Salmi 58:8

8 Trapassino, come una lumaca che si disfa; Come l’abortivo di una donna, non veggano il sole.

Salmi 58:8 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 58:8

As a snail [which] melteth, let [everyone of them] pass away,
&c.] As a snail when it comes out of its shell liquefies, drops its moisture, and with it makes a "path", from whence it has its name (lwlbv) , in the Hebrew language; and so the Targum here,

``as the snail moistens its way;''

which moistness it gradually exhausts, and melts away, and dies: so the psalmist prays that everyone of his enemies might die in like manner. Some think reference is had to the snail's putting out its horns to no purpose when in danger, and apply it to the vain threatenings of the wicked; a strange difference this, between a roaring young lion, ( Psalms 58:6 ) , and a melting snail. The Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, and all the Oriental versions, render it, "as wax [which] melteth": see ( Psalms 68:2 ) ;

[like] the untimely birth of a woman, [that] they may not see the sun;
see ( Job 3:16 ) . The Targum is,

``as an abortive and a mole, which are blind and see not the sun.''

So Jarchi renders it a "mole", agreeably to the Talmud ^F7. Or, "let them not see the sun" ^F8; let them die, and never see the sun in the firmament any more; Christ, the sun of righteousness; nor enjoy the favour of God, and the light of his countenance; nor have the light of life, or eternal glory and happiness; see ( Psalms 49:19 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

F7 T. Bab. Moed Katon, fol. 6. 2.
F8 (vmv wzx lb) "ne videant solem", Pagninus, Montanus.

Salmi 58:8 In-Context

6 O Dio, stritola loro i denti nella lor bocca; O Signore, rompi i mascellari de’ leoncelli.

7 Struggansi come acque, e vadansene via; Tiri Iddio le sue saette, e in uno stante sieno ricisi.

8 Trapassino, come una lumaca che si disfa; Come l’abortivo di una donna, non veggano il sole.

9 Avanti che le vostre pignatte sentano il fuoco del pruno, Porti via la bufera il verde ed il secco.

10 Il giusto si rallegrerà, quando avrà veduta la vendetta; Egli bagnerà i suoi piedi nel sangue dell’empio.