TRV
Translation
American Standard Version
Which hearkeneth not to the voice of charmers, Charming never so wisely.
World English Bible Messianic
which doesn’t listen to the voice of charmers, no matter how skillful the charmer may be.
Geneva Bible (1599)
Which heareth not the voyce of the inchanter, though he be most expert in charming.
Young's Literal Translation
Which hearkeneth not to the voice of whisperers, A charmer of charms most skilful.
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Commentary on Psalms 58 verses 1–5
1 ¶ To the chief Musician, Altaschith, Michtam of David. Do ye indeed speak righteousness, O congregation? do ye judge uprightly, O ye sons of men?
2 Yea, in heart ye work wickedness; ye weigh the violence of your hands in the earth.
3 The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies.
4 Their poison is like the poison of a serpent: they are like the deaf adder that stoppeth her ear;
5 Which will not hearken to the voice of charmers, charming never so wisely.
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?
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 1–5. Public domain.
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Gregory of NazianzusAD 390
IN DEFENSE OF HIS FLIGHT TO PONTUS, ORATION 2:20
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.
Ambrose of MilanAD 397
FLIGHT FROM THE WORLD 7:42
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.
JeromeAD 420
Against Rufinus 3.43
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.”
JeromeAD 420
Against the Pelagians 2.4
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.”
Augustine of HippoAD 430
Exposition on Psalm 58
"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.
Augustine of HippoAD 430
SERMON 316:2
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.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
Psalms 58:5 powerfully extends the preceding verse's imagery of the "deaf adder," portraying the profound and deliberate resistance of the wicked to any form of truth, reason, or divine persuasion. This verse emphasizes that their refusal to "hearken" is not an inability but a willful, active choice to close their ears, regardless of how skillful, wise, or compelling the "charming" (representing appeals to justice, wisdom, or divine law) may be. It underscores an ingrained, incorrigible unwillingness to listen to or be influenced by righteousness, highlighting the ultimate futility of human efforts to sway a heart determined to remain hardened against truth and justice.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
The primary literary device in Psalms 58:5 is the continued Metaphor of the "deaf adder" from Psalms 58:4. The wicked are vividly compared to a serpent that, contrary to its nature or common belief in ancient times, refuses to be charmed. This metaphor powerfully conveys their deliberate and unyielding resistance to truth and righteousness. The phrase "charming never so wisely" employs Hyperbole, exaggerating the charmer's skill to emphasize the extreme and absolute nature of the adder's (and thus the wicked's) refusal to listen. This hyperbole underscores that no human effort, no matter how profound or skillful, can penetrate such a hardened heart. There is also an element of Irony, as the expected outcome of a wise charmer's work—the subduing of the serpent—is completely subverted by the adder's willful deafness, highlighting the perverse and unnatural nature of the wicked's resistance to what is good and true.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Psalms 58:5 offers a sobering theological insight into the nature of human rebellion and the profound limits of human persuasion in the face of a hardened heart. It teaches that wickedness can reach a point of incorrigibility, where individuals actively choose to shut themselves off from truth, justice, and even divine appeals. This deliberate spiritual deafness is not merely ignorance or misunderstanding, but a profound and willful rejection of wisdom and righteousness. It highlights the sovereignty of human will in choosing sin and resisting grace, yet it also implicitly points to the necessity of divine intervention, as only God can truly open ears that are willfully closed and soften hearts that are stubbornly hardened. The verse serves as a stark reminder that while believers are called to speak truth and share the Gospel, the ultimate power to transform hearts rests with God alone.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Psalms 58:5 provides a profound lens through which to understand the persistent challenge of communicating truth—whether spiritual, moral, or relational—to those who are determined not to hear. It offers a realistic perspective on human nature, acknowledging that some hearts become so hardened by sin and self-will that they actively resist even the most compelling arguments or loving appeals. This does not diminish our responsibility to speak truth, but it tempers our expectations and shifts our reliance from human eloquence to divine power. For believers, this verse serves as a powerful reminder to guard our own hearts against such spiritual deafness. Are we truly listening to God's Word, to wise counsel from godly mentors, or to the subtle promptings of the Holy Spirit, or are we, like the adder, willfully closing our ears to what we do not wish to hear, perhaps due to pride, comfort, or a desire to cling to sin? Recognizing the futility of human "charming" against a determined will should drive us to fervent prayer, asking God to do what only He can: break through the stubbornness of the human heart and grant ears to hear and a heart to obey. It encourages perseverance in witness and evangelism, coupled with humble dependence on God's sovereign grace to transform lives.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Is the "deaf adder" a real animal, or is it purely symbolic?
Answer: While there are snake species that might appear unresponsive to certain stimuli due to their limited hearing range or specific behaviors, the "deaf adder" in Psalms 58:5 is primarily a symbolic or mythical creature in this context. Ancient cultures often attributed legendary qualities to animals, and the idea of a snake that willfully ignores a charmer's call served as a potent metaphor for extreme stubbornness and recalcitrance. It's less about zoological accuracy and more about illustrating a deliberate, almost perverse, refusal to respond to what is universally expected to be effective. The emphasis is on the choice to remain deaf, not a biological inability, highlighting the moral culpability of the wicked.
Does this verse mean we shouldn't try to persuade people or share the Gospel with those who seem resistant?
Answer: Absolutely not. This verse highlights the limits of human effort and the profound reality of a hardened heart, but it does not negate the divine command to proclaim truth and share the Gospel. Instead, it reframes our understanding of the process. It teaches us that while we are called to be faithful in communication and witness, the ultimate power to open deaf ears and soften hardened hearts belongs to God alone. It encourages us to pray for divine intervention, to rely on the Holy Spirit's power, and to persevere with patience, love, and wisdom, recognizing that true spiritual transformation is a work of sovereign grace, not merely human persuasion, no matter how "wisely" it is done. Our role is to plant and water, but God gives the growth (1 Corinthians 3:6-7).
How does this verse relate to the concept of free will and human responsibility?
Answer: Psalms 58:5 strongly underscores the concept of human responsibility and the exercise of free will in choosing to resist truth. The "deaf adder" is not portrayed as inherently incapable of hearing, but as choosing not to hearken. This implies a deliberate act of will, a conscious decision to remain closed off to persuasion, wisdom, or divine appeals. It affirms that individuals are accountable for their choices, particularly their rejection of truth and justice. While God's sovereignty is ultimate, this verse highlights the profound human capacity for willful rebellion and the tragic consequences of such choices, demonstrating that spiritual deafness is often a chosen state of the heart, rather than an imposed one.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Psalms 58:5, with its depiction of an incorrigibly deaf adder resisting even the wisest charmer, finds its ultimate and poignant fulfillment in the person and ministry of Jesus Christ. He is the quintessential "charmer" of hearts, not through incantations, but through the unparalleled wisdom of His teachings, the undeniable power of His miracles, and the divine authority of His very presence as the Word made flesh. Yet, despite His perfect wisdom and undeniable signs, many of His own people, particularly the religious leaders of His day, exhibited the very "deafness" described in this psalm. They heard His words, witnessed His deeds, and yet willfully refused to "hearken," choosing instead to reject the very Son of God, as lamented in John 1:11. Jesus Himself spoke of those who had "ears to hear but do not hear" and "eyes to see but do not see" (Matthew 13:13-15), echoing the spiritual deafness of the adder. However, unlike the human charmer whose efforts are ultimately futile against a truly hardened heart, Jesus ultimately triumphs over this spiritual deafness. Through His atoning work on the cross and the power of His resurrection, He inaugurates a new covenant where God promises to remove the "heart of stone" and give a "heart of flesh" (Ezekiel 36:26), and to open the ears of the spiritually deaf (Mark 7:37). Thus, while Psalms 58:5 laments the futility of human persuasion against hardened hearts, Christ's work demonstrates that God alone possesses the power to break through such resistance, transforming willful deafness into a responsive and obedient faith.