Corpus Psalterium · Vol. III
Psalm LVIII (58)
Cantillated — Imprecatory Judgment
Paul Whitehorn
Study the Word
Psalm 58 in Hebrew and English, and the words as they are sung.
For the Chief Musician. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” A poem by David.
לַמְנַצֵּ֥חַ אַל־תַּשְׁחֵ֗ת לְדָוִ֥ד מִכְתָּֽם׃
Do you indeed speak righteousness, silent ones? Do you judge blamelessly, you sons of men?
הַֽאֻמְנָ֗ם אֵ֣לֶם צֶ֭דֶק תְּדַבֵּר֑וּן מֵישָׁרִ֥ים תִּ֝שְׁפְּט֗וּ בְּנֵ֣י אָדָֽם׃
No, in your heart you plot injustice. You measure out the violence of your hands on the earth.
אַף־בְּלֵב֮ עוֹלֹ֪ת תִּפְעָ֫ל֥וּן בָּאָ֡רֶץ חֲמַ֥ס יְ֝דֵיכֶ֗ם תְּפַלֵּֽסֽוּן׃
The wicked go astray from the womb. They are wayward as soon as they are born, speaking lies.
זֹ֣רוּ רְשָׁעִ֣ים מֵרָ֑חֶם תָּע֥וּ מִ֝בֶּ֗טֶן דֹּבְרֵ֥י כָזָֽב׃
Their poison is like the poison of a snake, like a deaf cobra that stops its ear,
חֲמַת־לָ֗מוֹ כִּדְמ֥וּת חֲמַת־נָחָ֑שׁ כְּמוֹ־פֶ֥תֶן חֵ֝רֵ֗שׁ יַאְטֵ֥ם אָזְנֽוֹ׃
which doesn’t listen to the voice of charmers, no matter how skillful the charmer may be.
אֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹא־יִ֭שְׁמַע לְק֣וֹל מְלַחֲשִׁ֑ים חוֹבֵ֖ר חֲבָרִ֣ים מְחֻכָּֽם׃
Break their teeth, God, in their mouth. Break out the great teeth of the young lions, Yahweh.
אֱֽלֹהִ֗ים הֲרָס־שִׁנֵּ֥ימוֹ בְּפִ֑ימוֹ מַלְתְּע֥וֹת כְּ֝פִירִ֗ים נְתֹ֣ץ ׀ יְהוָֽה׃
Let them vanish like water that flows away. When they draw the bow, let their arrows be made blunt.
יִמָּאֲס֣וּ כְמוֹ־מַ֭יִם יִתְהַלְּכוּ־לָ֑מוֹ יִדְרֹ֥ךְ חצו כְּמ֣וֹ יִתְמֹלָֽלוּ׃
Let them be like a snail which melts and passes away, like the stillborn child, who has not seen the sun.
כְּמ֣וֹ שַׁ֭בְּלוּל תֶּ֣מֶס יַהֲלֹ֑ךְ נֵ֥פֶל אֵ֝֗שֶׁת בַּל־חָ֥זוּ שָֽׁמֶשׁ׃
Before your pots can feel the heat of the thorns, he will sweep away the green and the burning alike.
בְּטֶ֤רֶם יָבִ֣ינוּ סִּֽירֹתֵיכֶ֣ם אָטָ֑ד כְּמוֹ־חַ֥י כְּמוֹ־חָ֝ר֗וֹן יִשְׂעָרֶֽנּוּ׃
The righteous shall rejoice when he sees the vengeance. He shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked,
יִשְׂמַ֣ח צַ֭דִּיק כִּי־חָזָ֣ה נָקָ֑ם פְּעָמָ֥יו יִ֝רְחַ֗ץ בְּדַ֣ם הָרָשָֽׁע׃
so that men shall say, “Most certainly there is a reward for the righteous. Most certainly there is a God who judges the earth.”
וְיֹאמַ֣ר אָ֭דָם אַךְ־פְּרִ֣י לַצַּדִּ֑יק אַ֥ךְ יֵשׁ־אֱ֝לֹהִ֗ים שֹׁפְטִ֥ים בָּאָֽרֶץ׃
Hebrew: Westminster Leningrad Codex (public domain), from the Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible. English: World English Bible (public domain). Verse numbers follow the English Bible; the Hebrew numbering is shown beneath where it differs.
Do you indeed speak
what is right
Do you judge
uprightly
O sons
of man
No
In your heart
you work injustice
On the earth
your hands weigh out violence
The wicked
go astray from the womb
They wander
from birth
speaking lies
Their poison
like the poison of a serpent
Like a deaf cobra
that stops its ear
It does not hear
the voice of charmers
The skilled enchanter
calling wisely
O God
break their teeth
in their mouth
Tear out
the fangs
of the lions
O LORD
Let them vanish
like water that runs away
When he aims
his arrows
let them be blunted
Like a snail
that melts as it goes
Like a stillborn child
that never sees the sun
Before your pots
can feel the thorns
Whether green
or burning
He sweeps them away
The righteous
will rejoice
when he sees vengeance
He will wash his feet
in the blood
of the wicked
Surely
there is fruit
for the righteous
Surely
there is a God
who judges
on the earth
There is a God
who judges
There is a God
who judges
on the earth
There is a God
who judges
Lyrics by Paul Whitehorn: a singable English rendering of the Hebrew, as sung on this recording.
Corpus Psalterium sets each psalm to music by its Hebrew grammar. Didactic psalms teach; Cantillated psalms are spoken, sung or performed before God. Hear all 150 psalms free.