Psalm 58:3-5

"The wicked go astray from the womb; they err from their birth, speaking lies. They have venom like the venom of a serpent, like the deaf adder that stops its ear, so that it does not hear the voice of charmers or of the cunning enchanter" (Psalm 58:3-5).

Question:

I just had a baby and my pastor told me to read the verse and learn its meaning.

 

Comment:

What a fearful, negative passage your pastor has chosen, out of the context in which it was written. Psalm 58 is basically a prayer for vengeance upon an unnamed enemy force. It wishes upon that enemy many horrible fates: Let them vanish like water, let them be trodden like grass, let them "dissolve into slime" like snails (verses 7 and 8).  

The tone and wording of this psalm are quite contrary to the message of the Bible. It does end on a more positive affirmation that "there is a reward for the righteous" (v. 11). Still, I hope that instead of this enemy-directed curse, you will welcome your precious newborn with the affirmations of love and empowerment that fill the pages of the Bible. For one example: "Jesus said, 'Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs'" (Matthew 19:14).

Blessings!

Rev. Ed