Bible Strands
Psalms 58:7
May they vanish like water that runs off; when they draw the bow, may their arrows be blunted.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The psalmist addresses God directly, pleading for divine intervention against corrupt judges who wield violent power. The request occurs within a poetic indictment of wicked rulers who pervert justice.
The words — The Hebrew verb יִמָּאֲסוּ (yi.ma.'a.Su) literally means "may they flow," paired with מַיִם (Ma.yim) for "waters" to describe vanishing runoff. The verb יִתְמֹלָלוּ (yit.mo.La.lu) means "let them be cut off," describing arrows that lose their point when drawn.
The thread — The imagery of vanishing runoff parallels the dissolution of the wicked in Psalms 112:10, while the blunted bow echoes the failed pursuit in Joshua 7:5. The melting motif aligns with Exodus 15:15, which specifies that those who dwell in Canaan will melt away.
Why it lands — The text states that violent opponents will lose their effectiveness and disappear without leaving a trace. The reader must recognize that human power is neutralized when God withholds His sustaining breath.
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
Let them melt away as waters which run continually: when he bendeth his bow to shoot his arrows, let them be as cut in pieces.
Cross-references
- Joshua 7:5 And the men of Ai struck down about thirty-six of them, chasing them from the gate as far as the quarries and striking them down on the slopes. So the hearts of the people melted and became like water.
- Psalms 112:10 The wicked man will see and be grieved; he will gnash his teeth and waste away; the desires of the wicked will perish.
- Exodus 15:15 Then the chiefs of Edom will be dismayed; trembling will seize the leaders of Moab; those who dwell in Canaan will melt away,
- Joshua 2:9 and said to them, “I know that the LORD has given you this land and that the fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who dwell in the land are melting in fear of you.
- Psalms 64:3 who sharpen their tongues like swords and aim their bitter words like arrows,
- Isaiah 13:7 Therefore all hands will fall limp, and every man’s heart will melt.
- 2 Samuel 17:10 Then even the most valiant soldier with the heart of a lion will melt with fear, because all Israel knows that your father is a mighty man who has valiant men with him.
- Psalms 22:14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are disjointed. My heart is like wax; it melts away within me.
- Psalms 64:7 But God will shoot them with arrows; suddenly they will be wounded.