| Psalms 58:1
| Unto the end, destroy not, for David, for an inscription of a title, when Saul sent and watched his house, to kill him. [1 Kings xix.]
| Watched. Hebrew, "they (the guards) watched." The psalm relates also to the resurrection of Christ, and vocation of the Gentiles, (Berthier) as well as to the reprobation, and future conversion of the Jews. It seems to be most applicable to the times of Esdras and Nehemias: (2 Esdras 4:1., and 6:1.) one of whom may have composed it. (Calmet) --- But this is only a conjecture, (Berthier) and Saul's emissaries may be styled Gentiles, (Menochius) because they imitated their manners. (Haydock) --- Saul sent repeatedly, and went himself to attack David. He gave him Michol with the same design. (Worthington) --- But God turned her heart another way. (Haydock)
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| Psalms 58:2
| Deliver me from my enemies, O my God; and defend me from them that rise up against me.
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| Psalms 58:3
| Deliver me from them that work iniquity, and save me from bloody men.
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| Psalms 58:4
| For behold they have caught my soul: the mighty have rushed in upon me:
| Caught. Hebrew, "laid snares for." Septuagint, "hunted." The enemy wished eagerly to take David, or Nehemias, (Haydock; Calmet) and they seemed to have so surrounded the former, as to be sure of him. (Worthington)
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| Psalms 58:5
| Neither is it my iniquity, or my sin, O Lord; without iniquity have I ran, and directed my steps.
| I ran. Hebrew, "they," etc. But the Septuagint would not have made such a mistake, (Berthier) and the Hebrew appears to be incorrect, though we may understand "without iniquity in me, they have run." (Calmet) --- I gave them no offence. (Worthington) --- All this may be well explained of Jesus Christ, who alone could use these expressions with propriety, being without sin.
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| Psalms 58:6
| Rise up thou to meet me, and behold: even thou, O Lord, the God of hosts, the God of Israel. Attend to visit all the nations: have no mercy on all them that work iniquity.
| No mercy. Nehemias uses the like prophetic threats, 2 Esdras 4:5. (Calmet) --- "Every sin must be punished, either by the penitent, or by an avenging God." The prophet supposes that his enemies died impenitent. (St. Augustine) --- When the gospel was first preached, God visited the world with various afflictions, to make people enter into themselves. (Eusebius) --- The prophet prays that God would visit all nations with peace, and punish obstinate persecutors of the Catholic Church. (Worthington)
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| Psalms 58:7
| They shall return at evening, and shall suffer hunger like dogs: and shall go round about the city.
| Evening, when they came to take David. But, out of regard for Michol, they providentially waited till he had escaped, 2 Kings xix. (Haydock) --- Nehemias was obliged to watch continually, 2 Esdras 4:11, 23. (Calmet) --- The Jews will embrace the faith at the end of the world, (St. Augustine) or they will be destroyed (St. Hilary) or banished by Titus and Adrian (A.D. 137); the latter of whom forbade them even to look at Jerusalem from an eminence. They could not enter it in the time of Eusebius, (Psalm xlviii.) and St. Jerome. (Soph. 1.) --- They have a hunger for God's word, of which they have lost the true sense. (St. Athanasius) --- Persecutors are never satiated, though they labour to destroy, all their lives. (Worthington) --- They allow themselves no rest. (Menochius)
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| Psalms 58:8
| Behold they shall speak with their mouth, and a sword is in their lips: for who, say they, hath heard us?
| Lips. They seek my ruin, 2 Esdras 4:2, etc. --- Heard. Thus they deny Providence, Psalm (Hebrew) 10:11. (Calmet) --- This thought and the occasion of sin have produced much wickedness. "Whithersoever thou goest, thou art seen by Jesus Christ, who made, redeemed, and died for thee." (St. Augustine, Ser. 161.) --- A serious consideration of God's presence is the best preservative. (Berthier) --- The wicked devise all sorts of cruelty, as if there were no God. (Worthington)
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| Psalms 58:9
| But thou, O Lord, shalt laugh at them: thou shalt bring all the nations to nothing.
| Laugh. Permitting them to become ridiculous. (Calmet)
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| Psalms 58:10
| I will keep my strength to thee: for thou art my protector:
| My. Hebrew, "his," which seems incorrect. Chaldean (Calmet) and St. Jerome agree with the Vulgate. Houbigant would also substitute, "My strength, I will sing to thee," which affords a better sense, ver. 17. (Berthier) --- Yet our version is very plain; I will make all my powers serve thee, and acknowledge that all comes from thee. (Haydock) --- Such was the admirable humility of Nehemias, who never assumed any glory to himself. (Calmet) --- David and all just men entertain the same sentiments. We are here assured (Haydock) that the Church and some virtuous souls will persevere, by God's grace. (Worthington)
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| Psalms 58:11
| My God, his mercy shall prevent me.
| His mercy. Protestants, "the God of my." Yet the text has "his;" i and v are easily confounded. The Keri here allows "my," which Pagnin translates. St. Jerome, "the mercy of my God;" (Haydock) or "my God, my mercy." (Ep. ad. Sun.) (Calmet) --- All comes to the same end. These words are most applicable to Jesus Christ. (Berthier)
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| Psalms 58:12
| God shall let me see over my enemies: slay them not, lest at any time my people forget. Scatter them by thy power; and bring them down, O Lord, my protector:
| Over. St. Jerome, "my spies." (Haydock) --- Forget. Let them suffer a long time, (Menochius) that their punishment may be a greater warning. The ancients read, "thy law," instead of people, and apply this to the Jews, (Calmet) who still preserve the law, and bear witness throughout the world that the prophecies were not a fabrication of Christians. (Haydock) --- Their exemplary chastisement and continuance, may serve to caution all not to follow their example. Judaei testes iniquitatis suae et veritatis nostrae. (St. Augustine) (Eusebius) --- "If all the Jews had been converted, we should have had only suspicious witnesses; and if all had been exterminated, we hould have had none." God permits our spiritual adversaries to remain for our trial, (Tertullian) that we may not forget ourselves in prosperity. (Worthington) --- We may also translate Al, "O God, (as well as not) slay them, that they may attack my people no more;" (see 2 Esdras 4:4.) for what reason could Nehemias have to beg that they might be spared? (Calmet) --- God might have some. (Haydock)
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| Psalms 58:13
| For the sin of their mouth, and the word of their lips: and let them be taken in their pride. And for their cursing and lying, they shall be talked of,
| For, is not expressed. Literally, "bring down....the sign," etc. Let not their haughty speeches take effect, or escape punishment. The imprecations of the Jews against themselves, (Haydock) and against Christ, have brought on their destruction. (St. Augustine) --- Thus nothing need be supplied. --- Of. Hebrew, "shall relate;" which has little sense. Laying aside the points, it may have the meaning of the Vulgate. This passage can hardly be applicable to David's persecutors, though it might predict the disasters of Saul. It alludes more to the enemies of Christ, (Berthier) who called down his blood upon themselves, (Matthew 27:25.) and most falsely accused Him. (Calmet) --- Hence they are become the reproach of men, and are no longer a people. They behold the reign of Christ propagated throughout the world, (ver. 16.; Haydock) while they are wandering about and despised. They once would not serve; boasting that they were children of Abraham, John viii. (Menochius)
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| Psalms 58:14
| When they are consumed: when they are consumed by thy wrath, and they shall be no more. And they shall know that God will rule Jacob, and all the ends of the earth.
| Consumed. At the destruction of Jerusalem, or for opposing Nehemias, 2 Esdras 6:16. --- Earth. The Jews who were preordained to life, embraced the gospel. (Calmet) --- How can those know, who are no more? Their condition will be worse than annihilation. They will exist in hell, though no more visible to us. (Berthier) --- They will know the truth, when it is too late; and when they are on the point of plunging into the abyss. The measure of their crimes being full, they shall be accused and punished. (Worthington)
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| Psalms 58:15
| They shall return at evening, and shall suffer hunger like dogs: and shall go round about the city.
| City. This is a sort of chorus, ver. 7. St. Jerome and Protestants, "Let them bark." (Haydock) --- It insinuates, that the attacks of the enemies of Nehemias, (Calmet) David, and Christ, were unceasing. (Haydock)
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| Psalms 58:16
| They shall be scattered abroad to eat, and shall murmur, if they be not filled.
| Murmur. Hebrew also, "shall tarry all night." Protestants, "grudge." (Haydock) --- Finding no oil for their lamps, they will repent like Judas, and blaspheme in hell. (Worthington)
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| Psalms 58:17
| But I will sing thy strength; and will extol thy mercy in the morning. For thou art become my support, and my refuge, in the day of my trouble.
| Morning. With earnestness, (Haydock) I will fulfil this duty (Calmet) at the resurrection, (Worthington) in the morning of a glorious immortality. (Menochius)
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| Psalms 58:18
| Unto thee, O my helper, will I sing; for thou art God, my defence: my God, my mercy.
| Helper. St. Jerome, "my strength," virtutem meam tibi cantabo, ver. 10. I will sing, that all I have comes from thy pure mercy. (Haydock)
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