Psalms 58:1

O congregation This rendering of the obscure word çlěm, adopted by the scholars of the early part of the 16th century from the learned Rabbi David Kimchi (c. 1160 1235), cannot be defended, and does not suit the context. The word çlěmoccurs elsewhere only in the title of Psalms 56, and from its derivation appears to mean silence.

i. Taking this meaning, we may render,

(1) as R.V., Do ye indeed in silence speak righteousness? The Psalmist expostulates with the judges who neglect their office. "They are dumbwhen they ought to speak, as afterwards they are said to be deaf when they ought to hear." (Bp Perowne). -To speak righteousness" means -to pronounce just sentences." Justice and uprightness are characteristics of God's judgement (Psalms 9:8), which ought to be reflected by all earthly judges.

(2) as R.V. marg. with substantially the same sense: Is the righteousness ye should speak dumb?

(3) as Kay: Will ye indeed utter long-silent Justice? a reference, he supposes, to Absalom's profession of a desire to remedy the want of proper provision for the administration of justice, while he was himself plotting the unnatural crime of rebellion against his father. See 2 Samuel 15:2-6.

With this reading it is best to retain the rendering, O ye sons of men, in the next line, though it is also possible to render, Do ye judge uprightly the sons of men?The judges are addressed as sons of mento remind them that they are but human, and themselves subject to a higher tribunal.

ii. Most critics, however, think that here (as perhaps in the title of Psalms 56 also) the word çlěmshould be read with different vowels, çlîm, -gods," or, -mighty ones." We must then render,

Do ye indeed, O ye gods, speak righteousness?

Do ye judge uprightly the sons of men?

The judges are addressed as çlîm, -gods," as in Psalms 82:1; Psalms 82:6 they are called elôhîm, -gods," because in their judicial capacity they acted as the representatives of God, the supreme Judge. They are thus addressed here, half-sarcastically and half-reproachfully, in contrast to the -sons of men," over whom they exercise jurisdiction; as well as to emphasise the comparison between their failure to administer justice, and the righteous judgement of God (Psalms 58:11).

Elîmhowever is not so used elsewhere, and may simply mean -mighty ones." Cp. Exodus 15:15; 2 Kings 24:15; Job 41:25 (Heb. 17); Ezekiel 17:13; Ezekiel 32:21.

Cheyne and some other commentators find here a reference to the angels, "to whom the actual administration of the world's government has been entrusted." But there is nothing in the context to justify the importation of an idea which belongs to the later development of Jewish theology. It is true that it is found in the LXX of Deuteronomy 32:8, "He set the bounds of the nations according to the number of the angels of God"; but this paraphrase has no claim to be regarded as representing the original text.

iii. None of the Ancient Versions however give any support to this emendation. The LXX and Jerome render çlěmas an adverb (-then" or -certainly"); the Syr. omits it; Aquila and the Targ. attest the reading of the text. Plausible as the emendation is, it must not be made a basis of argument, and the obscurity of the passage must be admitted.