Psalm 58: vengeance isn’t the best policy
Dishonest judges, out to profit and cause harm, are severely chided and threatened with divine punishment in this psalm. The punishments David (or the author of the psalm) has in mind for them are quite un-Christian, and truly violent. Here’s a sample: “The upright will rejoice to see vengeance done, and will bathe his feet in the blood of the wicked.” I doubt a truly upright person would wish vengeance, or would share a desire to bathe his or her feet in blood.
As disgusting as this psalm gets in its imagery, it is interesting to follow the Psalms. Unlike any other book of the Bible, each is different. It’s a self-contained prayer to God, and the author is usually unknown. Sure, David is thought to be the author of most of them, but when one compares his life with the words of these psalms, it’s hard to believe he wrote them. Some, like this, are so violent, so un-Godly, so unlike the David that Samuel describes, that I have to believe the author is someone else, someone less knowledgeable of God and His ways. And that’s what’s captivating about the Psalms. You get to see the point of view of various people who wrote their prayers down. You get to shudder in disgust, or feel the joy of a shared experience with God. You see all things, and you get to critique what you find is wrong. You can compare and see where different people were in their relationship with God at different times in their lives. At the very least, it’s insightful, and usually, it’s inspiring. Sometimes, it’s truly awesome. This psalm, however, is just plain misguided.
