Psalms 58 · Geneva Bible Notes (1599)
"To the chief Musician, Altaschith, Michtam of David." Do ye indeed speak righteousness, O (a) congregation? do ye judge uprightly, O ye sons of men? (a) You counsellors of Saul, who under pretence of consulting for the common wealth, conspire my death being an innocent. Psalms 58:2
Yea, in heart ye work wickedness; ye weigh the violence of (b) your hands in the earth. (b) You are not ashamed to execute that cruelty publicly, which you have imagined in your hearts. Psalms 58:3
The wicked (c) are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies. (c) That is, enemies to the people of God even from their birth. Psalms 58:4
Their poison [is] like the poison of a serpent: [they are] like the deaf (d) adder [that] stoppeth her ear; (d) They pass in malice and subtilty the crafty serpent who could preserve himself by stopping his ears from the enchanter. Psalms 58:6
Break their (e) teeth, O God, in their mouth: break out the great teeth of the young lions, O LORD. (e) Take away all opportunity and means by which they hurt. Psalms 58:7
Let them (f) melt away as waters [which] run continually: [when] he bendeth [his bow to shoot] his arrows, let them be as cut in pieces. (f) Considering God's divine power, he shows that God in a moment can destroy their force of which they brag. Psalms 58:9
(g) Before your pots can feel the thorns, he shall take them away as with a whirlwind, both living, and in [his] wrath. (g) As flesh is taken raw out of the pot before the water boils: so he desires God to destroy their enterprises before they bring them to pass. Psalms 58:10
The righteous shall (h) rejoice when he seeth the vengeance: he shall wash his feet in the (i) blood of the wicked. (h) With a pure affection. (i) Their punishment and slaughter will be so great. Psalms 58:11
So that a man shall say, (k) Verily [there is] a reward for the righteous: verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth. (k) Seeing God governs all by his providence, he must put a difference between the godly and the wicked.