Psalm 58:7 - God Judges the Earth

May they vanish like water that runs off;
This phrase uses the imagery of water to convey the idea of swift disappearance and ineffectiveness. In the arid climate of ancient Israel, water was a precious resource, and its rapid disappearance would be a familiar sight. The psalmist is invoking a curse upon the wicked, desiring that their influence and power dissipate quickly and without effect. This imagery is consistent with other biblical passages where water symbolizes transience and futility (e.g., Job 14:11). Theologically, it reflects the belief in divine justice, where the wicked will ultimately face consequences for their actions.

when they draw the bow,
The act of drawing a bow is a metaphor for preparing to attack or cause harm. In ancient warfare, the bow was a common weapon, and its use here symbolizes the readiness and intent of the wicked to inflict damage. This imagery is found throughout the Psalms and other biblical texts, often representing the threats and dangers faced by the righteous (e.g., Psalm 11:2). The psalmist's plea is for divine intervention to thwart these hostile intentions.

may their arrows be blunted.
Blunted arrows are ineffective and unable to penetrate or cause harm. This request for the arrows of the wicked to be blunted is a call for their plans and attacks to fail. In a broader biblical context, this reflects the theme of God protecting the righteous and ensuring that the schemes of the wicked do not succeed (e.g., Psalm 37:15). Theologically, it underscores the belief in God's sovereignty and His ability to render the efforts of the wicked futile. This can also be seen as a type of Christ, who, in His ultimate victory, renders the power of sin and death ineffective for those who trust in Him.

Persons / Places / Events

1. David
Traditionally attributed as the author of this psalm, David is expressing a plea for divine justice against the wicked.

2. The Wicked
The psalm addresses those who are unjust and corrupt, often seen as oppressors or enemies of righteousness.

3. God
The ultimate judge and deliverer, to whom David appeals for justice and vindication.

4. The Bow and Arrows
Symbolic of the power and threats of the wicked, which David prays will be rendered ineffective.

5. Water
Used metaphorically to describe the fleeting and ineffective nature of the wicked's plans when God intervenes.

Teaching Points

Divine Justice
Trust in God's ultimate justice, even when human systems fail.

The Power of Prayer
David's prayer is a model for seeking God's intervention against evil.

The Futility of Wickedness
The plans of the wicked are ultimately ineffective against God's will.

Spiritual Warfare
Recognize the spiritual battle and rely on God's strength to blunt the enemy's attacks.

Faith in God's Timing
Be patient and trust that God will act in His perfect timing to bring justice.

Lists and Questions

Top 10 Lessons from Psalm 58Why does David, in Psalm 58, invoke violent divine judgment (verse 6) when other passages emphasize mercy?Psalm 87:7 - In what sense are all 'springs' in Zion, given that historically rivers and water sources are not exclusive to Jerusalem?How can Psalm 64:7's portrayal of God shooting enemies with arrows be reconciled with a God described as loving in other scriptures?What defines being steadfast and unmovable?

(7, 8) After the types of obstinate and fierce malignity, come four striking images of the fatuity of the wicked man's projects, and his own imminent ruin. The first of these compares him to water, which, spilt on a sandy soil, sinks into it and melts away. (Comp. 2Samuel 14:14.) Perhaps a phenomenon, often described by travellers, was in the poet's mind, the disappearance of a stream which, after accompanying the track for some time, suddenly sinks into the sand. The words which run continually, even if the Hebrew can bear this meaning, only weaken the figure. The verb is in the reflexive conjugation, and has "to" or "for themselves" added, and seems to be exactly equivalent to our, they walk themselves off. This certainly should be joined to the clause following. Here, too, we must suppose that the sign of comparison, khemo, was dropped out by the copyist in consequence of the l?mo just written, and afterwards being inserted in the margin, got misplaced. We must bring it back, and read:

They are utterly gone, as when

One shoots his arrows.

This figure thus becomes also clear and striking. The arrow once shot is irrevocably gone, probably lost, fit emblem of the fate of the wicked. For the ellipse in bend (literally, tread, see Psalm 7:12), comp. Psalm 64:3, where also the action properly belonging to the bow is transferred to the arrow.

The words, "Let them be as cut in pieces," must be carried on to the following verse, which contains two fresh images: So they are cut off (LXX., "are weak ") as shabl-l melts; (as) the abortion of a woman passes away without seeing the sun. The word shabl-l, by its derivation (b?lal = to pour out) may mean any liquid or moist substance. Hence some understand a watercourse, others (LXX. and Vulg.) wax. The first would weaken the passage by introducing a bald repetition of a previous image. The second is quite intelligible. But the Talmud says shabl-l is a slug or shelless snail, and there may be a reference in the passage to the popular notion derived from the slimy track of the creature, that the slug dissolves as it moves, and eventually melts away. Dr. Tristram, however (Nat. Hist. Bib., p. 295), finds scientific support for the image in the myriads of snail shells found in the Holy Land, still adhering, by the calcareous exudation round the orifice, to the surface of the rock, while the animal itself is utterly shrivelled and wasted. The last image presents no difficulty either in language or form, except that the form of the noun woman is unusual.

That they may not.--That this refers to the abortion which passed away without seeing the sun, is certain. The grammatical difficulty of want of concord may be got over by taking abortion as a collective noun. . . .

Verse 7. - Let them melt away as waters which run continually; i.e. "let them waste away, and go to naught, like water, that runs off and accomplishes nothing." When he bendoth his bow to shoot his arrows, let them be as cut in pieces; i.e. "let the arrows be as though snapped in two, or headless." Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

May they vanish
יִמָּאֲס֣וּ (yim·mā·’ă·sū)
Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 3988: To spurn, to disappear

like
כְמוֹ־ (ḵə·mōw-)
Preposition
Strong's 3644: Like, as, when

water
מַ֭יִם (ma·yim)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 4325: Water, juice, urine, semen

that runs off;
יִתְהַלְּכוּ־ (yiṯ·hal·lə·ḵū-)
Verb - Hitpael - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk

when they draw the bow,
יִדְרֹ֥ךְ (yiḏ·rōḵ)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1869: To tread, to walk, to string a, bow

may their arrows
חִ֝צָּ֗יו (ḥiṣ·ṣāw)
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 2671: A piercer, an arrow, a wound, thunderbolt, the shaft of a, spear

be blunted.
יִתְמֹלָֽלוּ׃ (yiṯ·mō·lā·lū)
Verb - Hitpael - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 4135: To cut short, curtail, to blunt, to destroy

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Psalm 58:7 Catholic BibleOT Poetry: Psalm 58:7 Let them vanish as water that flows (Psalm Ps Psa.)