TRV
Study This Verse
Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Psalms 58:1–5. His two-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
We have reason to think that this psalm refers to the malice of Saul and his janizaries against David, because it bears the same inscription (Al-taschith, and Michtam of David) with that which goes before and that which follows, both which appear, by the title, to have been penned with reference to that persecution through which God preserved him (Al-taschith - Destroy not), and therefore the psalms he then penned were precious to him, Michtams - David's jewels, as Dr. Hammond translates it.
In these verses David, not as a king, for he had not yet come to the throne, but as a prophet, in God's name arraigns and convicts his judges, with more authority and justice than they showed in prosecuting him. Two things he charges them with:
I.The corruption of their government.
They were a congregation, a bench of justices, nay, perhaps, a congress or convention of the states, from whom one might have expected fair dealing, for they were men learned in the laws, had been brought up in the study of these statutes and judgments, which were so righteous that those of other nations were not to be compared with them. One would not have thought a congregation of such could be bribed and biassed with pensions, and yet, it seems, they were, because the son of Kish could do that for them which the son of Jesse could not, Sa1 22:7. He had vineyards, and fields, and preferments, to give them, and therefore, to please him, they would do any thing, right or wrong. Of all the melancholy views which Solomon took of this earth and its grievances, nothing vexed him so much as to see that in the place of judgment wickedness was there, Ecc 3:16. So it was in Saul's time.
1.The judges would not do right, would not protect or vindicate oppressed innocency (Psa 58:1): "Do you indeed speak righteousness, or judge uprightly? No; you are far from it; your own consciences cannot but tell you that you do not discharge the trust reposed in you as magistrates, by which you are bound to be a terror to evil-doers and a praise to those that do well. Is this the justice you pretend to administer? Is this the patronage, this the countenance, which an honest man and an honest cause may expect from you? Remember you are sons of men; mortal and dying, and that you stand upon the same level before God with the meanest of those you trample upon, and must yourselves be called to an account and judged. You are sons of men, and therefore we may appeal to yourselves, and to that law of nature which is written in every man's heart: Do you indeed speak righteousness? And will not your second thoughts correct what you have done?" Note, It is good for us often to reflect upon what we say with this serious question, Do we indeed speak righteousness? that we may unsay what we have spoken amiss and may proceed no further in it.
2.They did a great deal of wrong; they used their power for the support of injury and oppression (Psa 58:2): In heart you work wickedness (all the wickedness of the life is wrought in the heart). It intimates that they wrought with a great deal of plot and management, not by surprise, but with premeditation and design, and with a strong inclination to it and resolution in it. The moire there is of the heart in any act of wickedness the worse it is, Ecc 8:11. And what was their wickedness? It follows, "You weigh the violence of your hands in the earth" (or in the land), "the peace of which you are appointed to be the conservators of." They did all the violence and injury they could, either to enrich or avenge themselves, and they weighed it; that is, 1. They did it with a great deal of craft and caution: "You frame it by rule and lines" (so the word signifies), "that it may effectually answer your mischievous intentions; such masters are you of the art of oppression." 2. They did it under colour of justice. They held the balances (the emblem of justice) in their hands, as if they designed to do right, and right is expected from them, but the result is violence and oppression, which are practised the more effectually for being practised under the pretext of law and right.
II.The corruption of their nature.
This was the root of bitterness from which that gall and wormwood sprang (Psa 58:3): The wicked, who in heart work wickedness, are estranged from the womb, estranged from God and all good, alienated from the divine life, and its principles, powers, and pleasures, Eph 4:18. A sinful state is a state of estrangement from that acquaintance with God and service of him which we were made for. Let none wonder that these wicked men dare do such things, for wickedness is bred in the bone with them; they brought it into the world with them; they have in their natures a strong inclination to it; they learned it from their wicked parents, and have been trained up in it by a bad education. They are called, and not miscalled, transgressors from the womb; one can therefore expect no other than that they will deal very treacherously; see Isa 48:8. They go astray from God and their duty as soon as they are born, (that is, as soon as possibly they can); the foolishness that is bound up in their hearts appears with the first operations of reason; as the wheat springs up, the tares spring up with it. Three instances are here given of the corruption of nature: - 1. Falsehood. They soon learn to speak lies, and bend their tongues, like their bows, for that purpose, Jer 9:3. How soon will little children tell a lie to excuse a fault, or in their own commendation! No sooner can they speak than they speak to God's dishonour; tongue-sins are some of the first of our actual transgressions. 2. Malice. Their poison (that is, their ill-will, and the spite they bore to goodness and all good men, particularly to David) was like the poison of a serpent, innate, venomous, and very mischievous, and that which they can never be cured of. We pity a dog that is poisoned by accident, but hate a serpent that is poisonous by nature. Such as the cursed enmity in this serpent's brood against the Lord and his anointed. 3. Untractableness. They are malicious, and nothing will work upon them, no reason, no kindness, to mollify them, and bring them to a better temper. They are like the deaf adder that stops her ear, Psa 58:4, Psa 58:5. The psalmist, having compared these wicked men, whom he here complains of, to serpents, for their poisonous malice, takes occasion thence, upon another account, to compare them to the deaf adder or viper, concerning which there was then this vulgar tradition, that whereas, by music or some other art, they had a way of charming serpents, so as either to destroy them or at least disable them to do mischief, this deaf adder would lay one ear to the ground and stop the other with her tail, so that she could not hear the voice of the enchantment, and so defeated the intention of it and secured herself. The using of this comparison neither verifies the story, nor, if it were true, justifies the use of this enchantment; for it is only an allusion to the report of such a thing, to illustrate the obstinacy of sinners in a sinful way. God's design, in his word and providence, is to cure serpents of their malignity; to this end how wise, how powerful, how well-chosen are the charms! How forcible the right words! But all in vain with most men; and what is the reason? It is because they will not hearken. None so deaf as those that will not hear. We have piped unto men, and they have not danced; how should they, when they have stopped their ears?
Historical interpretation
Historical Reception
6 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
Select a marker to jump to its quote. Markers stagger vertically where authors wrote within a few decades of each other.
We hide away our sin, cloaking it over in the depth of our soul, like some festering and malignant disease, as if by escaping human notice we could escape the mighty eye of God and justice. Or else we make excuses for our sins by devising pleas in defense of our falls or by tightly closing our ears. Like the snake that stops its ears, we are obstinate in refusing to hear the voice of the charmer and be treated with the medicines of wisdom, by which spiritual sickness is healed.
Though it appears that the serpent’s nature is being delineated in the foregoing, rather, every vessel of evil is being delineated, and every serpent of depravity who casts himself down on the belly and hides his poison inside himself and ponders it inwardly in his breast. He25 is slippery in his thoughts, he advances in his deceits and wraps himself in his deceptions; he is always moving and stirring his poisons by thought and treading on his belly as well, that is, the seedbed of his heart. For this reason, David fittingly says, “Sinners are alienated from the womb; they have gone astray from the womb; they have spoken false things. Their madness is according to the likeness of a serpent, like the deaf asp that stops its ears, that will not hear the voice of the charmers or of the wizard that are invoked by the wise person.” For this reason, the statement that we read in the prophetic book also seems fitting, “My heart, my heart is in pain!” For wickedness exists there, where there ought to be guiltlessness; what should be more calm in us experiences the greater suffering. It is trodden down by the footsteps of evil, pricked by its claws and agitated by a kind of advance and increase of depravity where there exists the procreative seed of an everlasting posterity.
Therefore, having been taught by these examples, I did not want to bite back at him who bites back at me or to retaliate in kind; and I chose rather to charm out the fury of a madman by incantation and to pour the antidote of a single look into a poisoned heart. But I am afraid that my efforts are in vain and that I shall be forced to sing the well-known song of David and console myself with these words: “The sinners are alienated from the assembly; they have gone astray from the womb; they have spoken false things. Their madness is according to the likeness of a serpent, like the deaf asp that stops its ears, which will not hear the voice of the charmers nor of the wizard that charms wisely. God shall break in pieces their teeth in their mouths; the Lord shall break the teeth of the lions. They shall come to nothing, like water running down; he has bent his bow until they are weakened. Like wax that melts, they shall be taken away: fire has fallen on them, and they have not seen the sun.” And again: “The just shall rejoice when he shall see the revenge of the wicked; he shall wash his hands in the blood of the sinner.” And people shall say, “If, indeed, there is a reward to the just, there is, indeed, a God who judges them on the earth.”
Atticus: I grant you that they are just men, but I cannot agree with you at all that they are without sin. For I say that humanity can be without fault, which in Greek is called kakia [“wickedness”], but I deny that it is anamartētos [“faultless”], that is to say sine peccato [“without sin”]. For this is a virtue that befits God alone; and every creature is subject to sin and stands in need of the mercy of God, as Scripture says: “The earth is full of the mercy of the Lord.” And lest I seem to be discussing certain little faults, so to speak, of the saints, into which they slipped through error, I shall produce a few testimonies that refer not to individuals but rather to all people in general. In the thirty-first psalm, it is written, “I said I will confess against myself my injustice to the Lord, and you have forgiven the wickedness of my heart.” And it continues immediately, “For this” (that is to say, for this impiety or iniquity, for both words can be understood in this passage) “shall everyone that is holy pray to you in a seasonable time.” If one is holy, what is his reason for praying for forgiveness of his iniquity? If one has iniquity, in what sense is he called holy? In the sense, to be sure, that it is also written in another place: “A just person shall fall seven times and shall rise again.” And, “The just is accuser of himself in the beginning of his speech.” And in another place: “The wicked are alienated from the womb, they have gone astray from the womb, they have spoken false things.” They became sinful at the very moment they were born in the likeness of Adam’s sin, who was a figure of the one who was to come, or at the moment when Christ was born of a virgin. It has been written about him: “Every one who opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord.”
"Indignation to them after the similitude of a serpent" [Psalm 58:4]. A great thing you are to hear. "Indignation to them after the similitude of a serpent." As if we had said, What is that which you have said? There follows, "As if of a deaf asp." Whence deaf? "And closing its ears." Therefore deaf, because it closes its ears. "And closing its ears." "Which will not hearken to the voice of men charming, and of the medicine medicated by the wise man" [Psalm 58:5]. As we have heard, because even men speak who have learned it with such research as they were able, but nevertheless it is a thing which the Spirit of God knows much better than any men. For it is not to no purpose that of this he has spoken, but because it may chance that true is even that which we have heard of the asp. When the asp begins to be affected by the Marsian charmer, who calls it forth with certain peculiar incantations, hear what it does....Give heed what is spoken to you for a simile's sake, what is noted you for avoidance. So therefore here also there has been given a certain simile derived from the Marsian, who makes incantation to bring forth the asp from the dark cavern; surely into light he would bring it: but it loving its darkness, wherein coiled up it hides itself, when it will not choose to come forth, nevertheless refusing to hear those words whereby it feels itself to be constrained, is said to press one ear against the ground, and with its tail to stop up the other, and therefore as much as possible escaping those words, it comes not forth to the charmer. To this as being like, the Spirit of God has spoken of certain persons hearing not the Word of God, and not only not doing, but altogether, that they may not do it, refusing to hear.
The heavens were opened, and Stephen saw the chief of martyrs; he saw Jesus standing at the Father's right hand; he saw, so that he would not keep quiet. As for his persecutors, they could not see, but they could be envious; and the reason they did not see was that they were envious. As for Stephen, he did not keep quiet about what he saw, in order to reach the one whom he saw. "Behold," he said, "I can see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing at the right hand of majesty." Immediately they covered their ears, as against a blasphemy. You can recognize them in the psalm: "Like the deaf cobra," it says, "that blocks its ears, in order not to hear the voice of the charmer and the spell cast by the wise one." Just as snakes, you see, in order to avoid bursting out and leaving their dens when they are being charmed, are said to press one ear to the ground and block the other with their tails—and yet the charmer brings them out. So also Stephen's persecutors were still hissing in their dens, while seething in their hearts. They were not yet bursting out; they blocked their ears. Let them burst out now, let them show what they really are; let them rush for the stones. They rushed, they stoned him.
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Summary
Psalms 58:4 vividly portrays the inherent malice and stubborn recalcitrance of the wicked, particularly those who pervert justice, through two potent animal metaphors. Their words and actions are likened to the lethal venom of a serpent, inflicting destructive harm and spreading corruption, while their deliberate refusal to heed truth, correction, or the voice of justice is powerfully compared to a "deaf adder" that willfully blocks out all persuasion, emphasizing their entrenched and unyielding defiance against righteousness and divine appeals.
Context
Literary Context
Psalm 58 is a fervent Davidic lament, specifically a miktam, directly addressing corrupt rulers or judges who have profoundly abandoned their divine mandate to administer justice fairly. The psalm opens with a direct, rhetorical challenge to these powerful individuals, questioning the integrity of their judgments and immediately exposing their inherent wickedness, which the psalmist asserts began even from birth, as seen in Psalms 58:3. Therefore, verse 4 serves as a crucial and vivid characterization of this deep-seated depravity, elaborating on the insidious nature of their destructive influence and their unyielding opposition to both divine and human appeals for righteousness. This powerful imagery sets the stage for the subsequent imprecations and expressions of unwavering trust in God's ultimate and righteous justice, which are central to the latter half of the psalm, particularly in Psalms 58:6-9.
Historical & Cultural Context
The setting for this psalm is undoubtedly the royal court or the judicial system of ancient Israel, where kings and appointed judges were divinely mandated to uphold God's law and ensure justice for all, especially the vulnerable and the oppressed. The perversion of justice was considered a grave offense, frequently condemned by prophets throughout Israel's history, as exemplified in Isaiah 1:23. The striking imagery of the serpent and the "deaf adder" draws deeply from common ancient Near Eastern observations, folklore, and cultural understanding of these creatures. Serpents, particularly venomous ones, were universally feared symbols of treachery, danger, and death, often associated with spiritual evil and deception, tracing back to the narrative in Genesis 3:13. The "deaf adder" refers to a specific type of snake (likely a cobra or viper, such as the Egyptian cobra, known for its resistance to charmers) believed to be impervious to the charmer's music or incantations, not due to actual physiological deafness, but by pressing its ear to the ground or stopping it with its tail—a culturally understood metaphor for willful, obstinate, and deliberate refusal to listen to any form of persuasion, wisdom, or even the voice of divine truth.
Key Themes
This verse profoundly contributes to several overarching themes within Psalm 58 and the broader biblical narrative. Firstly, it powerfully underscores The Destructive Nature of Evil, portraying the wicked's words and actions as a lethal "poison" that corrupts, harms, and destroys, reflecting a deep-seated malice rather than mere error or ignorance. This imagery highlights the active, virulent hostility emanating from those who pervert justice. Secondly, it vividly illustrates Willful Resistance to Truth and Wisdom, using the "deaf adder" to depict a deliberate, active choice to block out correction, divine instruction, or the cries for justice. This is not an inability to comprehend, but a stubborn, self-imposed refusal to submit to what is right and true, a theme echoed in Jeremiah 5:21. Finally, in conjunction with Psalms 58:3, the verse powerfully reinforces the theme of Inherent Malice and Depravity, suggesting that the wickedness described is not superficial or circumstantial but deeply ingrained in the character and very being of those who pervert justice, stemming from a heart alienated from God.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This word (H2534) carries a rich semantic range, often translated as "venom," "wrath," "fury," or "burning anger." In the context of Psalms 58:4, it signifies not merely a physical toxin but a destructive, burning malice or rage that issues forth from the wicked. It describes their words, schemes, and actions as permeated with lethal intent and effect, suggesting an active, virulent hostility that corrupts and destroys.
The term pethen (H6620) refers to a specific type of highly venomous snake, often identified as a cobra or asp, known for its contortions or striking posture. In this verse, it is used to specifically identify the type of serpent whose behavior is being likened to the wicked, emphasizing its dangerous and unyielding nature, particularly in its perceived resistance to snake charmers.
This primitive root (H331) means "to close" (specifically referring to lips or ears) or, by analogy, "to contract" or "to shut." When applied to the "deaf adder," it vividly describes the deliberate, active choice of the snake (and by metaphor, the wicked) to block or close its ear, thereby refusing to hear or be influenced. This word highlights the willful and intentional nature of their resistance to persuasion, truth, or justice.
Verse Breakdown
"Their poison [is] like the poison of a serpent"
This clause immediately establishes a powerful simile, comparing the destructive influence of the wicked to the lethal venom of a serpent. The "poison" here refers not just to literal venom but metaphorically to their malicious words, deceptive schemes, and unjust actions. Just as a serpent's bite injects a deadly substance into its victim, so the wicked's influence corrupts, harms, and brings spiritual, social, or judicial death. It highlights the insidious, pervasive, and profoundly dangerous nature of their depravity, which actively seeks to inflict harm.
"[they are] like the deaf adder [that] stoppeth her ear"
This second simile introduces another vivid animal metaphor, emphasizing the wicked's willful, deliberate, and stubborn resistance to truth, wisdom, and correction. The "deaf adder" (a type of cobra, pethen, described as chêrêsh or "deaf") was culturally believed to "stop its ear" (using the verb ʼâṭam) to the charmer's music or incantations. This is not because the snake was physically deaf, but as a deliberate act of defiance or refusal to be swayed. This imagery underscores that the wicked's unwillingness to hear or respond to reason, divine instruction, or the cries for justice is not an incapacity but a stubborn, self-imposed act of rebellion, an active choice to remain impervious to righteousness and truth.
Literary Devices
Psalms 58:4 is exceptionally rich in Imagery and employs two striking Similes to powerfully convey the inherent nature of the wicked. The first simile, "Their poison [is] like the poison of a serpent," utilizes the universally familiar and terrifying image of a venomous snake to represent the destructive, insidious, and lethal impact of the wicked's words and actions. This evokes a strong sense of danger, corruption, and an active threat to life and well-being. The second simile, "[they are] like the deaf adder [that] stoppeth her ear," creates an equally vivid picture of willful, stubborn resistance. The "deaf adder" is a culturally resonant image, not implying literal deafness, but a deliberate act of self-imposed imperviousness to persuasion, music, or charm. This Personification of the adder's "stopping her ear" powerfully highlights the active, conscious choice of the wicked to ignore truth, justice, and divine appeals. The combined effect of these animal metaphors is to underscore the inherent malice, unyielding defiance, and active rejection of righteousness that characterize those who pervert justice.
Theological and Thematic Connections
This verse profoundly speaks to the pervasive nature of sin and its destructive consequences, particularly when manifested in positions of power or influence. The "poison" of the wicked reflects the corrupting power of sin that originates from a heart alienated from God, leading to words and deeds that bring harm, injustice, and spiritual decay. This imagery reminds us that sin is not merely a passive state but an active, virulent force. Furthermore, the imagery of the "deaf adder" highlights humanity's profound capacity for willful spiritual blindness and stubborn rebellion against divine truth and moral appeals. This deliberate refusal to hear or obey is a recurring and tragic theme in Scripture, illustrating the hardened heart that actively rejects God's wisdom and correction, ultimately leading to greater judgment and self-destruction.
Reflection and Application
Psalms 58:4 serves as a sobering and penetrating mirror, not only for those in positions of power and influence but for every individual who seeks to live justly before God. It challenges us to deeply examine the nature of our own words and actions: do they carry the "poison" of malice, gossip, slander, injustice, or divisive rhetoric, or are they instead imbued with grace, truth, and a desire for reconciliation? Furthermore, the powerful image of the "deaf adder" compels us to honestly consider our receptivity to correction, divine wisdom, and the still, small voice of God. Are there areas in our lives where we stubbornly "stop our ears" to inconvenient truths, wise counsel from trusted sources, or the clear promptings of the Holy Spirit, simply because they challenge our comfort, our preconceived notions, or our cherished habits? True wisdom, spiritual growth, and genuine righteousness begin with a humble willingness to hear, to receive, and to obey, even when it demands repentance or a radical shift in perspective. This verse ultimately calls us to cultivate hearts that are profoundly open to truth and to speak words that build up, heal, and bring life, rather than tear down, corrupt, or destroy, all while trusting in God's ultimate and unwavering justice to prevail over all forms of wickedness.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why does the psalm describe the wicked as "deaf" if they are choosing not to hear?
The description of the wicked as "deaf" in Psalms 58:4, specifically like the "deaf adder that stoppeth her ear," is not meant to imply a literal physical inability to hear. Instead, it is a powerful and profound metaphor for a deep spiritual and moral imperviousness. In ancient Near Eastern culture, certain snakes, like the cobra (pethen), were believed to be immune to the charmer's music or incantations, not because they were literally deaf, but because they would press an ear to the ground or stop it with their tail, thus choosing not to listen. This imagery emphasizes the wicked's deliberate, willful, and stubborn refusal to heed reason, justice, or divine appeals. It highlights an active resistance to truth and righteousness, a hardened heart that consciously blocks out any message that might challenge its evil ways, rather than a natural defect or a simple lack of understanding. This spiritual deafness is a recurring theme throughout Scripture, where people are described as having "eyes to see but do not see, and ears to hear but do not hear" Jeremiah 5:21 because they have chosen to close their hearts and minds to God's truth Matthew 13:15.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Psalms 58:4, with its vivid portrayal of the wicked's venomous malice and stubborn resistance to truth, finds its ultimate answer and profound fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. The "poison" of the serpent, representing the destructive power of sin and its entry into the world through the deception of the ancient serpent Genesis 3:13, led humanity into spiritual death and corruption. However, Christ is the promised one who came to crush the serpent's head Genesis 3:15, ultimately disarming the powers of darkness and conquering sin and death through His sacrificial death on the cross Colossians 2:15. He became the divine antidote to the world's spiritual poison, offering healing, redemption, and new life to all who believe, just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness John 3:14-15. Furthermore, the "deaf adder" imagery speaks powerfully to humanity's willful rejection of God's truth and wisdom. Throughout His earthly ministry, Jesus encountered those who, despite witnessing His profound miracles and hearing His life-giving words, stubbornly refused to believe, effectively "stopping their ears" to the voice of God Incarnate John 12:37. Yet, Christ Himself is the very embodiment of divine wisdom, the Word made flesh John 1:1, who speaks with unparalleled authority and offers spiritual ears to hear and hearts to understand for all who are willing to humbly receive Him Matthew 11:15. In Him, the venom of sin is neutralized, and the stubbornness of the human heart can be miraculously transformed into humble obedience, joyful reception of God's grace, and a deep desire to hear and follow His voice.