Do ye indeed speak righteousness, O congregation? do ye judge uprightly, O ye sons of men?
Psalms 58:1-11.-Perversity of the unrighteous judges (Psalms 58:1-5); prayer for their overthrow; anticipation of it to the joy of the righteous, (Psalms 58:6-10); God's retributive justice vindicated (Psalms 58:11). The unjust judgments are the persecutions by Saul and his party, under the mask of just judgments for treason (1 Samuel 24:12-15; 1 Samuel 26:10).
On the title, 'Al-tascheet (H516) ... Miktaam (H4387), which connects it with Psalms 57:1-11; Psalms 59:1-17, see the note on Psalms 57:1-11.
Do ye indeed speak righteousness, O congregation? The Hebrew for "congregation" х 'eelem (H482), from 'aalam (H481), to bind together sheaves, Genesis 37:7] seems to be used in the title to Psalms 56:1-13 for 'dumbness'-our English, 'tongue-tied.' So Hengstenberg translates here, 'Are ye indeed dumbness (itself) as regards your speaking righteousness? (Deuteronomy 1:16-17.) So a kindred Hebrew word in Psalms 38:13, "dumb (mute)." The mention of deafness in Psalms 58:4-5 corresponds with the mention of dumbness here. These unjust judges are mute when they should speak, deaf when they should hear. Others, on account of the Hebrew accents, construe the sentence, '(Is) indeed justice dumbness? Speak ye out.' But the English version suits the parallelism best, "O congregation" (from the Hebrew to tie together) answering to "O ye sons of men." He first appeals to their own consciences (Psalms 58:1-2); then, perceiving that it is vain to address himself to them, so deaf are they to every appeal, he turns away and speaks of them, (Psalms 58:3, etc.) The "indeed" implies sorrowful and indignant surprise at such a monstrous anomaly, that judges should speak unrighteousness. You profess to be speaking righteousness in your misconstruction of my words (Psalms 56:5; Psalms 57:3) and deeds, as if I were guilty of treason; but I appeal to your consciences. Is it indeed so?
O ye sons of men? Ye are but frail 'children of Adam,' and have therefore to give account to the infinitely higher Judge (Psalms 58:6; Psalms 58:11). In 1 Samuel 26:19 David, by an undesigned coincidence, similarly draws a contrast between the Lord Yahweh and the children of men. "If the Lord have stirred thee up against me, let Him accept an offering; but if they be the children of men, cursed be they before the Lord; because they have driven me out this day from abiding in the inheritance of the Lord.