Psalms 58:2
Yea, in heart ye work wickedness; ye weigh the violence of your hands in the earth.
Original Language Analysis
אַף
H637
אַף
Strong's:
H637
Word #:
1 of 8
meaning accession (used as an adverb or conjunction); also or yea; adversatively though
בְּלֵב֮
Yea in heart
H3820
בְּלֵב֮
Yea in heart
Strong's:
H3820
Word #:
2 of 8
the heart; also used (figuratively) very widely for the feelings, the will and even the intellect; likewise for the center of anything
תִּפְעָ֫ל֥וּן
ye work
H6466
תִּפְעָ֫ל֥וּן
ye work
Strong's:
H6466
Word #:
4 of 8
to do or make (systematically and habitually), especially to practise
חֲמַ֥ס
the violence
H2555
חֲמַ֥ס
the violence
Strong's:
H2555
Word #:
6 of 8
violence; by implication, wrong; by metonymy unjust gain
Cross References
Psalms 94:20Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with thee, which frameth mischief by a law?Isaiah 10:1Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and that write grievousness which they have prescribed;Isaiah 26:7The way of the just is uprightness: thou, most upright, dost weigh the path of the just.Psalms 21:11For they intended evil against thee: they imagined a mischievous device, which they are not able to perform.Ecclesiastes 3:16And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgment, that wickedness was there; and the place of righteousness, that iniquity was there.Ezekiel 22:27Her princes in the midst thereof are like wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood, and to destroy souls, to get dishonest gain.Ezekiel 22:12In thee have they taken gifts to shed blood; thou hast taken usury and increase, and thou hast greedily gained of thy neighbours by extortion, and hast forgotten me, saith the Lord GOD.Malachi 3:15And now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are set up; yea, they that tempt God are even delivered.
Historical Context
Ancient judges literally used balances/scales, making the metaphor vivid. Corrupt judges accepting bribes (Exodus 23:8) or showing partiality (Leviticus 19:15) violated covenant law, warranting the prophetic denunciation this psalm represents.
Questions for Reflection
- How does heart wickedness manifest in institutional injustice?
- What does God's judgment of judges reveal about standards for those in authority?
Analysis & Commentary
The contrast between speaking justice (v.1) and working wickedness 'in heart' reveals that sin originates internally before manifesting in action (Mark 7:21-23). 'Weigh the violence of your hands' uses courtroom imagery—judges who should weigh evidence instead weigh out (dispense) violence. This inversion of justice anticipates eschatological judgment where earthly judges face divine scrutiny.