Psalm 58:10 - Printer Friendly

ESV: The righteous will rejoice when he sees the vengeance; he will bathe his feet in the blood of the wicked.

NIV: The righteous will be glad when they are avenged, when they dip their feet in the blood of the wicked.

NASB: The righteous will rejoice when he sees vengeance; He will wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.

CSB: The righteous one will rejoice when he sees the retribution; he will wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.

NLT: The godly will rejoice when they see injustice avenged. They will wash their feet in the blood of the wicked.

KJV: The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance: he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.

NKJV: The righteous shall rejoice when he sees the vengeance; He shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked,

David expects the righteous people of Israel to rejoice when they see God's vengeance carried out on the wicked rulers and judges (Psalm 58:1–2). He has described these men as obstinate, willing sinners (Psalm 58:3–5) and made graphic appeals for the Lord to punish such men (Psalm 58:6–9). Here, the people are depicted in their response to God's vengeance. As with the earlier verses, this does not call on God-followers to take revenge. In these "imprecatory" psalms, there is no sense in which those praying are asking God to approve of their own actions. Instead, they are placing vengeance in the Lord's hands (Deuteronomy 32:35; Romans 12:19) and trusting Him to bring it about.

The imagery of bathing feet in blood is a reference to the aftermath of a battle. The idea is something so abundant that one cannot help but step in it (Job 29:6). In this case, David implies that God's wrath will be so great that God's people will walk through pools of the wicked men's blood (Psalm 68:23).

Aspects of this verse are echoed in the book of Revelation. Revelation 7:17 portrays Christ's comfort for His people This anticipation leads to immense praise (Revelation 19:6–7). Tears of sadness may flow now, but tears of joy will flow when Jesus judges the wicked. Some aspects of that judgment are brutally violent—though not the result of human efforts—and are also depicted as creating enormous amounts of blood (Revelation 14:20).

Psalm 58:6–11 follows a description of Israel's wicked rulers and judges with David's prayer for divine punishment. His words are emotional and somewhat graphic. David prays the Lord will obliterate these violent, evil people. He anticipates the joy the righteous will experience when the unscrupulous rulers and judges succumb to the Lord's punishment. When humanity sees God's justice done, they will celebrate and recognize the Lord's authority.

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.

David decries the injustice of wicked rulers and judges, likely during the later years of Saul's reign. David would have been in exile when he wrote this psalm. He prayed for deliverance from wicked leaders and for God's vengeance to be done. This is one of several "imprecatory" psalms which ask God to bring harsh punishment on His enemies.

The book of Psalms is composed of individual songs, hymns, or poems, each of which is a ''Psalm'' in and of itself. These works contain a wide variety of themes. Some Psalms focus on praising and worshipping God. Others cry out in anguish over the pain of life. Still other Psalms look forward to the coming of the Messiah. While some Psalms are related, each has its own historical and biblical context.