Psalms 58:5

Study note

Setting — The psalmist addresses God regarding the wicked rulers' deliberate refusal to heed correction, comparing them to deaf vipers in their final days of judgment. The words — The Hebrew יִשְׁמַע (yishmaʿ) means "he listens," paired with מְלַחֲשִׁים (melachshim) for "charmers" and the phrase חוֹבֵר חֲבָרִים (chover chavrim) for "casting spells." The thread — This image of spiritual deafness echoes Jeremiah 8:17's uncharmed vipers and aligns with Deuteronomy 18:11's condemnation of those who practice spell-casting. Why it lands — The text establishes that rejecting correction is an active choice, demonstrating that hardened hearts cannot be swayed by human warning alone and require divine action.

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.