THERE IS A GOD WHO JUDGES THE EARTH
Passage: Psalm 58:1~11  
Key verse: 11
Psalm 58[a]For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” Of David. A miktam.[b]
1 Do you rulers indeed speak justly?(A)
Do you judge people with equity?
2 No, in your heart you devise injustice,(B)
and your hands mete out violence on the earth.(C)
3 Even from birth the wicked go astray;
from the womb they are wayward, spreading lies.
4 Their venom is like the venom of a snake,(D)
like that of a cobra that has stopped its ears,
5 that will not heed(E) the tune of the charmer,(F)
however skillful the enchanter may be.
6 Break the teeth in their mouths, O God;(G)
Lord, tear out the fangs of those lions!(H)
7 Let them vanish like water that flows away;(I)
when they draw the bow, let their arrows fall short.(J)
8 May they be like a slug that melts away as it moves along,(K)
like a stillborn child(L) that never sees the sun.
9 Before your pots can feel the heat of the thorns(M)—
whether they be green or dry—the wicked will be swept away.[c](N)
10 The righteous will be glad(O) when they are avenged,(P)
when they dip their feet in the blood of the wicked.(Q)
11 Then people will say,
“Surely the righteous still are rewarded;(R)
surely there is a God who judges the earth.”(S)
1 Do you rulers indeed speak justly?(A)
Do you judge people with equity?
2 No, in your heart you devise injustice,(B)
and your hands mete out violence on the earth.(C)
3 Even from birth the wicked go astray;
from the womb they are wayward, spreading lies.
4 Their venom is like the venom of a snake,(D)
like that of a cobra that has stopped its ears,
5 that will not heed(E) the tune of the charmer,(F)
however skillful the enchanter may be.
6 Break the teeth in their mouths, O God;(G)
Lord, tear out the fangs of those lions!(H)
7 Let them vanish like water that flows away;(I)
when they draw the bow, let their arrows fall short.(J)
8 May they be like a slug that melts away as it moves along,(K)
like a stillborn child(L) that never sees the sun.
9 Before your pots can feel the heat of the thorns(M)—
whether they be green or dry—the wicked will be swept away.[c](N)
10 The righteous will be glad(O) when they are avenged,(P)
when they dip their feet in the blood of the wicked.(Q)
11 Then people will say,
“Surely the righteous still are rewarded;(R)
surely there is a God who judges the earth.”(S)
Footnotes
- Psalm 58:1 In Hebrew texts 58:1-11 is numbered 58:2-12.
- Psalm 58:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
- Psalm 58:9 The meaning of the Hebrew for this verse is uncertain.
Cross references
- Psalm 58:1 : Ps 82:2
- Psalm 58:2 : Mt 15:19
- Psalm 58:2 : Ps 94:20; Isa 10:1; Lk 6:38
- Psalm 58:4 : S Nu 21:6
- Psalm 58:5 : Ps 81:11
- Psalm 58:5 : Ecc 10:11; Jer 8:17
- Psalm 58:6 : Ps 3:7
- Psalm 58:6 : S Job 4:10
- Psalm 58:7 : S Lev 26:36; S Job 11:16
- Psalm 58:7 : Ps 11:2; 57:4; 64:3
- Psalm 58:8 : Isa 13:7
- Psalm 58:8 : S Job 3:16
- Psalm 58:9 : Ps 118:12; Ecc 7:6
- Psalm 58:9 : S Job 7:10; S 21:18
- Psalm 58:10 : S Job 22:19
- Psalm 58:10 : Dt 32:35; Ps 7:9; 91:8; Jer 11:20; Ro 12:17-21
- Psalm 58:10 : Ps 68:23
- Psalm 58:11 : S Ge 15:1; S Ps 128:2; Lk 6:23
- Psalm 58:11 : S Ge 18:25
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Source:  BibleGateway
David knew, however, that God is the sovereign judge of the earth. He has the power to deliver his people. David prayed that God would break and tear out the teeth and fangs of those wicked lions. God could make unjust rulers vanish like water and their weapons of war useless. His action would be swift and his victory overwhelming. Then, the people of the world would know that righteousness is still rewarded and that God is the judge over all the earth. God’s righteous anger over the sin of the world is a very serious matter. Those who confess their sin and turn to Jesus can find forgiveness and freedom from condemnation.
Prayer: Father, deliver the oppressed from injustice.
One Word: The righteousness of God will prevail