What does Psalm 58:3 mean?
Scripture makes the point that all people are born with an inherent sinfulness (Psalm 51:5; Romans 3:10, 23). And yet, some people seem to embrace evil, even from a young age. Rather than struggling with sin, or seeking to do what is right, these people intentionally wallow in evil for their own benefit. When David refers to those who are "wicked," here, he means those who obstinately ignore what is good (Psalm 1; 10:3–4; 53:1; Proverbs 2:20–22; 21:10).While not all people are so enthusiastic about evil, sin is still a universal flaw of mankind. The fallen Adamic nature characterizes every person. Paul writes in Romans 5:12 that "sin came into the world through one man." Fortunately, Jesus died for sinners (Romans 5:8; 1 Corinthians 15:3; 1 John 2:2), and God forgives all who believe on Jesus as their Savior (Ephesians 1:7; 2:4–10).
The opposite of belief in God would be to pursue what is false: to lie. Isaiah 53:6 depicts the entire human race as having gone astray, and Paul attributes lying to the unsaved, unspiritual condition (Colossians 3:9).
Psalm 58:1–5 contains David's accusation of Israel's rulers and judges for their injustice. This was probably written during the rule of King Saul when David was still a fugitive. David indicates that these officials are guilty of injustice and violence. He says that evil originates in their hearts from birth and compares them to poisonous snakes. Further, their sin is deliberate as they purposefully ignore God's will and His goodness.
David begins this psalm with an indictment aimed at Israel's corrupt leaders, likely Israel's rulers and judges. He asks them whether they decree what is right and judge uprightly. He answers his own questions with a resounding "no." He blames them for plotting evil, committing violence, and lying. He portrays them as poisonous snakes. David asks God to destroy them to the point that they quickly vanish from the earth. When God punishes the wicked rulers and judges, the righteous will rejoice and declare that there is a God who rewards the righteous and does what is just.
