A one-minute narration sample. Every book in the library is narrated end to end — hear the rest in the app.
The Bible · 536 of 1189
Psalms 58
1.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.
6.Break their teeth, O God, in their mouth: break out the great teeth of the young lions, O LORD.
7.Let them melt away as waters which run continually: when he bendeth his bow to shoot his arrows, let them be as cut in pieces.
8.As a snail which melteth, let every one of them pass away: like the untimely birth of a woman, that they may not see the sun.
9.Before your pots can feel the thorns, he shall take them away as with a whirlwind, both living, and in his wrath.
10.The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance: he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.
11.So that a man shall say, Verily there is a reward for the righteous: verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth.
Asked of Guide
Why does the psalm call for God to 'break their teeth' and violent imagery against the wicked?
The psalm uses graphic images—breaking teeth, melting like waters, washing feet in blood—to cry for decisive divine justice against persistent deceit and violence. It portrays wickedness as innate and dangerous, so the speaker demands removal of its power rather than mere rebuke.
This language functions as a litigant’s plea: the community appeals to God as judge who vindicates the righteous and executes judgment, leading to the refrain, “verily there is a reward for the righteous.” The tone and legal language connect with themes in other psalms of imprecation; compare Psalm 109, which also petitions forceful intervention against enemies.
Guide is the guide inside the Gnosis app, where every book on these shelves is free to read. Guide is the part you pay for — your guide has read all of them, and answers about the passage you’re actually on. Ask your guide your own question.