Psalm 58

This article is about Psalm 58 in Hebrew (Masoretic) numbering. For Psalm 58 in Greek Septuagint or Latin Vulgate numbering, see Psalm 59.
Psalm 58
"Do ye indeed speak righteousness, O congregation?"
Psalm 58 from Thomas Ravenscroft's Psalter: The Whole Booke of Psalmes
Other name
  • Psalm 57
  • "Si vere utique"
LanguageHebrew (original)

Psalm 58 is the 58th psalm of the Book of Psalms, beginning in English in the King James Version: "Do ye indeed speak righteousness, O congregation?". In the slightly different numbering system of the Greek Septuagint version of the Bible and the Latin Vulgate, this psalm is Psalm 57. In Latin, it is known as Si vere utique.[1][2]

It is one of six psalms labeled a michtam, which may mean an "engraving", "sculpture", "golden", or "secret".[3][4][5] It is also classified as one of the Imprecatory Psalms.[6] Psalm 58 is a companion piece to Psalm 57, which also describes David's difficult relationship with Saul, and both psalms refer in their headings to Altaschith or "Do Not Destroy", possibly an ancient song whose tune was to be used in singing the psalms.[7]

The psalm forms a regular part of Jewish, Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican and other Protestant liturgies. It has been set to music.

Themes

The Midrash Tehillim connects the words Al taschet (Hebrew: אַל-תַּשְׁחֵת, do not destroy) in the Hebrew verse 1 to the episode when David took Abishai into Saul's camp and had the opportunity to kill Saul as he slept. David said, "Al tashhitahu (Hebrew: אַל-תַּשְׁחִיתֵהוּ, do not destroy him" (1 Samuel 26:9), which echoes these words, setting Saul's animosity toward David as the theme of this psalm.[8] The psalm also alludes to Abner, the chief of Saul's army, who would not admit to David's righteousness when David refrained from killing Saul in the cave.[8] Henry suggests that David composed Psalm 58 after Saul used the force of law to brand David as a traitor to the crown.[9]

David exhorts at length against either wicked people[10] or wicked judges, the latter possibly referring to those who sided with Saul.[5] David uses highly descriptive language comparing the wicked to snakes, serpents, cobras, and lions, and prays to God to "smash their teeth in their mouth, shatter the molars of young lions…His arrows, may they be as if crumbled to pieces".[10]

Quoting Jerome, George Haydock avers that the depiction of the wicked judges refers "to the proceedings of the Jews against Christ", and adds that the psalm decries "hypocrites" and "detractors".[11]

Text

Hebrew

The following table shows the Hebrew text[12][13] of the Psalm with vowels alongside an English translation based upon the JPS 1917 translation (now in the public domain).

Verse Hebrew English translation (JPS 1917)
1 לַמְנַצֵּ֥חַ אַל־תַּשְׁחֵ֗ת לְדָוִ֥ד מִכְתָּֽם׃‎ For the Leader; Al-tashheth. [A Psalm] of David; Michtam
2 הַאֻמְנָ֗ם אֵ֣לֶם צֶ֭דֶק תְּדַבֵּר֑וּן מֵישָׁרִ֥ים תִּ֝שְׁפְּט֗וּ בְּנֵ֣י אָדָֽם׃‎ Do ye indeed speak as a righteous company? Do ye judge with equity the sons of men?
3 אַף־בְּלֵב֮ עוֹלֹ֢ת תִּפְעָ֫ל֥וּן בָּאָ֡רֶץ חֲמַ֥ס יְ֝דֵיכֶ֗ם תְּפַלֵּסֽוּן׃‎ Yea, in heart ye work wickedness; Ye weigh out in the earth the violence of your hands.
4 זֹ֣רוּ רְשָׁעִ֣ים מֵרָ֑חֶם תָּע֥וּ מִ֝בֶּ֗טֶן דֹּבְרֵ֥י כָזָֽב׃‎ The wicked are estranged from the womb; The speakers of lies go astray as soon as they are born.
5 חֲמַת־לָ֗מוֹ כִּדְמ֥וּת חֲמַת־נָחָ֑שׁ כְּמוֹ־פֶ֥תֶן חֵ֝רֵ֗שׁ יַאְטֵ֥ם אׇזְנֽוֹ׃‎ Their venom is like the venom of a serpent; They are like the deaf asp that stoppeth her ear;
6 אֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹֽא־יִ֭שְׁמַע לְק֣וֹל מְלַחֲשִׁ֑ים חוֹבֵ֖ר חֲבָרִ֣ים מְחֻכָּֽם׃‎ Which hearkeneth not to the voice of charmers, Or of the most cunning binder of spells.
7 אֱֽלֹהִ֗ים הֲרׇס־שִׁנֵּ֥ימֽוֹ בְּפִ֑ימוֹ מַלְתְּע֥וֹת כְּ֝פִירִ֗ים נְתֹ֣ץ ׀ יְהֹוָֽה׃‎ Break their teeth, O God, in their mouth; Break out the cheek-teeth of the young lions, O LORD.
8 יִמָּאֲס֣וּ כְמוֹ־מַ֭יִם יִתְהַלְּכוּ־לָ֑מוֹ יִדְרֹ֥ךְ חִ֝צָּ֗ו כְּמ֣וֹ יִתְמֹלָֽלוּ׃‎ Let them melt away as water that runneth apace; When he aimeth his arrows, let them be as though they were cut off.
9 כְּמ֣וֹ שַׁ֭בְּלוּל תֶּ֣מֶס יַהֲלֹ֑ךְ נֵ֥פֶל אֵ֝֗שֶׁת בַּל־חָ֥זוּ שָֽׁמֶשׁ׃‎ Let them be as a snail which melteth and passeth away; Like the untimely births of a woman, that have not seen the sun.
10 בְּטֶ֤רֶם ׀ יָבִ֣ינוּ סִּירֹתֵכֶ֣ם אָטָ֑ד כְּמוֹ־חַ֥י כְּמוֹ־חָ֝ר֗וֹן יִשְׂעָרֶֽנּוּ׃‎ Before your pots can feel the thorns, He will sweep it away with a whirlwind, the raw and the burning alike.
11 יִשְׂמַ֣ח צַ֭דִּיק כִּי־חָזָ֣ה נָקָ֑ם פְּעָמָ֥יו יִ֝רְחַ֗ץ בְּדַ֣ם הָרָשָֽׁע׃‎ The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance; He shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.
12 וְיֹאמַ֣ר אָ֭דָם אַךְ־פְּרִ֣י לַצַּדִּ֑יק אַ֥ךְ יֵשׁ־אֱ֝לֹהִ֗ים שֹׁפְטִ֥ים בָּאָֽרֶץ׃‎ And men shall say: 'Verily there is a reward for the righteous; Verily there is a God that judgeth in the earth.'

King James Version

  1. To the chief Musician, Altaschith, Michtam of David.
  2. Do ye indeed speak righteousness, O congregation? do ye judge uprightly, O ye sons of men?
  3. Yea, in heart ye work wickedness; ye weigh the violence of your hands in the earth.
  4. The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies.
  5. Their poison is like the poison of a serpent: they are like the deaf adder that stoppeth her ear;
  6. Which will not hearken to the voice of charmers,´charming never so wisely.
  7. Break their teeth, O God, in their mouth: break out the great teeth of the young lions, O LORD.
  8. 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.
  9. 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.
  10. Before your pots can feel the thorns, he shall take them away as with a whirlwind, both living, and in his wrath.
  11. The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance: he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.
  12. So that a man shall say, Verily there is a reward for the righteous: verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth.</poem>

Uses

Judaism

Verse 9 in the Hebrew is said by the snail in Perek Shirah.[14][15]

The entire chapter is recited as protection from an aggressive dog.[16]

Catholic Church

From the early Middle Ages monasteries used this psalm at the Matins office on Tuesday,[17][18][19] according to the Rule of St. Benedict of Nursia which was established around 530.

In the revision of the Liturgy of the Hours following the Second Vatican Council, this psalm was deemed unsuitable for continued use in the Office, and is therefore omitted from the 1971 Liturgy of the Hours.[20]

Book of Common Prayer

In the Church of England's Book of Common Prayer, this psalm is appointed to be read on the morning of the eleventh day of the month.[21]

Omission in various lectionaries

Because this is an imprecatory Psalm, the 1962 Canadian Book of Common Prayer leaves out Psalm 58 (and Psalm 137).[22] A number of various other imprecatory Psalms are omitted from a number of lectionaries usually having Psalm 58 among those redacted.[23] Evangelicals tend to disagree and see a value in these passages.[24]

Musical settings

Heinrich Schütz set Psalm 58 in a metred version in German, "Wie nun, ihr Herren, seid ihr stumm", SWV 155, as part of the Becker Psalter, first published in 1628.

References

  1. ^ Parallel Latin/English Psalter / Psalmus 57 (58) Archived 7 May 2017 at the Wayback Machine medievalist.net
  2. ^ "Comparison of Enumeration of the Psalms in the Book of Divine Worship and in the Vulgate". The Daily Office of the Catholic Church According to the Anglican Use. Retrieved 7 November 2018.
  3. ^ Spurgeon, Charles (2018). "Psalm 58 Bible Commentary". Christianity.com. Retrieved November 25, 2018.
  4. ^ Spurgeon, Charles (2018). "Psalm 57 Bible Commentary". Christianity.com. Retrieved November 25, 2018.
  5. ^ a b Guzik, David (2018). "Psalm 58 – Words To and Against the Wicked Judges". Enduring Word. Retrieved November 25, 2018.
  6. ^ Creach, Jerome F. D. (2008). The Destiny of the Righteous in the Psalms. Chalice Press. p. 27. ISBN 9780827236745.
  7. ^ James D. G. Dunn (19 November 2003). Eerdmans Commentary on the Bible. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. p. 401. ISBN 978-0-8028-3711-0.
  8. ^ a b "Midrash Tehillim / Psalms 58" (PDF). matsati.com. 2014. p. 1.
  9. ^ Henry, Matthew (2018). "Psalms 58". Bible Study Tools. Retrieved November 25, 2018.
  10. ^ a b "Tehillim – Psalm 58". The Jewish Weekly. July 6, 2018. Retrieved November 25, 2018.
  11. ^ "George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary". StudyLight. 2018. Retrieved November 25, 2018.
  12. ^ "Psalms – Chapter 58". Mechon Mamre.
  13. ^ "Psalms 58 - JPS 1917". Sefaria.org.
  14. ^ Slifkin, Nosson (2002). "Perek Shirah" (PDF). Zoo Torah. Retrieved November 23, 2018.
  15. ^ Brauner, Reuven (2013). "Shimush Pesukim: Comprehensive Index to Liturgical and Ceremonial Uses of Biblical Verses and Passages" (PDF) (2nd ed.). p. 39.
  16. ^ "Protection". Daily Tehillim. Archived from the original on December 14, 2018. Retrieved November 23, 2018.
  17. ^ Psautier latin-français du bréviaire monastique, p. 209, 1938/2003
  18. ^ Règle de saint Benoît, chapitre XVIII, traduction de Prosper Guéranger, Abbaye Saint-Pierre de Solesmes, réimpression 2007, p. 46
  19. ^ "La distribution des Psaumes dans la Règle de Saint Benoît". Mont des Cats.
  20. ^ Just, Felix. "Psalms and Verses Omitted from the Four-Week Psalter". Catholic Resources. Retrieved 8 November 2018.
  21. ^ Church of England, Book of Common Prayer: The Psalter as printed by John Baskerville in 1762, p. 238
  22. ^ "Omitting Psalms and Bible passages from the lectionary". Anglicanorum cœtibus society. 20 August 2017.
  23. ^ Daniel Nehrbass, Jun 21, 2013, Praying Curses: The Therapeutic and Preaching Value of the Imprecatory Psalms, Wipf & Stock
  24. ^ Shepherd, J., The Place of the Imprecatory Psalms in the Canon of Scripture – Part 1, Church society.
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