(א) לַמְנַצֵּחַ אַל תַּשְׁחֵת לְדָוִד מִכְתָּם: (ב) הַאֻמְנָם אֵלֶם צֶדֶק תְּדַבֵּרוּן מֵישָׁרִים תִּשְׁפְּטוּ בְּנֵי אָדָם:
(1) For the musician, [based on the theme,] Let there not be destruction, a michtam by David. (2) “Are you indeed mute? You should be speaking [with] justice! You should be judging people fairly.
NOTE: For a PDF of this mizmor, please click here. This will enable you to print out the entire text of the article. [Rev 3]
Key Concepts of Mizmor 058 – Against Complacency
Mizmor 058 contains a reproach directed at those who are in position to put an end to evil, but keep complacently silent. Because of their complacency they share in the guilt for all the evil that they might have prevented. The specific targets of David’s reproach were Avner ben Ner, King Shaul’s commander-in-chief, as well as the other senior men of Shaul’s court. David felt that it was their duty to intervene and stop Shaul from acting unjustly in his treatment of David.
Historical Background
The mizmor is based on another episode in King Shaul’s pursuit of David. Shaul had set up camp in a place called Chachilah Hill, but his men had neglected to post proper guards. David stole into the camp under cover of darkness, accompanied by Avishai ben Tzeruyah, one of his best warriors. They found Shaul asleep in the middle of the camp with Avner ben Ner lying nearby. Avishai urged David to kill Shaul, but David refused, just as he had refused in the incident of the cave (see Mizmor 057). Instead, he took Shaul’s spear and his water flask, and escaped to the top of the hill. From that safe vantage point David called out to Avner ben Ner and berated him for having left his king vulnerable to attack. By sparing Shaul’s life, David clearly demonstrated that he had no intention of harming the king (see I Shmuel 26).
Navigating Tehillim. This is the second of three mizmorim (057 through 059) in which David asks to be saved from destruction by Shaul but without the need of killing either Shaul or his warriors. This theme is expressed in the first posuk of each mizmor: “Let there not be destruction.”
Exploring the Mizmor
PART 1. THE CHALLENGE. David accuses Avner and his colleagues of acting like mutes when they should be seeing to it that there is justice in the land. They have sinned by failing to speak up. They are effectively participating in the violence.
(א) לַמְנַצֵּחַ אַל תַּשְׁחֵת לְדָוִד מִכְתָּם: (ב) הַאֻמְנָם אֵלֶם צֶדֶק תְּדַבֵּרוּן מֵישָׁרִים תִּשְׁפְּטוּ בְּנֵי אָדָם: (ג) אַף בְּלֵב עוֹלֹת תִּפְעָלוּן בָּאָרֶץ חֲמַס יְדֵיכֶם תְּפַלֵּסוּן:
(1) For the musician, [based on the theme,] Let there not be destruction, a michtam by David. (2) “Are you indeed mute? You should be speaking [with] justice! You should be judging people fairly. (3) Even in [your] heart, you are doing wrong. [And even worse, the] violence of your hands is in the land, [and you are] allocating it [everywhere].”
PART 2. A PATTERN OF EVIL. David describes Avner and his colleagues as resha’im (wicked men) who have been insensitive to sin for so long it is as if they had gone astray from the time they were born. They have refused to listen to moral guidance for so long that they are like a type of deaf snake which does not respond to the voice of the snake charmer.
(ד) זֹרוּ רְשָׁעִים מֵרָחֶם תָּעוּ מִבֶּטֶן דֹּבְרֵי כָזָב: (ה) חֲמַת לָמוֹ כִּדְמוּת חֲמַת נָחָשׁ כְּמוֹ פֶתֶן חֵרֵשׁ יַאְטֵם אָזְנוֹ: (ו) אֲשֶׁר לֹא יִשְׁמַע לְקוֹל מְלַחֲשִׁים חוֹבֵר חֲבָרִים מְחֻכָּם:
(4) The resha’im have deviated [early in their lives, as if] from birth. The speakers of falsehood have gone astray from [their mother’s] belly. (5) Their poisonous [talk] is like the venom of a snake. They [refuse to listen to moral guidance and] are like a deaf viper that [behaves as if it] closes its ear (6) so as not to hear the voice of snake charmers, [or] the most skillful caster of spells.
PART 3. TO DISABLE EVIL. Since the resha’im are confirmed in their evil ways, David calls upon Hashem to neutralize their ability to harm him. Removing their power of evil speech is described in terms of breaking their teeth, which are key organs of speech.
David does not ask that the resha’im be physically destroyed, but that they lose confidence in their choice of loyalty to Shaul. They will then gradually abandon him and thereby make his threat ineffective. David compares the gradual weakening of Shaul’s position to water that runs off when there is nothing to hold it. He also compares that weakening to the loss of moisture in a snail when it is exposed to the sun.
David also compares the fate of his enemies to the darkness experienced by the mole which cannot see the light of the sun. If the mole miscarries, the stillbirth represents the ultimate loss of light.
(ז) אֱלֹקִים הֲרָס שִׁנֵּימוֹ בְּפִימוֹ מַלְתְּעוֹת כְּפִירִים נְתֹץ ה’: (ח) יִמָּאֲסוּ כְמוֹ מַיִם יִתְהַלְּכוּ לָמוֹ יִדְרֹךְ חִצָּיו כְּמוֹ יִתְמֹלָלוּ: (ט) כְּמוֹ שַׁבְּלוּל תֶּמֶס יַהֲלֹךְ נֵפֶל אֵשֶׁת בַּל חָזוּ שָׁמֶשׁ:
(7) “O G-d, break their teeth in their mouths. Shatter the fangs of [the resha’im who are like predatory] lions, O Hashem. (8) Let them melt away like water that runs off. [Then, seeing his men desert him, when Shaul] aims his arrows, he will be as if he is withering away. (9) [Let them disappear gradually] like the snail [appearing to] melt as it slithers away. [Let them be in darkness like] the stillbirth of a mole, which did not see the sun.”
PART 4. A WARNING. David speaks directly to the resha’im and warns them that they will be unable to complete their evil intentions. They are like a soft briar which has not yet hardened into a destructive thorn. Hashem will not let them reach that point.
(י) בְּטֶרֶם יָבִינוּ סִּירֹתֵיכֶם אָטָד כְּמוֹ חַי כְּמוֹ חָרוֹן יִשְׂעָרֶנּוּ:
(10) [You resha’im:] “Before your tender briars develop into hardened thorns, [Hashem] will act angrily and stormily sweep them away.”
PART 5. A POSITIVE LESSON. David concludes the mizmor by pointing out that even if the rasha is not physically destroyed, the thought of what could happen should be a lesson to the tzaddik to keep his own steps through life as pure as he can. The knowledge that a harsh judgment against resha’im is possible should also be a lesson to all of mankind that “There is indeed, a G-d judging the earth”.
(יא) יִשְׂמַח צַדִּיק כִּי חָזָה נָקָם פְּעָמָיו יִרְחַץ בְּדַם הָרָשָׁע: (יב) וְיֹאמַר אָדָם אַךְ פְּרִי לַצַּדִּיק אַךְ יֵשׁ אֱלֹקִים שֹׁפְטִים בָּאָרֶץ:
(11) The tzaddik will rejoice when he visualizes the vengeance [that will befall the rasha who does not mend his ways. The tzaddik will then keep his own steps pure. In effect,] he will bathe his steps in the blood of the rasha. (12) And mankind will say, “There is indeed, a reward for the tzaddik. There is indeed, a G-d judging the earth.”
Learning the Mizmor
PART 1. THE CHALLENGE.
(א) לַמְנַצֵּחַ אַל תַּשְׁחֵת
A song prepared for the musician — לַמְנַצֵּחַ , based on the theme, “Let there not be destruction” — אַל תַּשְׁחֵת . This theme expresses David’s plea to Hashem that he emerge from the encounter with Shaul without the loss of human life.
לְדָוִד מִכְתָּם
This song is a michtam composed by David — לְדָוִד מִכְתָּם . A “michtam” is a very fine composition, whose name means “adornment of purest gold”.
(ב) הַאֻמְנָם אֵלֶם
צֶדֶק תְּדַבֵּרוּן
מֵישָׁרִים תִּשְׁפְּטוּ בְּנֵי אָדָם:
צֶדֶק תְּדַבֵּרוּן
מֵישָׁרִים תִּשְׁפְּטוּ בְּנֵי אָדָם:
You senior advisors of King Shaul, why have you not spoken out against what he has been doing to me? Are you indeed mute — הַאֻמְנָם אֵלֶם ? You should be speaking with justice — צֶדֶק תְּדַבֵּרוּן ! You should be judging people fairly — מֵישָׁרִים תִּשְׁפְּטוּ בְּנֵי אָדָם — and instead you have given in to Shaul’s prejudice.
(ג) אַף בְּלֵב עוֹלֹת תִּפְעָלוּן
בָּאָרֶץ חֲמַס יְדֵיכֶם תְּפַלֵּסוּן:
בָּאָרֶץ חֲמַס יְדֵיכֶם תְּפַלֵּסוּן:
It is bad enough that you are failing to speak up for what is right. Even in your heart — אַף בְּלֵב — where you should be thinking the truth, you are doing wrong — עוֹלֹת תִּפְעָלוּן — by making plans to justify your misdeeds. And even worse, the violence of your hands is everywhere in the land — בָּאָרֶץ חֲמַס יְדֵיכֶם , and you are standardizing it — תְּפַלֵּסוּן , so that your twisted behavior becomes the norm.
PART 2. A PATTERN OF EVIL.
(ד) זֹרוּ רְשָׁעִים מֵרָחֶם
תָּעוּ מִבֶּטֶן דֹּבְרֵי כָזָב:
תָּעוּ מִבֶּטֶן דֹּבְרֵי כָזָב:
The resha’im (wicked) have deviated — זֹרוּ רְשָׁעִים — from the right path so early in their lives that they have lost the sense of right and wrong. It is as if their wickedness is with them from the womb — מֵרָחֶם . Similarly, the speakers of falsehood have gone astray from the moment they were in their mother’s belly — תָּעוּ מִבֶּטֶן דֹּבְרֵי כָזָב . It is not enough that they fail to correct Shaul’s negative thinking, they have been telling Shaul outright lies about me in order to exacerbate his hatred.
(ה) חֲמַת לָמוֹ כִּדְמוּת חֲמַת נָחָשׁ
כְּמוֹ פֶתֶן חֵרֵשׁ יַאְטֵם אָזְנוֹ:
כְּמוֹ פֶתֶן חֵרֵשׁ יַאְטֵם אָזְנוֹ:
Their poison — חֲמַת לָמוֹ — which they emit in the form of destructive talk is like the venom of a snake — כִּדְמוּת חֲמַת נָחָשׁ . With one word they can sentence a person to death. They refuse to listen to moral guidance and so they are like a deaf viper that behaves as if it closes its ear — כְּמוֹ פֶתֶן חֵרֵשׁ יַאְטֵם אָזְנוֹ …
(ו) אֲשֶׁר לֹא יִשְׁמַע לְקוֹל מְלַחֲשִׁים
חוֹבֵר חֲבָרִים מְחֻכָּם:
חוֹבֵר חֲבָרִים מְחֻכָּם:
… so as not to hear the voice of snake charmers — אֲשֶׁר לֹא יִשְׁמַע לְקוֹל מְלַחֲשִׁים , or even the voice of the most skillful caster of spells — חוֹבֵר חֲבָרִים מְחֻכָּם .
[Snakes attack a person only if they think he intends to harm them. Accordingly, the experts who handle snakes whisper to them to soothe them so that they do not feel in danger. But those soothing sounds are not effective for a specific type of venomous viper, which acts as if it can’t hear the incantations. Similarly, David’s enemies are slandering him in order to defuse the harm that they think he intends to cause them. They refuse to listen to his claim that he has no designs against them.]
PART 3. TO DISABLE EVIL.
(ז) אֱלֹקִים, הֲרָס שִׁנֵּימוֹ בְּפִימוֹ
מַלְתְּעוֹת כְּפִירִים נְתֹץ ה‘:
מַלְתְּעוֹת כְּפִירִים נְתֹץ ה‘:
O G-d, since they do not respond to moral guidance, take drastic action and break their teeth in their mouths — אֱלֹקִים הֲרָס שִׁנֵּימוֹ בְּפִימוֹ — to prevent them from continuing to spit out their poison. Shatter the sharp fangs of the wicked men who are like predatory lions, O Hashem — מַלְתְּעוֹת כְּפִירִים נְתֹץ ה’ . Don’t let them tear me apart with their weapons of war.
(ח) יִמָּאֲסוּ כְמוֹ מַיִם יִתְהַלְּכוּ לָמוֹ
יִדְרֹךְ חִצָּיו כְּמוֹ יִתְמֹלָלוּ:
יִדְרֹךְ חִצָּיו כְּמוֹ יִתְמֹלָלוּ:
Let them lose their self-confidence and desert Shaul so that they will melt away like water that runs off — יִמָּאֲסוּ כְמוֹ מַיִם יִתְהַלְּכוּ לָמוֹ — and is no more. Then, seeing his men desert him, when he aims his arrows — יִדְרֹךְ חִצָּיו — to kill me, he will be weakened and be as if withering away — כְּמוֹ יִתְמֹלָלוּ .
(ט) כְּמוֹ שַׁבְּלוּל תֶּמֶס יַהֲלֹךְ
Let them melt away gradually like the snail — כְּמוֹ שַׁבְּלוּל — that seems to be melting — תֶּמֶס — because of the slimy track it leaves behind as it slithers away — יַהֲלֹךְ .
נֵפֶל אֵשֶׁת בַּל חָזוּ שָׁמֶשׁ:
Let them be hidden away in darkness like the stillbirth of a mole — נֵפֶל אֵשֶׁת , which did not see the sun — בַּל חָזוּ שָׁמֶשׁ . [The mole lives in darkness, a darkness which is total for its stillbirth.]
PART 4. A WARNING.
(י) בְּטֶרֶם יָבִינוּ סִּירֹתֵיכֶם
אָטָד כְּמוֹ חַי כְּמוֹ חָרוֹן יִשְׂעָרֶנּוּ:
אָטָד כְּמוֹ חַי כְּמוֹ חָרוֹן יִשְׂעָרֶנּוּ:
[The singer addresses the resha’im:] Before you are able to solidify your wickedness, you will vanish from the scene. That is, before your tender briars develop — בְּטֶרֶם יָבִינוּ סִּירֹתֵיכֶם — into hardened thorns — אָטָד , He will act angrily and stormily sweep them away — כְּמוֹ חַי כְּמוֹ חָרוֹן יִשְׂעָרֶנּוּ .
PART 5. A POSITIVE LESSON.
(יא) יִשְׂמַח צַדִּיק כִּי חָזָה נָקָם
פְּעָמָיו יִרְחַץ בְּדַם הָרָשָׁע:
פְּעָמָיו יִרְחַץ בְּדַם הָרָשָׁע:
The tzaddik will rejoice when he realizes that there is justice and he visualizes the vengeance — יִשְׂמַח צַדִּיק כִּי חָזָה נָקָם — that will befall the rasha (wicked one) who does not mend his ways. The tzaddik will learn from this and keep his own steps pure. In effect, he will bathe his steps in the blood of the rasha — פְּעָמָיו יִרְחַץ בְּדַם הָרָשָׁע .
(יב) וְיֹאמַר אָדָם אַךְ פְּרִי לַצַּדִּיק
אַךְ יֵשׁ אֱלֹקִים שֹׁפְטִים בָּאָרֶץ:
אַךְ יֵשׁ אֱלֹקִים שֹׁפְטִים בָּאָרֶץ:
And all of mankind will say — וְיֹאמַר אָדָם , “There is indeed, a reward for the tzaddik — אַךְ פְּרִי לַצַּדִּיק . There is indeed, a G-d judging the earth — אַךְ יֵשׁ אֱלֹקִים שֹׁפְטִים בָּאָרֶץ — here in this world, as well as in the world to come.”
Living the Mizmor
Listed below are some of the lessons that you can draw from this mizmor, as well as some of the thoughts you might have in mind when you say the words of the mizmor as a tefillah, expressing your devotion to Hashem.
Lessons for Life – Your Behavior.
[58:2] SPEAK UP. – הַאֻמְנָם אֵלֶם צֶדֶק תְּדַבֵּרוּן – “Are you indeed mute? You should be speaking [with] justice!” When you see an injustice being done you have an obligation to speak up. If you don’t take action, you are effectively complicit in the crime.
[58:4] PATTERN OF EVIL. – זֹרוּ רְשָׁעִים מֵרָחֶם – “The resha’im have deviated [early in their lives, as if] from birth.” A sinful pattern of behavior typically starts at an early age and becomes ingrained. This makes it all the more important to maintain effective guidance and discipline in raising children.
Tefillos for Life – Your Yeshuah.
[58:8] MELT AWAY. – יִמָּאֲסוּ כְמוֹ מַיִם – “Let them melt away like water that runs off.” Ask Hashem to save you by gradually disabling your enemies, so that they will be like water that runs off.
[58:9] – כְּמוֹ שַׁבְּלוּל תֶּמֶס יַהֲלֹךְ – “[Let them disappear gradually] like the snail [appearing to] melt as it slithers away.”
Lessons for Life – Your Attitude.
[58:11] CHIZUK. – יִשְׂמַח צַדִּיק כִּי חָזָה נָקָם – “The tzaddik will rejoice when he visualizes the vengeance [that will befall the rasha who does not mend his ways].” By visualizing the downfall of evil people your own emunah and bitachon will be strengthened.
[58:12] – וְיֹאמַר אָדָם אַךְ פְּרִי לַצַּדִּיק אַךְ יֵשׁ אֱלֹקִים שֹׁפְטִים בָּאָרֶץ – “And mankind will say, “There is indeed, a reward for the tzaddik. There is indeed, a G-d judging the earth.”
Sources
The primary sources used in the interpretation of the pesukim of this mizmor are listed below.
א – המאירי, מלבי”ם, רשר”ה
ב – רש”י, רד”ק, בן־רמוך, מצודות
ג – רש”י, רד”ק, המאירי, בן־רמוך, מצודות
ד – רד”ק
ה – רש”י, רד”ק, מצודות, מלבי”ם
ו – רש”י, רד”ק
ז – רד”ק, בן־רמוך
ח- רש”י, אבן עזרא, אלשיך
ט – רד”ק, המאירי, ספורנו, אבן יחייא
י – רש”י, בן־רמוך, רשר”ה
יא – מלבי”ם, רשר”ה
יב – רש”י, אלשיך