Psalm 58 · a question people ask
"Break their teeth, God, in their mouth" (58:6), and "He shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked" (58:10). How can a psalm say that?
First, what the verses say. The psalm gives its reasons before it prays: "in your heart you plot injustice" (58:2), "You measure out the violence of your hands on the earth" (58:2), and the wicked are "speaking lies" (58:3). Then the prayer is spoken to God: "Break their teeth, God, in their mouth. Break out the great teeth of the young lions, LORD" (58:6). The psalmist doesn't say he will act against them himself. In 58:10 the righteous one "sees the vengeance" (58:10) (tap vengeance). And the psalm's last verse begins "so that men shall say" (58:11), and ends, "Most certainly there is a God who judges the earth" (58:11). Psalm 58 is not the only psalm that prays against enemies, and Christians read these prayers in more than one way. The chapter on Psalm 109 sets out the main readings, each resting on its verses, and chooses none. These notes don't choose either.
The verses
“No, in your heart you plot injustice. You measure out the violence of your hands on the earth. The wicked go astray from the womb. They are wayward as soon as they are born, speaking lies.”
“Break their teeth, God, in their mouth. Break out the great teeth of the young lions, LORD.”
“The righteous shall rejoice when he sees the vengeance. He shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked, so that men shall say, “Most certainly there is a reward for the righteous. Most certainly there is a God who judges the earth.””
“For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David. God of my praise, don’t remain silent, for they have opened the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of deceit against me. They have spoken to me with a lying tongue. They have also surrounded me with words of hatred, and fought against me without a cause. In return for my love, they are my adversaries; but I am in prayer. They have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love.”