1 To the chief musician; Al-tascheth, of David, Michtam.
2 Silence indeed! do ye speak righteousness? Do ye judge equitably, sons of men?
3 Yea, in heart ye work iniquities; in the earth ye weigh the violence of your hands.
4 The wicked are estranged from the womb; they err from the birth (belly), speaking lies.
5 They have poison after the likeness of the poison of a serpent, as the deaf adder which stoppeth its ear,
6 Which will not hearken to the voice of enchanters, of one charming charms most wise.
7 O God, destroy their teeth in their mouth; shatter the great teeth of the young lions, O Jehovah.
8 Let them melt away as waters, let them go away; when he sendeth his arrows, be they as those cut off.
9 As a snail melteth, let them pass; as abortion of a woman, let them not see the sun.
10 Before your pots feel a thorn, whether green or burning, let them whirl away.
11 The righteous one shall rejoice, for he hath seen vengeance; his steps he shall wash in the blood of the wicked one;
12 And a man shall say, Surely the righteous one hath fruit; surely there is a God judging in the earth.
Notes on Psalm 58
This likewise is “To the chief musician, Al-tascheth, of David, Michtam.”
Here we have the solemn warning of the righteous, and the call of God to execute that judgment on the living wicked which will deliver the godly Jew of the future and clear the earth for the reign of Him Who is alike Son of David and Son of man, and with divine complacency as He is Son of God, yea the true God and eternal life. It is inconceivable that any unprejudiced mind could fail to see that the psalm, the due sequel of those before it, expresses not in the least the sentiments proper to those that now confess the Divine Saviour and are therefore the sharers of His long-suffering grace toward the evil and injurious, but the desire for long-slumbering and righteous vengeance of God on the iniquity that will then rise to a prouder lawlessness than ever. The time for patience will then be past; and most holy will it be for those who then fear God and are in the secret of His ways to pray for His judgment on His and their enemies (who are in truth the same). And the time is at hand; but the Spirit gives them to anticipate it, whilst preserving them from carnal measures. Even a tear of the eye God puts into His bottle, as the figure is, and His vows are on them—they are consciously devoted to Him. They look for His exaltation above the heavens, for His glory above all the earth; but this not as Christians do by being gathered together to Christ on high, but here below by His crushing destruction of the wicked, who would have swallowed them up. Lions they may be, and with the poison of serpents; yet they melt as snails when He appears in His glory, and the sword that proceeds from His mouth prepares the scene for the throne of His glory over the earth. Israel will be the vessel of God’s earthly righteousness in that day; as we ought to express the grace and glory of Christ in heaven now. Hence the godly Jew rightly utters his satisfaction at the terrible things in righteousness with which the God of their salvation will answer their prayer.
The next two psalms are part of the group which began with 55, itself closely following in spirit those that precede. In these we do well to trace the varying shades of iniquity in their enemies which by the Spirit of Christ had a blessed counterpoise in God’s ways toward them, as we see historically in David with his adversaries within and without. All things work together for good to those that love God, though we by grace learn in light what the godly Jews spell out in the dark. God is the defense, “the God of my mercy.” Evil never improves but grows worse till divine judgment. Thus God is right in our defeat, for evil is then in us even if unperceived: else He would uphold the banner He has given us. He cannot sustain pride in His people but dependence only. Even so faith looks to Clod and will surely receive His deliverance.