New King James Version
Psalms 58:4
4Their poison is like the poison of a serpent; They are like the deaf cobra that stops its ear,
Psalms 58:4 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Their poison is like the poison of a serpent: they are like the deaf adder that stoppeth her ear;
- New International Version (NIV)Their venom is like the venom of a snake, like that of a cobra that has stopped its ears,
- English Standard Version (ESV)They have venom like the venom of a serpent, like the deaf adder that stops its ear,
- New Living Translation (NLT)They spit venom like deadly snakes; they are like cobras that refuse to listen,
Context of Psalms 58:4
2No, in heart you work wickedness; You weigh out the violence of your hands in the earth. 3The wicked are estranged from the womb; They go astray as soon as they are born, speaking lies. Their poison is like the poison of a serpent; They are like the deaf cobra that stops its ear, 5Which will not heed the voice of charmers, Charming ever so skillfully. 6Break their teeth in their mouth, O God! Break out the fangs of the young lions, O Lord!
Read all of Psalms 58Psalms 58:4 word by word
חֲמַת־לָ֗מוֹ כִּדְמ֥וּת חֲמַת־נָחָ֑שׁ כְּמוֹ־פֶ֥תֶן חֵ֝רֵ֗שׁ יַאְטֵ֥ם אָזְנֽוֹ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Psalms 58:4
- Psalms 140:3They sharpen their tongues like a serpent; The poison of asps is under their lips. Selah
- Ecclesiastes 10:11A serpent may bite when it is not charmed; The babbler is no different.
- Romans 3:13“Their throat is an open tomb; With their tongues they have practiced deceit”; “The poison of asps is under their lips”;
- James 3:8But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
- Matthew 3:7But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
- Matthew 23:33Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell?
- Jeremiah 8:17“For behold, I will send serpents among you, Vipers which cannot be charmed, And they shall bite you,” says the Lord.
- Job 20:14Yet his food in his stomach turns sour; It becomes cobra venom within him.
- Isaiah 11:8The nursing child shall play by the cobra’s hole, And the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper’s den.
Commentaries on Psalms 58:4
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4Their poison is like the poison of a serpent - When they bite, they convey poison into the wound, as the serpent does. They not only injure you by outward acts, but by their malevolence they poison your reputation. They do you as much evil as they can, and propagate the worst reports that others may have you in abhorrence, treat you as a bad and dangerous man; and thus, as the poison from the bite of the serpent is conveyed into the whole mass of blood…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4Their poison - Their malignity; their bad spirit; that which they utter or throw out of their mouth. The reference here is to what they speak or utter Psalm 58:3, and the idea is, that it is penetrating and deadly. Like the poison of a serpent - Margin, as in Hebrew, “according to the likeness.” In this expression no particular class of serpents is referred to except those which are “poisonous.” Like the deaf adder - Margin, “asp.” The word may refer…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4Venom here means harmful speech (see Psalm 140:3).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 3-53-5. describe the wicked generally, who sin naturally, easily, malignantly, and stubbornly.Read the comment
Topics related to Psalms 58:4
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Psalms 58
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- The Treasury of David
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries