Bible Strands
Psalms 58:10
The righteous will rejoice when they see they are avenged; they will wash their feet in the blood of the wicked.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The psalmist delivers this declaration immediately after describing God’s sudden sweeping away of the wicked in verse 9 and directly before noting how all people will acknowledge divine justice in verse 11.
The words — The text foregrounds יִשְׂמַ֣ח (yis.Mach), meaning "he will rejoice," and צַ֭דִּיק (Tza.dik), meaning "[the] righteous," to identify the subject and his response. It pairs יִ֝רְחַ֗ץ (yir.Chatz), "he will bathe," with בְּ/דַ֣ם (be./Dam), "in the blood of," to literally describe washing feet in the blood of the wicked.
The thread — The specific image of feet dipped in blood parallels Psalms 68:23, while the motif of merely witnessing the wicked's punishment aligns with Psalms 91:8. The broader scriptural pattern of the righteous rejoicing at the downfall of the wicked connects directly to Proverbs 11:10.
Why it lands — The text states that the righteous will actively celebrate God's vengeance by washing their feet in the blood of the wicked. This demands a reader to recognize that divine justice is not abstract but visibly executed, requiring the faithful to witness and acknowledge it without romanticizing the violence.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance: he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.
Cross-references
- Psalms 68:23 that your foot may be dipped in the blood of your foes—the tongues of your dogs in the same.”
- Psalms 91:8 You will only see it with your eyes and witness the punishment of the wicked.
- Proverbs 11:10 When the righteous thrive, the city rejoices, and when the wicked perish, there are shouts of joy.
- Revelation 11:17 saying: “We give thanks to You, O Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was, because You have taken Your great power and have begun to reign.
- Deuteronomy 32:43 Rejoice, O heavens, with Him, and let all God’s angels worship Him. Rejoice, O nations, with His people; for He will avenge the blood of His children. He will take vengeance on His adversaries and repay those who hate Him; He will cleanse His land and His people.
- Psalms 64:10 Let the righteous rejoice in the LORD and take refuge in Him; let all the upright in heart exult.
- Psalms 107:42 The upright see and rejoice, and all iniquity shuts its mouth.
- Judges 5:31 So may all Your enemies perish, O LORD! But may those who love You shine like the sun at its brightest.” And the land had rest for forty years.
- Job 22:19 The righteous see it and are glad; the innocent mock them:
- Job 29:6 when my steps were bathed in cream and the rock poured out for me streams of oil!