Psalm 58

Psalm Category: Communal Lament

Central Thought: The psalmist David seeks the justice of a perfect and all-powerful God, a holy justice that rights all wrongs and that enhances the beauty of God’s grace.

Psalm 58 is almost entirely a malediction upon the wicked, making it an “imprecatory psalm.” The tone is bold, even ferocious, as David prays for the destruction of evil men.

Psalms such as this have given pause to many readers, and even one as influential in the Christian world as C.S. Lewis dismissed them as “petty and vulgar” in comparison to the New Testament emphasis on love and longsuffering (Reflections on the Psalms, Harcourt Brace & Co., p. 21). Surely we can arrive at a better and more balanced vantage point; nevertheless, it is a fair question: How do we square Psalm 58 with the Lord’s gentle admonition to love our enemies (Matt. 5:44)?

First, it must be pointed out that David, the human author of Psalm 58 and chief imprecator of the psalter, did love his enemies. One needs only to review David’s history with Saul and Absalom, or read the words of Psalm 35:11-14, to see examples of a man not given to personal vindictiveness. Yet, in Psalm 58 David is the inspired spokesman for God’s anger at evil men, expressing the reality, severity and certainty of divine judgment. There is no contradiction between believers loving their enemies and, at the same time, longing for true justice.

The graphic petition, “Break their teeth in their mouth, O God!” (Ps. 58:6), conveys an outrage over evil with which we may struggle to identify. But if we might have put the petition more diplomatically, would it be evidence of greater charity or greater indifference? It is worth pointing out that such fearsome petitions for justice are a reflection of the evil deeds that prompt them. The men in view “weigh out the violence of their hands in the earth” (v. 2), apportioning their evil deeds against others with methodical proficiency. It is hard to understand the powerful rhetoric of this psalm without sharing the author’s sensitivity to evil and passion for true justice.

As graphic as verse 6 may be, it is outdone by the image of the righteous washing their feet in the blood of the wicked in verse 10. This language may sound macabre at first, but the rhetoric of imprecatory psalms serves an important function. The power of God’s justice, and the consequent vindication of His people, cannot adequately be described with careful literalism or modest propositions. The Psalms are meant to move us rather than simply address us.

For instance, Psalm 23 takes us into the emotional realm, with its image of green pastures and still waters, in an attempt to portray something of the love and grace of God that goes beyond the power of careful literalism. Would Psalm 23 have the same effect if it were reduced to a doctrinal formula? Neither would Psalm 58. With the shocking quality of a sudden scream, verse 10 attempts to convey the reality of the final judgment. The New Testament sounds the same alarm, with language just as vivid (e.g., Rev. 14:19ff.).

The final verse of the psalm brings us to the purpose of God’s judgment: “So that men will say, ‘Surely there is a reward for the righteous. Surely He is God who judges in the earth.’” The judgment of God is for the glory of God, and whatever glorifies God is good.

We should remember this when reading the imprecatory psalms and thinking about the fearful subject of God’s judgment. Psalm 58 and others like it remind us that God is just, and His justice is praiseworthy. Through such an unforgettable portrayal of God’s anger at sin, Psalm 58 also beckons us to find forgiveness and refuge in the Lord Jesus Christ, who satisfied the justice of God on the cross for all who put their faith in Him.

—C. J. Williams