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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "//www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="//www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" /><title>Psalm 58:8 Like a slug that dissolves in its slime, like a woman's stillborn child, may they never see the sun.</title><link rel="canonical" href="https://biblehub.com/psalms/58-8.htm" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/new9.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><meta property="og:image" content="https://biblehub.com/visuals/11/19_Psa_058_008.jpg" /><meta property="og:title" content="Psalm 58:8 - God Judges the Earth" /><meta property="og:site_name" content="Bible Hub" /><meta property="og:description" content="Like a slug that dissolves in its slime, like a woman's stillborn child, may they never see the sun." /><script type="application/javascript" 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cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div><div id="ad1"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/ad8.htm" width="100%" height="48" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="/psalms/58-7.htm" title="Psalm 58:7">◄</a> Psalm 58:8 <a href="/psalms/58-9.htm" title="Psalm 58:9">►</a></div></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="topverse"> <a href="#audio" class="clickchap2" title="Context and Audio Bible"> Audio </a> <a href="#crossref" class="clickchap2" title="Cross References"> Cross </a> <a href="#study" class="clickchap2" title="Study Bible"> Study </a> <a href="#commentary" class="clickchap2" title="Commentary"> Comm </a> <a href="#lexicon" class="clickchap2" title="Lexicon"> Heb </a> </div><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheadingv"><b>Verse</b><a href="/bsb/psalms/58.htm" class="clickchap" style="color:#001320" title="Click any translation name for full chapter">  (Click for Chapter)</a></div><div id="par"><span class="versiontext"><a href="/niv/psalms/58.htm">New International Version</a></span><br />May they be like a slug that melts away as it moves along, like a stillborn child that never sees the sun.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nlt/psalms/58.htm">New Living Translation</a></span><br />May they be like snails that dissolve into slime, like a stillborn child who will never see the sun.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/esv/psalms/58.htm">English Standard Version</a></span><br />Let them be like the snail that dissolves into slime, like the stillborn child who never sees the sun.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/bsb/psalms/58.htm">Berean Standard Bible</a></span><br />Like a slug that dissolves in its slime, like a woman’s stillborn child, may they never see the sun.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/kjv/psalms/58.htm">King James Bible</a></span><br />As a snail <i>which</i> melteth, let <i>every one of them</i> pass away: <i>like</i> the untimely birth of a woman, <i>that</i> they may not see the sun.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nkjv/psalms/58.htm">New King James Version</a></span><br /><i>Let them be</i> like a snail which melts away as it goes, <i>Like</i> a stillborn child of a woman, that they may not see the sun.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb_/psalms/58.htm">New American Standard Bible</a></span><br /><i>May they be</i> like a snail which goes along in slime, <i>Like</i> the miscarriage of a woman that never sees the sun.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb/psalms/58.htm">NASB 1995</a></span><br />Let them be as a snail which melts away as it goes along, Like the miscarriages of a woman which never see the sun.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb77/psalms/58.htm">NASB 1977 </a></span><br /><i>Let them be</i> as a snail which melts away as it goes along, <i>Like</i> the miscarriages of a woman which never see the sun.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsb/psalms/58.htm">Legacy Standard Bible </a></span><br /><i>Let them be</i> as a snail which melts away as it goes along, <i>Like</i> the miscarriages of a woman which never behold the sun.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/amp/psalms/58.htm">Amplified Bible</a></span><br /><i>Let them be</i> as a snail which melts away (secretes slime) as it goes along, Like the miscarriage of a woman which never sees the sun.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/csb/psalms/58.htm">Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />Like a slug that moves along in slime, like a woman’s miscarried child, may they not see the sun.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hcsb/psalms/58.htm">Holman Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />Like a slug that moves along in slime, like a woman&#8217s miscarried child, they will not see the sun. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/asv/psalms/58.htm">American Standard Version</a></span><br />Let them be as a snail which melteth and passeth away, Like the untimely birth of a woman, that hath not seen the sun.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cev/psalms/58.htm">Contemporary English Version</a></span><br />Let them dry up like snails or be like a child that dies before seeing the sun. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/erv/psalms/58.htm">English Revised Version</a></span><br />Let them be as a snail which melteth and passeth away: like the untimely birth of a woman, that hath not seen the sun.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gwt/psalms/58.htm">GOD'S WORD® Translation</a></span><br />Let them become like a snail that leaves behind a slimy trail or like a stillborn child who never sees the sun.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gnt/psalms/58.htm">Good News Translation</a></span><br />May they be like snails that dissolve into slime; may they be like a baby born dead that never sees the light. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/isv/psalms/58.htm">International Standard Version</a></span><br />May they be like a snail that dries up as it crawls; like a woman's stillborn baby, who never saw the sun.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/net/psalms/58.htm">NET Bible</a></span><br />Let them be like a snail that melts away as it moves along! Let them be like stillborn babies that never see the sun! <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nheb/psalms/58.htm">New Heart English Bible</a></span><br />Let them be like a snail which melts and passes away, like the stillborn child, who has not seen the sun.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/wbt/psalms/58.htm">Webster's Bible Translation</a></span><br />As a snail which melteth, let every one of them pass away: like the untimely birth of a woman, that they may not see the sun.<div class="vheading2"><b>Majority Text Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/msb/psalms/58.htm">Majority Standard Bible</a></span><br />Like a slug that dissolves in its slime, like a woman’s stillborn child, may they never see the sun.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/web/psalms/58.htm">World English Bible</a></span><br />Let them be like a snail which melts and passes away, like the stillborn child, who has not seen the sun. <div class="vheading2"><b>Literal Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsv/psalms/58.htm">Literal Standard Version</a></span><br />He goes on as a snail that melts, "" [As] an untimely birth of a woman, "" They have not seen the sun.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/ylt/psalms/58.htm">Young's Literal Translation</a></span><br /> As a snail that melteth he goeth on, As an untimely birth of a woman, They have not seen the sun.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/slt/psalms/58.htm">Smith's Literal Translation</a></span><br />As a snail shall melt away he shall go: fire fell; they saw not the sun.<div class="vheading2"><b>Catholic Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/drb/psalms/58.htm">Douay-Rheims Bible</a></span><br />Like wax that melteth they shall be taken away: fire hath fallen on them, and they shall not see the sun. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cpdv/psalms/58.htm">Catholic Public Domain Version</a></span><br /><V 57:9>Like wax that flows, they will be carried away. Fire has fallen upon them, and they will not see the sun.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nabre/psalms/58.htm">New American Bible</a></span><br />Let them dissolve like a snail that oozes away, like an untimely birth that never sees the sun. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nrsvce/psalms/58.htm">New Revised Standard Version</a></span><br />Let them be like the snail that dissolves into slime; like the untimely birth that never sees the sun.<div class="vheading2"><b>Translations from Aramaic</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lamsa/psalms/58.htm">Lamsa Bible</a></span><br />Like the wax that melts, and drips before the fire, let them be destroyed: fire has fallen from heaven and they did not see; the light of truth has been given and they did not understand.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hpbt/psalms/58.htm">Peshitta Holy Bible Translated</a></span><br />Like wax that is melted and falls before the fire, they will be destroyed; the fire has fallen and they have not seen neither have they perceived the sun.<div class="vheading2"><b>OT Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/jps/psalms/58.htm">JPS Tanakh 1917</a></span><br />Let them be as a snail which melteth and passeth away; Like the untimely births of a woman, that have not seen the sun.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/sep/psalms/58.htm">Brenton Septuagint Translation</a></span><br />They shall be destroyed as melted wax: the fire has fallen and they have not seen the sun.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/parallel/psalms/58-8.htm">Additional Translations ...</a></span></div></div></div><div id="centbox"><div class="padcent"><a name="audio" id="audio"></a><div class="vheadingv"><b>Audio Bible</b></div><iframe width="100%" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nFaD2oDhKPc?start=6865" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><div class="vheadingv"><b>Context</b></div><span class="hdg"><a href="/bsb/psalms/58.htm">God Judges the Earth</a></span><br>…<span class="reftext">7</span>May they vanish like water that runs off; when they draw the bow, may their arrows be blunted. <span class="reftext">8</span><span class="highl"><a href="/hebrew/3644.htm" title="3644: kə·mōw (Prep) -- Like, as, when. Or kamow; a form of the prefix k-, but used separately; as, thus, so.">Like</a> <a href="/hebrew/7642.htm" title="7642: bə·lūl (N-msc) -- A snail. From the same as shebel; a snail.">a slug</a> <a href="/hebrew/1980.htm" title="1980: ya·hă·lōḵ (V-Qal-Imperf-3ms) -- To go, come, walk. Akin to yalak; a primitive root; to walk.">that dissolves</a> <a href="/hebrew/8557.htm" title="8557: te·mes (N-ms) -- A melting (away). From macah; liquefaction, i.e. Disappearance.">in its slime,</a> <a href="/hebrew/802.htm" title="802: ’ê·šeṯ (N-fsc) -- Woman, wife, female. Feminine of 'iysh or 'enowsh; irregular plural, nashiym; a woman.">like a woman’s</a> <a href="/hebrew/5309.htm" title="5309: nê·p̄el (N-msc) -- Miscarriage, abortion. Or nephel; from naphal; something fallen, i.e. An abortion.">stillborn child,</a> <a href="/hebrew/1077.htm" title="1077: bal- (Adv) -- Not. From balah; properly, a failure; by implication nothing; usually not at all; also lest.">may they never</a> <a href="/hebrew/2372.htm" title="2372: ḥā·zū (V-Qal-Perf-3cp) -- See, behold. A primitive root; to gaze at; mentally, to perceive, contemplate; specifically, to have a vision of.">see</a> <a href="/hebrew/8121.htm" title="8121: šā·meš (N-cs) -- From an unused root meaning to be brilliant; the sun; by implication, the east; figuratively, a ray, i.e. A notched battlement.">the sun.</a> </span><span class="reftext">9</span>Before your pots can feel the burning thorns—whether green or dry—He will sweep them away.…<div class="cred"><a href="//berean.bible">Berean Standard Bible</a> · <a href="//berean.bible/downloads.htm">Download</a></div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="crossref" id="crossref"></a><div class="vheading">Cross References</div><div id="crf"><span class="crossverse"><a href="/job/20-7.htm">Job 20:7</a></span><br />he will perish forever, like his own dung; those who had seen him will ask, ‘Where is he?’<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/job/20-28.htm">Job 20:28</a></span><br />The possessions of his house will be removed, flowing away on the day of God’s wrath.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/job/21-18.htm">Job 21:18</a></span><br />Are they like straw before the wind, like chaff swept away by a storm?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/job/27-21.htm">Job 27:21</a></span><br />The east wind carries him away, and he is gone; it sweeps him out of his place.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/job/27-23.htm">Job 27:23</a></span><br />It claps its hands at him and hisses him out of his place.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/proverbs/10-25.htm">Proverbs 10:25</a></span><br />When the whirlwind passes, the wicked are no more, but the righteous are secure forever.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/proverbs/14-32.htm">Proverbs 14:32</a></span><br />The wicked man is thrown down by his own sin, but the righteous man has a refuge even in death.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/isaiah/17-13.htm">Isaiah 17:13</a></span><br />The nations rage like the rush of many waters. He rebukes them, and they flee far away, driven before the wind like chaff on the hills, like tumbleweeds before a gale.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/isaiah/40-24.htm">Isaiah 40:24</a></span><br />No sooner are they planted, no sooner are they sown, no sooner have their stems taken root in the ground, than He blows on them and they wither, and a whirlwind sweeps them away like stubble.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/hosea/13-3.htm">Hosea 13:3</a></span><br />Therefore they will be like the morning mist, like the early dew that vanishes, like chaff blown from a threshing floor, like smoke through an open window.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/james/1-11.htm">James 1:11</a></span><br />For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its flower falls and its beauty is lost. So too, the rich man will fade away in the midst of his pursuits.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/1_peter/1-24.htm">1 Peter 1:24</a></span><br />For, “All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/matthew/13-6.htm">Matthew 13:6</a></span><br />But when the sun rose, the seedlings were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/matthew/13-20.htm">Matthew 13:20-21</a></span><br />The seed sown on rocky ground is the one who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. / But since he has no root, he remains for only a season. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/mark/4-6.htm">Mark 4:6</a></span><br />But when the sun rose, the seedlings were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.</div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="tsk" id="tsk"><div class="vheading">Treasury of Scripture</div><p class="tsk2">As a snail which melts, let every one of them pass away: like the untimely birth of a woman, that they may not see the sun.</p><p class="hdg">a snail.</p><p class="hdg">pass</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/psalms/37-35.htm">Psalm 37:35,36</a></b></br> I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree… </p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/matthew/24-35.htm">Matthew 24:35</a></b></br> Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/james/1-10.htm">James 1:10</a></b></br> But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away.</p><p class="hdg">untimely</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/job/3-16.htm">Job 3:16</a></b></br> Or as an hidden untimely birth I had not been; as infants <i>which</i> never saw light.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/ecclesiastes/6-3.htm">Ecclesiastes 6:3</a></b></br> If a man beget an hundred <i>children</i>, and live many years, so that the days of his years be many, and his soul be not filled with good, and also <i>that</i> he have no burial; I say, <i>that</i> an untimely birth <i>is</i> better than he.</p><div class="vheading">Jump to Previous</div><a href="/psalms/58-3.htm">Birth</a> <a href="/numbers/3-41.htm">Births</a> <a href="/psalms/10-18.htm">Child</a> <a href="/psalms/56-2.htm">End</a> <a href="/psalms/21-10.htm">Fruit</a> <a href="/psalms/50-23.htm">Gives</a> <a href="/psalms/57-10.htm">Goes</a> <a href="/psalms/46-6.htm">Melteth</a> <a href="/psalms/46-6.htm">Melts</a> <a href="/psalms/50-11.htm">Moves</a> <a href="/psalms/57-1.htm">Passes</a> <a href="/psalms/37-36.htm">Passeth</a> <a href="/job/9-31.htm">Slime</a> <a href="/leviticus/11-30.htm">Snail</a> <a href="/job/3-16.htm">Stillborn</a> <a href="/psalms/50-1.htm">Sun</a> <a href="/psalms/56-3.htm">Time</a> <a href="/psalms/58-7.htm">Turned</a> <a href="/job/3-16.htm">Untimely</a> <a href="/psalms/58-7.htm">Water</a><div class="vheading2">Jump to Next</div><a href="/psalms/62-9.htm">Birth</a> <a href="/genesis/2-4.htm">Births</a> <a href="/psalms/105-36.htm">Child</a> <a href="/psalms/59-13.htm">End</a> <a href="/psalms/72-3.htm">Fruit</a> <a href="/psalms/59-7.htm">Gives</a> <a href="/psalms/68-21.htm">Goes</a> <a href="/psalms/68-2.htm">Melteth</a> <a href="/psalms/68-2.htm">Melts</a> <a href="/psalms/69-34.htm">Moves</a> <a href="/psalms/78-39.htm">Passes</a> <a href="/psalms/78-39.htm">Passeth</a> <a href="/genesis/11-3.htm">Slime</a> <a href="/leviticus/11-30.htm">Snail</a> <a href="/ecclesiastes/6-3.htm">Stillborn</a> <a href="/psalms/72-5.htm">Sun</a> <a href="/psalms/69-13.htm">Time</a> <a href="/psalms/66-6.htm">Turned</a> <a href="/ecclesiastes/6-3.htm">Untimely</a> <a href="/psalms/63-1.htm">Water</a><div class="vheading2">Psalm 58</div><span class="reftext">1. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/psalms/58-1.htm">David reproves wicked judges</a></span><br><span class="reftext">3. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/psalms/58-3.htm">describes the nature of the wicked</a></span><br><span class="reftext">6. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/psalms/58-6.htm">devotes them to God's judgments</a></span><br><span class="reftext">10. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/psalms/58-10.htm">whereat the righteous shall rejoice</a></span><br></div></div><div id="mdd"><div align="center"><div class="bot2"><table align="center" width="100%"><tr><td><div align="center"> <script id="3d27ed63fc4348d5b062c4527ae09445"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=51ce25d5-1a8c-424a-8695-4bd48c750f35&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script> <script id="b817b7107f1d4a7997da1b3c33457e03"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=cb0edd8b-b416-47eb-8c6d-3cc96561f7e8&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-2'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-0' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-3'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-1' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div align="center" id='div-gpt-ad-1531425649696-0'> </div><br /><br /> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:inline-block;width:200px;height:200px" data-ad-client="ca-pub-3753401421161123" data-ad-slot="3592799687"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); </script> <br /><br /> </div> </td></tr></table></div></div></div><div id="combox"><div class="padcom"><a name="study" id="study"></a><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="99%" valign="top"><a href="/study/psalms/58.htm">Study Bible</a></td><td width="1%" valign="top"><a href="/study/psalms/" title="Book Summary and Study">Book ◦</a> <a href="/study/chapters/psalms/58.htm" title="Chapter summary and Study">Chapter </a></tr></table></div><b>Like a slug that dissolves in its slime</b><br>This phrase uses vivid imagery to convey the idea of futility and inevitable destruction. In the ancient Near East, slugs and snails were common and their trails of slime were a familiar sight. The imagery suggests a process of self-destruction, as the slug's own environment leads to its demise. This can be seen as a metaphor for the wicked, whose own actions lead to their downfall. The Bible often uses natural imagery to illustrate spiritual truths, as seen in <a href="/job/13-28.htm">Job 13:28</a>, where human life is compared to a moth-eaten garment. The self-destructive nature of sin is a recurring theme in Scripture, emphasizing that the wicked will ultimately face the consequences of their actions.<p><b>like a woman’s stillborn child</b><br>This phrase introduces a somber and tragic image, reflecting the ultimate end of the wicked. In biblical times, the loss of a child was a profound tragedy, and stillbirths were not uncommon due to the lack of medical knowledge and care. This imagery underscores the abrupt and sorrowful end that awaits those who oppose God's righteousness. The comparison to a stillborn child highlights the futility and unfulfilled potential of the wicked, as they are cut off before they can experience life. This can be connected to <a href="/job/3-16.htm">Job 3:16</a>, where Job laments his own birth, wishing he had been a stillborn child to avoid suffering. The imagery serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of living in opposition to God's will.<p><b>may they never see the sun</b><br>The phrase "may they never see the sun" is a wish for the wicked to be cut off from life and its blessings. In biblical literature, seeing the sun is often associated with life, vitality, and the favor of God. <a href="/ecclesiastes/11-7.htm">Ecclesiastes 11:7</a> states, "Light is sweet, and it is pleasant for the eyes to see the sun," indicating the joy and goodness of life. The desire for the wicked to never see the sun is a call for their removal from the land of the living, a theme echoed in other imprecatory psalms where the psalmist seeks divine justice against evildoers. This reflects the belief in divine retribution, where the righteous seek God's intervention to uphold justice and righteousness. The imagery also points to the ultimate separation from God's presence, as seen in <a href="/matthew/25-30.htm">Matthew 25:30</a>, where the unfaithful servant is cast into outer darkness.<div class="vheading2">Persons / Places / Events</div>1. <b><a href="/topical/d/david.htm">David</a></b><br>Traditionally attributed as the author of <a href="/bsb/psalms/58.htm">Psalm 58</a>, David is expressing a prayer for divine justice against the wicked.<br><br>2. <b><a href="/topical/t/the_wicked.htm">The Wicked</a></b><br>The psalm addresses the corrupt and unjust leaders or judges, calling for their downfall.<br><br>3. <b><a href="/topical/t/the_slug.htm">The Slug</a></b><br>Used metaphorically to describe the slow and inevitable demise of the wicked.<br><br>4. <b><a href="/topical/s/stillborn_child.htm">Stillborn Child</a></b><br>Another metaphor illustrating the futility and abrupt end of the wicked's plans.<br><br>5. <b><a href="/topical/g/god's_justice.htm">God's Justice</a></b><br>The overarching theme of the psalm, emphasizing divine retribution against evil.<div class="vheading2">Teaching Points</div><b><a href="/topical/t/the_inevitability_of_divine_justice.htm">The Inevitability of Divine Justice</a></b><br>God's justice may seem delayed, but it is certain and thorough. The imagery of the slug and stillborn child underscores the ultimate futility of wickedness.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/t/the_transience_of_wickedness.htm">The Transience of Wickedness</a></b><br>The wicked may appear to prosper temporarily, but their end is as certain as a slug melting away. Believers are encouraged to trust in God's timing.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/t/the_power_of_metaphor_in_scripture.htm">The Power of Metaphor in Scripture</a></b><br>The vivid imagery used in this verse serves to communicate deep spiritual truths about the nature of sin and divine justice. Reflect on how these metaphors can deepen your understanding of God's Word.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/t/the_call_to_righteous_living.htm">The Call to Righteous Living</a></b><br>In light of the eventual downfall of the wicked, believers are called to pursue righteousness and trust in God's justice rather than taking matters into their own hands.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/h/hope_in_god's_sovereignty.htm">Hope in God's Sovereignty</a></b><br>Even when faced with injustice, believers can find hope in the sovereignty of God, who will ultimately right all wrongs.<div class="vheading2">Lists and Questions</div><a href="/top10/lessons_from_psalm_58.htm">Top 10 Lessons from Psalm 58</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/did_jesus_claim_to_be_god.htm">Didn't Jesus never actually claim to be God?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/what_context_justifies_psalm_58's_curses.htm">Which historical context supports the harsh curses in Psalm 58 when other biblical texts advocate forgiveness?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/can_god's_righteousness_and_enemy_defeat_coexist.htm">Why does Psalm 129:4 emphasize God's righteousness when the text also calls for the enemies' defeat--can both themes coexist without contradiction?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/does_'lower_than_angels'_conflict_scripture.htm">Does the phrase 'a little lower than the angels' (Psalm 8:5) conflict with other scriptures that portray humanity as entirely separated from the divine or angelic realm?</a><a name="commentary" id="commentary"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/pulpit/psalms/58.htm">Pulpit Commentary</a></div><span class="cmt_sub_title">Verse 8.</span> - As a snail which molteth, lot every one of them <span class="cmt_word">pass away;</span> or, "let them be as a snail, which melteth and passeth away" (Revised Version). Snails in Palestine, during dry seasons, often shrink, shrivel up, and disappear from their shells (Tristram, 'Natural History of the Bible,' p. 296). Like <span class="cmt_word">the untimely birth of a woman,</span> that <span class="cmt_word">they may not see the sun;</span> rather, <span class="accented">that hath not seen the sun</span> (Professor Cheyne, Revised Version); <span class="accented">i.e.</span> "let them be as an abortion" (comp. <a href="/job/3-16.htm">Job 3:16</a>). <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/commentaries/psalms/58-8.htm">Parallel Commentaries ...</a></span><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><a name="lexicon" id="lexicon"></a><div class="vheading">Hebrew</div><span class="word">Like</span><br /><span class="heb">כְּמ֣וֹ</span> <span class="translit">(kə·mōw)</span><br /><span class="parse">Preposition<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_3644.htm">Strong's 3644: </a> </span><span class="str2">Like, as, when</span><br /><br /><span class="word">a slug</span><br /><span class="heb">שַׁ֭בְּלוּל</span> <span class="translit">(bə·lūl)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - masculine singular construct<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_7642.htm">Strong's 7642: </a> </span><span class="str2">A snail</span><br /><br /><span class="word">that dissolves</span><br /><span class="heb">יַהֲלֹ֑ךְ</span> <span class="translit">(ya·hă·lōḵ)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_1980.htm">Strong's 1980: </a> </span><span class="str2">To go, come, walk</span><br /><br /><span class="word">in its slime,</span><br /><span class="heb">תֶּ֣מֶס</span> <span class="translit">(te·mes)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_8557.htm">Strong's 8557: </a> </span><span class="str2">Liquefaction, disappearance</span><br /><br /><span class="word">like a woman’s</span><br /><span class="heb">אֵ֝֗שֶׁת</span> <span class="translit">(’ê·šeṯ)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - feminine singular construct<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_802.htm">Strong's 802: </a> </span><span class="str2">Woman, wife, female</span><br /><br /><span class="word">stillborn child,</span><br /><span class="heb">נֵ֥פֶל</span> <span class="translit">(nê·p̄el)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - masculine singular construct<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_5309.htm">Strong's 5309: </a> </span><span class="str2">Something fallen, an abortion</span><br /><br /><span class="word">may they never</span><br /><span class="heb">בַּל־</span> <span class="translit">(bal-)</span><br /><span class="parse">Adverb<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_1077.htm">Strong's 1077: </a> </span><span class="str2">A failure, nothing, not at all, lest</span><br /><br /><span class="word">see</span><br /><span class="heb">חָ֥זוּ</span> <span class="translit">(ḥā·zū)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_2372.htm">Strong's 2372: </a> </span><span class="str2">To gaze at, to perceive, contemplate, to have a, vision of</span><br /><br /><span class="word">the sun.</span><br /><span class="heb">שָֽׁמֶשׁ׃</span> <span class="translit">(šā·meš)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - common singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_8121.htm">Strong's 8121: </a> </span><span class="str2">The sun, the east, a ray, a notched battlement</span><br /><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><div class="vheading">Links</div><a href="/niv/psalms/58-8.htm">Psalm 58:8 NIV</a><br /><a href="/nlt/psalms/58-8.htm">Psalm 58:8 NLT</a><br /><a href="/esv/psalms/58-8.htm">Psalm 58:8 ESV</a><br /><a href="/nasb/psalms/58-8.htm">Psalm 58:8 NASB</a><br /><a href="/kjv/psalms/58-8.htm">Psalm 58:8 KJV</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="//bibleapps.com/psalms/58-8.htm">Psalm 58:8 BibleApps.com</a><br /><a href="//bibliaparalela.com/psalms/58-8.htm">Psalm 58:8 Biblia Paralela</a><br /><a href="//holybible.com.cn/psalms/58-8.htm">Psalm 58:8 Chinese Bible</a><br /><a href="//saintebible.com/psalms/58-8.htm">Psalm 58:8 French Bible</a><br /><a href="/catholic/psalms/58-8.htm">Psalm 58:8 Catholic Bible</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/psalms/58-8.htm">OT Poetry: Psalm 58:8 Let them be like a snail which (Psalm Ps Psa.) </a></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="left"><a href="/psalms/58-7.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="Psalm 58:7"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="Psalm 58:7" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="/psalms/58-9.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="Psalm 58:9"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="Psalm 58:9" /></a></div><div id="botleft"><a href="#" onmouseover='botleft.src="/botleftgif.png"' onmouseout='botleft.src="/botleft.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botleft.png" name="botleft" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="botright"><a href="#" onmouseover='botright.src="/botrightgif.png"' onmouseout='botright.src="/botright.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botright.png" name="botright" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="bot"><iframe width="100%" height="1500" scrolling="no" src="/botmenubhnew2.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></td></tr></table></div></body></html>