Psalms 58:3

3 The wicked are estranged 1from the womb; These who speak lies 2go astray from birth.

Psalms 58:3 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 58:3

The wicked are estranged from the womb
Which original corruption of nature accounts for all the wickedness done by men: they are conceived in sin, shapen in iniquity, and are transgressors from the womb; they are alienated from God, and from that godly life which is agreeable to him, and he requires; and from the knowledge and fear of him, and love to him; and they desire not the knowledge of him nor his ways; they are far from his law, and averse to it; and still more so to the Gospel of Christ; the doctrines of which, as well as the great things written in the law, are strange things to them; and they are aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, estranged from the people of God, know nothing of them, neither of their joys, nor of their sorrows;

they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies;
they are wicked from their infancy, from their youth upward; and sin, which is meant by "going astray", as soon as they are capable of it, and which is very early. Sin soon appears in the temper and actions of then; they go out of God's way, and turn everyone to their own way, and walk in the broad road which leads to destruction: and particularly they are very early guilty of lying; as soon as they can speak, and before they can speak plain, they lisp out lies, which they learn from their father the devil, who is the father of lies; and so they continue all their days strangers to divine things, going astray from God, the God of truth, continually doing abominations and speaking lies; which continuance in these things makes the difference between reprobate men and God's elect; for though the latter are the same by nature as the former, yet their natures are restrained, before conversion, from going into all the sins they are inclined to; and if not, yet at conversion a stop is put to their progress in iniquity.

Psalms 58:3 In-Context

1 Do you indeed speak righteousness, O gods? Do you judge uprightly, O sons of men?
2 No, in heart you work unrighteousness; On earth you weigh out the violence of your hands.
3 The wicked are estranged from the womb; These who speak lies go astray from birth.
4 They have venom like the venom of a serpent; Like a deaf cobra that stops up its ear,
5 So that it does not hear the voice of charmers, Or a skillful caster of spells.

Cross References 2

  • 1. Psalms 51:5; Isaiah 48:8
  • 2. Psalms 53:3

Footnotes 1

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