Psalms 58:9

"Let them be like a snail which melts and passes away, like the stillborn child, who has not seen the sun."

Key Reflection

In Psalms 58:9, the psalmist uses vivid imagery to describe the wicked as fleeting and worthless, comparing them to a snail that melts away and a stillborn child who never sees the light of day. This metaphor underscores the transitory nature of evil and emphasizes its ultimate futility in the face of God's judgment.

From the Scholars: Barnes' Notes

Before your pots can feel the thorns -The word “thorns” here -אטד'âṭâd- refers to what is called “Christ’s thorn,” the southern buckthorn. “Gesenius.” The fire made of such thorns when dry would be quick and rapid, and water would be soon heated by it. The idea is, that what is here referred to would occur “quickly” - sooner than the most rapid and intense fire could make an impression on a kettle and its contents. The destruction of the wicked would be, as it were, instantaneous. The following quotation from Prof. Hackitt (Illustrations of Scripture, p. 135) will explain this passage: “A species of thorn, now very common near Jerusalem, bears the name ofSpina Christi, or Christ’s thorn.

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