Psalm 58
Daily Devotional from Psalm 58–
Verse 4-5
“Their venom is like the venom of a snake, like that of a cobra that has stopped its ears, that will not heed the tune of the charmer, however skillful the enchanter may be.”
Wicked people are compared to snakes by the psalmist. A classic example of portraying the rebellious and unrighteous as those from the serpent's lineage (Genesis 3.15). As the Psalmist says, these serpents will not be “charmed,” no matter the ability of the enchanter. These are people who are bent on having their way.
I have often struggled with the violent nature that this psalm and others can take. Yet, when I consider the fate of the Serpent, the point of the psalmist becomes clearer. There is no personal ill will towards any named individual. Rather, there is a hope that those who are wicked, in the end, will be judged alongside their master, whose fate is to be trampled.
Ray Mandish
Verse 4-5
“Their venom is like the venom of a snake, like that of a cobra that has stopped its ears, that will not heed the tune of the charmer, however skillful the enchanter may be.”
Wicked people are compared to snakes by the psalmist. A classic example of portraying the rebellious and unrighteous as those from the serpent's lineage (Genesis 3.15). As the Psalmist says, these serpents will not be “charmed,” no matter the ability of the enchanter. These are people who are bent on having their way.
I have often struggled with the violent nature that this psalm and others can take. Yet, when I consider the fate of the Serpent, the point of the psalmist becomes clearer. There is no personal ill will towards any named individual. Rather, there is a hope that those who are wicked, in the end, will be judged alongside their master, whose fate is to be trampled.
Ray Mandish
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