him to death. (Matt. 27:1)
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Luke 23:50‑51• 50And behold, a man named Joseph, being a councillor and a good and righteous man
51(he had not consented to their counsel and deed), from Arimathaea a city of the Jews, who waited for the kingdom of God,
(Luke 23:50‑51)
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Acts 5:21• 21And when they heard they entered about dawn into the temple and were teaching. And when the high priest arrived and those with him, they called together the council and all the senate of the sons of Israel, and sent unto the jail to have them brought. (Acts 5:21)
O ye.
 Book 2, Series 2. The Great Tribulation. (“The Placement of the Psalms in Prophecy” by B. Anstey)
 The force of the psalm is this: the wicked as such are hopeless as to amendment, but God will judge them; so that men will see that there is a reward for the righteous and a God that judgeth the earth. (Practical Reflections on the Psalms: Psalms 55-58 by J.N. Darby)
 (vv. 1-5) The first portion of the psalm describes the condition of the world immediately preceding the judgment of the living nations. (Psalm 58 by H. Smith)
 This psalm describes the condition of things in the land of Israel just prior to the Lord’s coming (the appearing of Christ) to deliver the godly remnant. (Book 2. by B. Anstey)
 The government in the land under Antichrist, the willful king (Dan. 11:36-39), is seen as wholly corrupted. The judges (government officials, etc.) work wickedness and violence. All righteousness is gone (vs. 1-5). (Book 2. by B. Anstey)

J. N. Darby Translation

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To the chief Musician. ’Destroy not.’ Of David. Michtamf. Is righteousness indeed silent? Do ye speak itp? Do ye judge with equity, ye sons of men?

JND Translation Notes

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f
See Ps. 16.
p
Some would read "Do ye mighty ones indeed speak righteousness?"

W. Kelly Translation

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To the chief musician, Al-taschetha , of David, Michtamb .{HR}Silence indeedc! do ye speak righteousness?{HR}Do ye judge equitably, sons of men?

WK Translation Notes

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a
Destroy not.
b
See title of Psa. 16. Dr. J. A. Alexander prefers "a secret."
c
Dathe and others punctuate differently, and in verse 1 for "silence," or dumbness, read gods, that is, "judges." The Sept. and Syriac omit the word which makes the difficulty.