Psalm 58

David's focus in this psalm is upon the wicked judges and rules. The corruption at the top of government. How incredibly frustrating this problem is. It's no surprise that this psalm is an impreccatory psalm, calling for real justice to be meted out to the unjust judges.

Boice reports that there are many problems in translating this psalm, as the variants between English translations attest. The first two verses in some form or another focus on evil leaders who seem to keep silent about the injustice or even participate in the injustices themselves. David's words are spoken directly to these evil men.

He further describes these men in verse 3-5 as being evil since birth -- not just having a sin nature, but beyond that. They do not listen to arguments of those who oppose their decision. They are like snake which cannot be charmed, for they cannot hear the music (reason).

So David calls upon God to end their evil. He asks God to break the teeth of these lions, to wash them away like flood waters, to blunt their evil deeds like blunted arrows, to melt them away and to kill off their evil at its first breath, as a stillborn child. All this is to be done to show men that the righteous are rewarded and that God does judge the earth. While that is certainly true, God does not always reward and punish people while they are living on earth. Oftentimes judgment comes after death, confusing some people who do not wish to think of a judgment beyond earth.