Tehillim 58 | “Let Him Make Himself Mute”

David addresses those who pretend to be seekers of justice and asks them: “Do you judge people with equity?” (58:2). These people, who take pride in their pursuit of justice, actually bring about injustice and wrongdoing through their thoughts and actions.

The poet then turns to God with a direct and forceful plea: “God, crush the teeth in their mouths; smash the fangs of these young lions, Lord” (58:7). Unlike similar psalms that simply plead for rescue from the wicked, this one contains an unambiguous request for their destruction. Later in the psalm, we even find the word vengeance: “The righteous will rejoice at the sight of vengeance” (58:11). This satisfies the poet: though human courts have failed to uphold justice, God — Judge of all the earth — will ultimately see that justice is done.

Regarding the idea of vengeance, it is clear that the poet does not seek to take revenge himself. Instead, the request is directed to God — it is God who enacts vengeance. This pattern is evident throughout David’s life: even when he had opportunities to take revenge on his enemies (Sha’ul, Naval, Shimi), he refrained, showing deep humility, and instead appealed to God to carry out justice.

The Gemara in Chullin 89a offers a striking (and seemingly distant) interpretation of the second verse of our psalm: “Rabbi Yitzcḥak says: What is the meaning of that which is written: “Do you truly [ha’umnam] decree justice, powerful ones [elem]? Do you judge people with equity [meisharim]?” (Psalms 58:2) The verse is interpreted as follows: What should be a person’s occupation [umanut] in this world? He should render himself silent as a mute [ilem].” Though far from the plain meaning of the verse, this reading actually reflects the psalm’s core message. Sometimes, the righteous are called to respond to their enemies with silence, rather than reacting loudly at every provocation. Justice must be sought from God. This was David’s path — especially apparent when Shimi son of Gera cursed him and David chose not to respond: “Let him be and let him curse, as the Lord bid him. Perhaps the Lord will look upon my suffering and the Lord restore my favor in place of his curses on this day” (Shmuel II 16:11–12). David entrusts the response to Shimi to God alone.