Psalm 58:6-11

Having described the wicked hearts, words, and actions of her or his enemies in Psalm 58:1-5, the Psalmist turns to Yahweh in prayer in verses 6-11:

"O God, break the teeth in their mouths;
tear out the fangs of the young lions, O Lord!
Let them vanish like water that runs away;
like grass let them be trodden down and wither.
Let them be like the snail that dissolves into slime;
like the untimely birth that never sees the sun.
Sooner than your pots can feel the heat of thorns,
whether green or ablaze, may he sweep them away!
The righteous will rejoice when they see vengeance done;
they will bathe their feet in the blood of the wicked.
People will say, 'Surely there is a reward for the righteous;
surely there is a God who judges on earth.'"

1. God's people do not retaliate when evildoers persecute them or slander them or misrepresent them or oppress them or undermine them. Rather, they do their enemies good (Exodus 23:4-5; 1 Samuel 24:17; Proverbs 25:21-22; Matthew 5:38-48), and they pray God to take vengeance on the ungodly (Romans 12:17-21; Galatians 1:6-10; 1 Corinthians 16:22; Hebrews 10:26-31), and trust him to do what he has promised (Deuteronomy 32:34-35, 42-43; Psalms 68:22-23; 94:1).
2. The author of Psalm 58 is not asking God for personal, malicious, vindictive vengeance, but rather for the overthrow of wickedness which hinders the spread of God's kingdom on earth and the promotion of justice and righteousness among human beings. God cannot establish justice for the oppressed without bringing judgment on the oppressor (Isaiah 1:21-26).
3. The real issue presented in Psalm 58 is: Who rules the world? Wicked, self-centered oppressors? Or God? The psalmist's answer is: "There is a God who judges [that is, maintains justice] on earth."
When others mistreat us, may God help us respond by returning good for evil and by trusting him to deal with the wicked in his own way and in his own time.

John Willis