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Psalm 58:6-8
New Catholic Bible
Psalm 58:6-8
New Catholic Bible
6 so as not to hear the voice of the charmer
no matter how skillful the spells he casts.[a]
7 O God, break the teeth in their mouths;
tear out the fangs of these lions, O Lord.[b]
8 [c]Cause them to vanish like water that drains off;
make them wither like grass that is trampled.[d]
Footnotes
- Psalm 58:6 The roles of charmers and enchanters are frequently alluded to in the Old Testament (see Deut 18:11; Eccl 10:11; Isa 3:3; Jer 8:17).
- Psalm 58:7 The psalmist regards teeth as weapons of the mouths by which the wicked harass the righteous (see Ps 57:5), so he begs God to destroy them.
- Psalm 58:8 See notes on Pss 58; 35.
- Psalm 58:8 Make them wither like grass that is trampled: the meaning of the Hebrew is unclear. Another translation likens the psalmist’s foes to archers who shoot blunted arrows. “When they ready the bow, let their arrows be blunted.”