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 58:6–11. His three-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
In these verses we have,
I.David's prayers against his enemies, and all the enemies of God's church and people; for it is as such that he looks upon them, so that he was actuated by a public spirit in praying against them, and not by any private revenge. 1. He prays that they might be disabled to do any further mischief (Psa 58:6): Break their teeth, O God! Not so much that they might not feed themselves as that they might not be able to make prey of others, Psa 3:7. He does not say, "Break their necks" (no; let them live to repent, slay them not, lest my people forget), but, "Break their teeth, for they are lions, they are young lions, that live by rapine." 2. That they might be disappointed in the plots they had already laid, and might not gain their point: "When he bends his bow, and takes aim to shoot his arrows at the upright in heart, let them be as cut in pieces, Psa 58:7. Let them fall at his feet, and never come near the mark." 3. That they and their interest might waste and come to nothing, that they might melt away as waters that run continually; that is, as the waters of a land-flood, which, though they seem formidable for a while, soon soak into the ground or return to their channels, or, in general, as water spilt upon the ground, which cannot be gathered up again, but gradually dries away and disappears. Such shall the floods of ungodly men be, which sometimes make us afraid (Psa 18:4); so shall the proud waters be reduced, which threaten to go over our soul, Psa 124:4, Psa 124:5. Let us by faith then see what they shall be and then we shall not fear what they are. He prays (Psa 58:8) that they might melt as a snail, which wastes by its own motion, in every stretch it makes leaving some of its moisture behind, which, by degrees, must needs consume it, though it makes a path to shine after it. He that like a snail in her house is plenus sui - full of himself, that pleases himself and trusts to himself, does but consume himself, and will quickly bring himself to nothing. And he prays that they might be like the untimely birth of a woman, which dies as soon as it begins to live and never sees the sun. Job, in his passion, wished he himself had been such a one (Job 3:16), but he knew not what he said. We may, in faith, pray against the designs of the church's enemies, as the prophet does (Hos 9:14, Give them, O Lord! what wilt thou give them? Give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts), which explains this prayer of the psalmist.
II.His prediction of their ruin (Psa 58:9):
"Before your pots can feel the heat of a fire of thorns made under them (which they will presently do, for it is a quick fire and violent while it lasts), so speedily, with such a hasty and violent flame, God shall hurry them away, as terribly and as irresistibly as with a whirlwind, as it were alive, as it were in fury."
1.The proverbial expressions are somewhat difficult, but the sense is plain,
(1.)That the judgments of God often surprise wicked people in the midst of their jollity, and hurry them away of a sudden. When they are beginning to walk in the light of their own fire, and the sparks of their own kindling, they are made to lie down in sorrow (Isa 50:11), and their laughter proves like the crackling of thorns under a pot, the comfort of which is soon gone, ere they can say, Alas! I am warm, Ecc 7:6.
(2.)That there is no standing before the destruction that comes from the Almighty; for who knows the power of God's anger? When God will take sinners away, dead or alive, they cannot contest with him. The wicked are driven away in their wickedness. Now,
2.There are two things which the psalmist promises himself as the good effects of sinners' destruction: - (1.) That saints would be encouraged and comforted by it (Psa 58:10): The righteous shall rejoice when he sees the vengeance. The pomp and power, the prosperity and success, of the wicked, are a discouragement to the righteous; they sadden their hearts, and weaken their hands, and are sometimes a strong temptation to them to question their foundations, Psa 73:2, Psa 73:13. But when they see the judgments of God hurrying them away, and just vengeance taken on them for all the mischief they have done to the people of God, they rejoice in the satisfaction thereby given to their doubts and the confirmation thereby given to their faith in the providence of God and his justice and righteousness in governing the world; they shall rejoice in the victory thus gained over that temptation by seeing their end, Psa 73:17. He shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked; that is, there shall be abundance of bloodshed (Psa 68:23), and it shall be as great a refreshment to the saints to see God glorified in the ruin of sinners as it is to a weary traveller to have his feet washed. It shall likewise contribute to their sanctification; the sight of the vengeance shall make them tremble before God (Psa 119:120) and shall convince them of the evil of sin, and the obligations they lie under to that God who pleads their cause and will suffer no man to do them wrong and go unpunished for it. The joy of the saints in the destruction of the wicked is then a holy joy, and justifiable, when it helps to make them holy and to purify them from sin. (2.) That sinners would be convinced and converted by it, Psa 58:11. The vengeance God sometimes takes on the wicked in this world will bring men to say, Verily, there is a reward for the righteous. Any man may draw this inference from such providences, and many a man shall, who before denied even these plain truths or doubted of them. Some shall have this confession extorted from them, others shall have their minds so changed that they shall willingly own it, and thank God who has given them to see it and see it with satisfaction, That God is, and, [1.] That he is the bountiful rewarder of his saints and servants: Verily (however it be, so it may be read) there is a fruit to the righteous; whatever damage he may run, and whatever hardship he may undergo for his religion, he shall not only be no loser by it, but an unspeakable gainer in the issue. Even in this world there is a reward for the righteous; they shall be recompensed in the earth. Those shall be taken notice of, honoured, and protected, that seemed slighted, despised, and abandoned. [2.] That he is the righteous governor of the world, and will surely reckon with the enemies of his kingdom: Verily, however it be, though wicked people prosper, and bid defiance to divine justice, yet it shall be made to appear, to their confusion, that the world is not governed by chance, but by a Being of infinite wisdom and justice; there is a God that judges in the earth, though he has prepared his throne in the heavens. He presides in all the affairs of the children of men, and directs and disposes them according to the counsel of his will, to his own glory; and he will punish the wicked, not only in the world to come, but in the earth, where they have laid up their treasure and promised themselves a happiness - in the earth, that the Lord may be known by the judgments which he executes, and that they may be taken as earnests of a judgment to come. He is a God (so we read it), not a weak man, not an angel, not a mere name, not (as the atheists suggest) a creature of men's fear and fancy, not a deified hero, not the sun and moon, as idolaters imagined, but a God, a self-existent perfect Being; he it is that judges the earth; his favour therefore let us seek, from whom every man's judgment proceeds, and to him let all judgment be referred.
Historical interpretation
Historical Reception
5 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.”
"Before that the bramble brings forth your thorns: as though living, as though in anger, it shall drink them up" [Psalm 58:9]. What is the bramble? Of prickly plants it is a kind, upon which there are said to be certain of the closest thorns. At first it is a herb; and while it is a herb, soft and fair it is: but thereon there are nevertheless thorns to come forth. Now therefore sins are pleasant, and as it were they do not prick. A herb is the bramble; even now nevertheless there is a thorn. "Before that the bramble brings forth thorns:" is before that of miserable delights and pleasures the evident tortures come forth. Let them question themselves that love any object, and to it cannot attain; let them see if they are not racked with longing: and when they have attained to that which unlawfully they long for, let them mark if they are not racked with fear. Let them see therefore here their punishments; before that there comes that resurrection, when in flesh rising again they shall not be changed. "For all we shall rise again, but not all we shall be changed." [1 Corinthians 15:51] For they shall have the corruption of the flesh wherein to be pained, not that wherein to die: otherwise even those pains would be ended. Then the thorns of that bramble, that is, all pains and piercings of tortures shall be brought forth. Such thorns as they shall suffer that are to say, "These are they whom sometimes we had in derision:" [Wisdom 5:3] thorns of the piercing of repentance, but of one too late and without fruit like the barrenness of thorns. The repentance of this time is pain healing: repentance of that time is pain penal. Would you not suffer those thorns? Here be thou pierced with the thorns of repentance; in such sort that thou do that which has been spoken of, "Turned I have been in sorrow, when the thorn was piercing: my sin I have known, and mine iniquity I have not covered: I have said, I will declare against me my shortcoming to the Lord, and You have remitted the ungodliness of my heart." Now do so, now be pierced through, be there not in you done that which has been said of certain execrable men, "They have been cloven asunder, and have not been pierced through." Observe them that have been cloven asunder and have not been pierced through. You see men cloven asunder, and you see them not pierced through. Behold beside the Church they are, and it does not repent them, so as they should return whence they have been cloven asunder. The bramble hereafter shall bring forth their thorns. They will not now have a healing piercing through, they shall have hereafter one penal. But even now before that the bramble produces thorns, there has fallen upon them fire, that suffers them not to see the sun, that is, the wrath of God is drinking up them while still living: fire of evil lusts, of empty honours, of pride, of their covetousness: and whatsoever is weighing them down, that they should not know the truth, so that they seem not to be conquered, so that they be not brought into subjection even by truth herself. For what is a more glorious thing, brethren, than to be brought in subjection and to be overcome by truth? Let truth overcome you willing: for even unwilling she shall of herself overcome you....
Continue studying Psalms 58:9 across the web’s major study libraries — every link below opens this exact verse, chapter, or book on the destination site.
Read & Compare
BibleGatewayThis verse in more than 200 translations and 70 languages.
Bible.comThe YouVersion reader — hundreds of translations, reading plans, and highlights.
ESV.orgCrossway's official English Standard Version reader.
NET BibleThe NET translation with 60,000+ translators' notes on every rendering decision.
STEP BibleTyndale House's free study tool — original text, vocabulary, and scholarly resources.
BibliaLogos Bible Software's free web reader.
USCCBThe New American Bible (Revised Edition) with the U.S. bishops' study notes.
Commentaries
BibleHub CommentariesDozens of classic commentaries on this verse, gathered on one page.
StudyLightMore than 100 commentary sets — the largest collection on the web.
BibleRefPlain-English commentary on what this verse means, verse by verse.
Enduring WordDavid Guzik's free commentary on this chapter, widely used by Bible teachers.
Bible Study ToolsVerse commentary alongside Greek and Hebrew study aids.
Original Language & Research
- BibleHub InterlinearThe verse word by word — original language, transliteration, and English.
- BibleHub LexiconEvery word's original-language definition and Strong's entry.
Blue Letter BibleDeep-study tools — Strong's numbers, concordance, and word studies.
SefariaThe Hebrew text with Rashi and centuries of Jewish commentary.
Sermons, Hymns & Audio
TrulyRandomVerse is not affiliated with these sites and doesn’t control their content. They’re linked because they’re genuinely useful.
Summary
Psalms 58:9 powerfully declares God's swift and decisive judgment against the wicked, employing a striking metaphor of a cooking fire. It vividly portrays divine justice as so immediate and overwhelming that the malevolent schemes of the unrighteous are thwarted before they can even begin to materialize or bear fruit. God's intervention is depicted as an irresistible, whirlwind-like force, ensuring that the wicked's plans are utterly nullified, regardless of their stage of development, demonstrating His absolute sovereignty over all evil.
Context
Literary Context
Psalm 58 is a fervent imprecatory psalm, a passionate prayer by David appealing to God for intervention against corrupt and unjust rulers or judges. The psalm opens with a strong condemnation of those who "speak wickedness" and "deal violence" in their hearts, contrasting their actions with true righteousness and justice (Psalm 58:2). The preceding verses meticulously describe the innate depravity and venomous nature of these individuals, likening them to deaf cobras that stubbornly refuse to heed the charmer's voice, highlighting their willful rebellion against truth and divine instruction (Psalm 58:4-5). Verse 9 serves as a climactic declaration of the swift and pre-emptive judgment that awaits them, ensuring that their destructive intentions are thwarted before they can fully take effect, leading into the righteous's rejoicing over God's vindication and justice (Psalm 58:10).
Historical & Cultural Context
The psalm reflects a societal context where justice was frequently perverted by those in positions of power, a common lament in ancient Israel and the broader Ancient Near East. David, as both a king and a prophet, often encountered corruption and injustice, leading him to appeal directly to God, the ultimate and righteous Judge. The imagery of "pots" and "thorns" is drawn from the mundane realities of daily life: "thorns" (likely quick-burning brushwood or dried thistles) were a common, readily available fuel for cooking fires in a land where timber was scarce. The act of cooking over such a fire was a daily necessity for sustenance. The "whirlwind" is a powerful natural phenomenon, frequently associated in biblical literature with divine manifestation, judgment, and irresistible power, as seen in the theophany at Sinai or in prophetic visions (Ezekiel 1:4). This imagery would have been immediately understandable and impactful to an ancient audience, conveying the sudden, overwhelming, and inescapable nature of God's intervention.
Key Themes
The central theme is the Swift and Inevitable Divine Justice. The striking metaphor of the thorns being swept away before they can heat the pots powerfully illustrates that God's judgment will come so quickly that the wicked will not even have time to benefit from or fully implement their malevolent schemes. This underscores God's Sovereignty and Righteous Wrath against injustice; His intervention is not merely reactive but pre-emptive and irresistible, a profound demonstration of His absolute control over all events. The "whirlwind" emphasizes His overwhelming power and the utter futility of resistance. Consequently, the verse also highlights the Futility of Wicked Plans. No matter how carefully laid or seemingly robust, the intentions and power of the wicked are utterly fragile and easily nullified before the decree of the Almighty. This theme resonates throughout the Psalms, affirming God's active role in human affairs and His ultimate commitment to upholding righteousness and delivering His people (Psalm 7:11).
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
Meaning a pot or caldron. In the context of the metaphor, these represent the wicked's plans, intentions, or the desired outcome of their evil deeds. The imagery suggests their schemes are swept away before they can even begin to "cook" or materialize, signifying a pre-emptive thwarting of their efforts.
Referring to a thorn-tree, bramble, or brushwood. In the metaphor, these symbolize the fuel, means, or destructive energies the wicked employ to carry out their plans. The imagery emphasizes their ephemeral nature and how easily they can be dispersed by divine power before they can ignite and achieve their purpose.
A primitive root meaning "to storm" or "to be tempestuous." While the KJV uses the noun "whirlwind," the underlying Hebrew root conveys the powerful, irresistible action of a storm. Biblically, this action is a powerful symbol of God's overwhelming power, His judgment, and His swift, comprehensive intervention, signifying a force that cannot be withstood or diverted, sweeping away everything in its path.
Verse Breakdown
"Before your pots can feel the thorns"
This initial clause establishes the central metaphor. It depicts a scenario where the fuel (thorns) intended for a fire is swept away before it can even generate enough heat to warm the cooking pots. This powerfully symbolizes the pre-emptive and immediate nature of God's judgment. The wicked's plans, no matter how carefully laid or how close to execution, will be nullified before they can achieve their intended effect or yield any benefit to the perpetrators.
"he shall take them away as with a whirlwind"
This identifies the agent of judgment as God ("he") and describes the manner of His intervention. The "whirlwind" emphasizes the irresistible force, suddenness, and comprehensive nature of God's action. It's not a gentle breeze, but a destructive storm that utterly disperses and removes the wicked's means and intentions, leaving nothing behind.
"both living, and in [his] wrath"
This challenging phrase in the KJV reflects the Hebrew kəmō-ḥay kəmō-ḥārôn, which literally means "as living, so burning" or "as raw, so hot." While the KJV interprets "in [his] wrath" as referring to God's anger and "living" possibly to the wicked themselves, a more common and contextually consistent scholarly interpretation applies both terms to the "thorns" (fuel). Thus, the thorns are swept away "both green (unburnt, 'living' or 'raw') and blazing (burning, 'hot' or 'in heat')." This interpretation reinforces the comprehensiveness and totality of the judgment: whether the wicked's plans are still nascent ("green" or "raw") or already actively destructive ("blazing"), God will sweep them away with equal swiftness and totality, leaving no part of their evil scheme to come to fruition.
Literary Devices
Psalm 58:9 is rich in vivid Imagery, painting a striking picture of a domestic scene violently disrupted by divine power. The primary device is Metaphor, where the "pots" represent the wicked's plans or desired outcomes, and the "thorns" represent the means or fuel for their wickedness. The entire scenario of the cooking fire being extinguished before it can heat the pot is a powerful metaphor for pre-emptive divine judgment. The phrase "as with a whirlwind" employs a Simile, comparing God's action to an unstoppable natural force, emphasizing its speed, power, and comprehensive effect. The rapid, destructive nature of the whirlwind also functions as Hyperbole, exaggerating the speed and totality of judgment to underscore God's absolute control and the utter futility of evil.
Theological and Thematic Connections
This verse powerfully affirms God's character as a righteous and active Judge, deeply committed to justice in a world often marred by injustice. It speaks to the divine attribute of sovereignty, demonstrating that no human scheme, however cunning or powerful, can ultimately thwart God's purposes. The swiftness and totality of the judgment described here assure believers that God is not passive in the face of evil but will decisively intervene. This divine prerogative to execute justice is a foundational biblical principle, providing comfort to the oppressed and a stark warning to the wicked, reminding all that God's moral order will ultimately prevail.
Reflection and Application
For believers today, Psalm 58:9 serves as a profound anchor of hope and a sober reminder. It encourages unwavering trust in God's perfect timing and His ultimate sovereignty, even when injustice appears to prevail or when the wicked seem to prosper. It offers immense comfort to those who suffer under oppression, assuring them that God sees their plight and will act decisively. While the New Testament calls us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us, this verse affirms that the scales of ultimate justice rest firmly in God's hands. We are not called to take personal vengeance, but to rely on His righteous judgment, knowing that He will bring about perfect equity in His time. This should foster patience, resilience, and a deep confidence in the final triumph of God's justice over all evil, empowering us to live righteously while anticipating His ultimate vindication.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What kind of psalm is Psalm 58, and why is its language so strong?
Psalm 58 is an imprecatory psalm, a category of psalms that contain fervent prayers for God's judgment upon the wicked. Its strong language reflects the deep anguish and righteous indignation of the psalmist (David) over profound injustice and corruption. These psalms are not expressions of personal vengeance but appeals to God, the ultimate Judge, to uphold His righteousness and intervene against those who actively defy His moral order and oppress the innocent. They acknowledge that only God possesses the right and power to execute perfect justice, as seen in passages like Deuteronomy 32:35.
What exactly do "pots" and "thorns" symbolize in this verse?
In the vivid metaphor of Psalm 58:9, the "pots" symbolize the wicked's plans, intentions, or the desired outcomes of their malevolent actions. They are what the wicked hope to "cook" or bring to fruition. The "thorns" represent the fuel, the means, or the destructive energies that the wicked employ to carry out their schemes. The imagery conveys that God's judgment is so swift and pre-emptive that He will sweep away the "fuel" (thorns) before it can even heat the "pots" (plans), thereby nullifying the wicked's intentions before they can materialize or cause lasting harm. This highlights the futility of human evil when confronted by divine power.
How does this verse, with its focus on wrath and judgment, reconcile with God's attributes of love and mercy?
This verse highlights God's justice, which is an essential aspect of His holy character, just as much as His love and mercy. God's wrath is not capricious or uncontrolled emotion, but a righteous and holy response to sin and injustice. His justice ensures that evil does not have the final say and that ultimately, righteousness will prevail. While God is "slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love" (Psalm 145:8), His love for righteousness necessitates His opposition to evil. The judgment described here serves to protect the innocent and uphold the moral order, ultimately demonstrating His love for His creation and His commitment to perfect equity. It assures that true love cannot tolerate unbridled evil indefinitely.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Psalm 58:9, with its vivid portrayal of swift divine judgment against the wicked, finds its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ. While the psalm expresses a longing for immediate justice against specific oppressors, the New Testament reveals Christ as both the embodiment of God's perfect justice and the one through whom all judgment will ultimately be executed. The "whirlwind" of divine wrath against evil is perfectly channeled through the cross, where Christ absorbed the full fury of God's righteous anger against sin, disarming the powers of darkness and rendering their schemes utterly futile (Colossians 2:15). He is the true Judge, who at His first coming offered mercy and a pathway to reconciliation for all who believe (John 3:17), but at His second coming will bring about the final, comprehensive judgment where every "pot" of wickedness will be emptied and every "thorn" of evil swept away, not just before they can heat, but utterly consumed by the fire of His righteousness (Revelation 20:10). Thus, the longing for justice expressed in Psalms 58:9 is fully satisfied in the person and redemptive work of Jesus, who guarantees that God's perfect justice will indeed prevail and His eternal kingdom will stand unassailable.