Psalm 58:1
New International Version
For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” Of David. A miktam. Do you rulers indeed speak justly? Do you judge people with equity?

New Living Translation
Justice—do you rulers know the meaning of the word? Do you judge the people fairly?

English Standard Version
Do you indeed decree what is right, you gods? Do you judge the children of man uprightly?

Berean Standard Bible
For the choirmaster. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” A Miktam of David. Do you indeed speak justly, O rulers? Do you judge uprightly, O sons of men?

King James Bible
To the chief Musician, Altaschith, Michtam of David. Do ye indeed speak righteousness, O congregation? do ye judge uprightly, O ye sons of men?

New King James Version
To the Chief Musician. Set to “Do Not Destroy.” A Michtam of David. Do you indeed speak righteousness, you silent ones? Do you judge uprightly, you sons of men?

New American Standard Bible
For the music director; set to Al-tashheth. A Mikhtam of David. Do you indeed speak righteousness, you gods? Do you judge fairly, you sons of mankind?

NASB 1995
For the choir director; set to Al-tashheth. A Mikhtam of David. Do you indeed speak righteousness, O gods? Do you judge uprightly, O sons of men?

NASB 1977
Do you indeed speak righteousness, O gods? Do you judge uprightly, O sons of men?

Legacy Standard Bible
For the choir director. Al-tashheth. Of David. A Mikhtam. Do you indeed speak righteousness, O gods? Do you judge with equity, O sons of men?

Amplified Bible
To the Chief Musician; set to [the tune of] “Do Not Destroy.” A Mikhtam of David. [A record of memorable thoughts of David]. Do you indeed speak righteousness, O gods (heavenly beings)? Do you judge fairly, O sons of men?

Christian Standard Bible
For the choir director: “Do Not Destroy.” A Miktam of David. Do you really speak righteously, you mighty ones? Do you judge people fairly?

Holman Christian Standard Bible
For the choir director: “Do Not Destroy.” A Davidic Miktam. Do you really speak righteously, you mighty ones? Do you judge people fairly?

American Standard Version
For the Chief Musician; set to Al-tashheth. A Psalm of David. Michtam. Do ye indeed in silence speak righteousness? Do ye judge uprightly, O ye sons of men?

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Whether truly you are speaking righteousness and integrity, you judge, oh, children of men!

Brenton Septuagint Translation
For the end. Destroy not: by David, for a memorial. If ye do indeed speak righteousness, then do ye judge rightly, ye sons of men.

Contemporary English Version
Do you mighty people talk only to oppose justice? Don't you ever judge fairly?

Douay-Rheims Bible
Unto the end, destroy not, for David, for an inscription of a title. If in very deed you speak justice: judge right things, ye sons of men.

English Revised Version
For the Chief Musician; set to Al-tashheth. A Psalm of David: Michtam. Do ye indeed in silence speak righteousness? do ye judge uprightly, O ye sons of men?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
[For the choir director; [al tashcheth]; a [miktam] by David.] Do you rulers really give fair verdicts? Do you judge Adam's descendants fairly?

Good News Translation
Do you rulers ever give a just decision? Do you judge everyone fairly?

International Standard Version
How is it that by remaining silent you can speak righteously? How can you judge people fairly?

JPS Tanakh 1917
For the Leader; Al-tashheth. [A Psalm] of David; Michtam. Do ye indeed speak as a righteous company? Do ye judge with equity the sons of men?

Literal Standard Version
TO THE OVERSEER. “DO NOT DESTROY.” A MIKTAM OF DAVID. Is it true, O silent one, that you speak righteously? Do you judge uprightly, O sons of men?

Majority Standard Bible
For the choirmaster. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” A Miktam of David. Do you indeed speak justly, O rulers? Do you judge uprightly, O sons of men?

New American Bible
For the leader. Do not destroy. A miktam of David. [2] Do you indeed pronounce justice, O gods; do you judge fairly you children of Adam?

NET Bible
For the music director; according to the al-tashcheth style; a prayer of David. Do you rulers really pronounce just decisions? Do you judge people fairly?

New Revised Standard Version
Do you indeed decree what is right, you gods? Do you judge people fairly?

New Heart English Bible
[For the Chief Musician. To the tune of "Do Not Destroy." A poem by David.] Do you rulers indeed speak righteousness? Do you judge blamelessly, you descendants of Adam?

Webster's Bible Translation
To the chief Musician, Al-taschith, Michtam of David. Do ye indeed speak righteousness, O congregation? do ye judge uprightly, O ye sons of men?

World English Bible
For the Chief Musician. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” A poem by David. Do you indeed speak righteousness, silent ones? Do you judge blamelessly, you sons of men?

Young's Literal Translation
To the Overseer. -- 'Destroy not.' -- A secret treasure, by David. Is it true, O dumb one, righteously ye speak? Uprightly ye judge, O sons of men?

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
God Judges the Earth
1For the choirmaster. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” A Miktam of David. Do you indeed speak justly, O rulers? Do you judge uprightly, O sons of men? 2No, in your hearts you devise injustice; with your hands you mete out violence on the earth.…

Cross References
Psalm 57:1
Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy, for in You my soul takes refuge. In the shadow of Your wings I will take shelter until the danger has passed.

Psalm 82:2
"How long will you judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked? Selah

Micah 3:9
Now hear this, O leaders of the house of Jacob and rulers of the house of Israel, who despise justice and pervert all that is right,

Habakkuk 1:4
Therefore the law is paralyzed, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked hem in the righteous, so that justice is perverted.


Treasury of Scripture

Do you indeed speak righteousness, O congregation? do you judge uprightly, O you sons of men?

(Title.

Psalm 57:1
To the chief Musician, Altaschith, Michtam of David, when he fled from Saul in the cave. Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast.

Psalm 59:1
To the chief Musician, Altaschith, Michtam of David; when Saul sent, and they watched the house to kill him. Deliver me from mine enemies, O my God: defend me from them that rise up against me.

Do

Psalm 72:1-4
A Psalm for Solomon. Give the king thy judgments, O God, and thy righteousness unto the king's son…

Deuteronomy 16:18,19
Judges and officers shalt thou make thee in all thy gates, which the LORD thy God giveth thee, throughout thy tribes: and they shall judge the people with just judgment…

2 Samuel 23:3
The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me, He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God.

O congregation

Psalm 82:1,2
A Psalm of Asaph. God standeth in the congregation of the mighty; he judgeth among the gods…

Numbers 11:16
And the LORD said unto Moses, Gather unto me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom thou knowest to be the elders of the people, and officers over them; and bring them unto the tabernacle of the congregation, that they may stand there with thee.

Deuteronomy 1:15,16
So I took the chief of your tribes, wise men, and known, and made them heads over you, captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, and captains over fifties, and captains over tens, and officers among your tribes…

O ye

Psalm 82:6,7
I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High…

Jump to Previous
Al-Taschith Al-Tashheth Blamelessly Chief Choirmaster Congregation David Decree Destroy Dumb Equity Gods Indeed Judge Judges Justly Leader Michtam Miktam Mouths Musician Music-Maker Ones Overseer Poem Psalm Righteously Righteousness Secret Silence Silent Speak Treasure Tune Upright Uprightly
Jump to Next
Al-Taschith Al-Tashheth Blamelessly Chief Choirmaster Congregation David Decree Destroy Dumb Equity Gods Indeed Judge Judges Justly Leader Michtam Miktam Mouths Musician Music-Maker Ones Overseer Poem Psalm Righteously Righteousness Secret Silence Silent Speak Treasure Tune Upright Uprightly
Psalm 58
1. David reproves wicked judges
3. describes the nature of the wicked
6. devotes them to God's judgments
10. whereat the righteous shall rejoice














(1) Congregation.--This rendering comes of a mistaken derivation of the Hebrew word elem, which offers some difficulty. As pointed, it must mean silence (comp. Psalms 56 title, the only other place it occurs); and some, regardless of sense, would render, "do ye truly in silence speak righteousness." Of the many conjectures on the passage, we may choose between reading elim (short for elim = gods), and here, as in Exodus 21:6; Exodus 22:8; Psalm 82:6, applied to the judges) and ulam (with the LXX., Syriac, and Arabic, in the sense of but. To speak righteousness is, of course, to pronounce a just judgment. If we prefer the former of these (with most modern scholars), it is best to take sons of men in the accusative rather than the vocative, do ye judge with equity the sons of men.

Verse 1. - Do ye indeed speak righteousness, O congregation! The rendering of elem (אֵלֶם) by "congregation" is contrary to all analogy, and quite untenable. It must either mean "dumb ones," or be a corruption of elim (אֵלִים) - "mighty ones" (comp. Psalm 29:1). In either case it is an epithet applied to the judges of the people, and not to the congregation. Do ye judge uprightly, O ye sons of men? Both questions are asked in bitter irony, as is clear from the context.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
For the choirmaster.
לַמְנַצֵּ֥חַ (lam·naṣ·ṣê·aḥ)
Preposition-l, Article | Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 5329: To glitter from afar, to be eminent, to be permanent

To the tune of
אַל־ (’al-)
Adverb
Strong's Hebrew

“Do Not Destroy.”
תַּשְׁחֵ֗ת (taš·ḥêṯ)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect Jussive - second person masculine singular
Strong's 516: destroy not', a phrase in Psalm titles

A Miktam
מִכְתָּֽם׃ (miḵ·tām)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4387: A technical term in psalm titles

of David.
לְדָוִ֥ד (lə·ḏā·wiḏ)
Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 1732: David -- perhaps 'beloved one', a son of Jesse

Do you indeed
הַֽאֻמְנָ֗ם (ha·’um·nām)
Conjunction
Strong's 552: Verily, truly, indeed

speak
תְּדַבֵּר֑וּן (tə·ḏab·bê·rūn)
Verb - Piel - Imperfect - second person masculine plural | Paragogic nun
Strong's 1696: To arrange, to speak, to subdue

justly,
צֶ֭דֶק (ṣe·ḏeq)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6664: The right, equity, prosperity

O rulers?
אֵ֣לֶם (’ê·lem)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 482: Silence

Do you judge
תִּ֝שְׁפְּט֗וּ (tiš·pə·ṭū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural
Strong's 8199: To judge, pronounce sentence, to vindicate, punish, to govern, to litigate

uprightly,
מֵישָׁרִ֥ים (mê·šā·rîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 4339: Evenness, prosperity, concord, straightness, rectitude

O sons
בְּנֵ֣י (bə·nê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 1121: A son

of men?
אָדָֽם׃ (’ā·ḏām)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 120: Ruddy, a human being


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OT Poetry: Psalm 58:1 For the Chief Musician (Psalm Ps Psa.)
Psalm 57:11
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