Psalm 58:6

Hebrew Bible

4 Their venom is like that of a snake, like a deaf serpent that does not hear, 5 that does not respond to the magicians, or to a skilled snake charmer. 6 O God, break the teeth in their mouths! Smash the jawbones of the lions, O Lord. 7 Let them disappear like water that flows away. Let them wither like grass. 8 Let them be like a snail that melts away as it moves along. Let them be like stillborn babies that never see the sun.

1 Enoch 46:3

Pseudepigrapha

1 And there I saw One who had a head of days, And His head was white like wool, And with Him was another being whose countenance had the appearance of a man, And his face was full of graciousness, like one of the holy angels. 2 And I asked the angel who went with me and showed me all the hidden things, concerning that Son of Man, who he was, and whence he was, (and) why he went with the Head of Days? And he answered and said unto me: This is the son of Man who hath righteousness, With whom dwelleth righteousness, And who revealeth all the treasures of that which is hidden, Because the Lord of Spirits hath chosen him, And whose lot hath the pre-eminence before the Lord of Spirits in uprightness for ever. 3 , And this Son of Man whom thou hast seen Shall †raise up† the kings and the mighty from their seats, [And the strong from their thrones] And shall loosen the reins of the strong, And break the teeth of the sinners. 4 [And he shall put down the kings from their thrones and kingdoms] Because they do not extol and praise Him, Nor humbly acknowledge whence the kingdom was bestowed upon them. 5 And he shall put down the countenance of the strong, And shall fill them with shame. And darkness shall be their dwelling, And worms shall be their bed, And they shall have no hope of rising from their beds, Because they do not extol the name of the Lord of Spirits.

 Notes and References

"... Protection metaphors are as diverse as the many threat metaphors to which they respond. Protection from a fatal slip might come in the form of a helping hand from the Lord (Psalm 145:14), from his strong right hand (Psalm 18:35-36) or even from his hesed (“steadfast love” [Psalm 94:18]). This might also be accompanied by better trail maintenance (Psalm 18:35-36). The fear of disappearance into the depths or into the pit of Sheol provokes the cry “Do not let the depths engulf me, do not let the pit swallow me” (Psalm 69:14-15), although, ironically, Job seeks temporary asylum in Sheol ( Job 14:13). If the lion, feral dog or wild ox—or people who are equally rapacious—threaten the psalmist’s soul, then the protector breaks jaw, fang, claw and horn (Job 29:17; Psalms 3:7; 22:21; 58:6; 75:10; 124:6) ..."

Longman, Tremper, and Peter Enns Dictionary of the Old Testament: Wisdom, Poetry & Writings (p. 528) Inter-Varsity Press, 2008

 User Comments

Do you have questions or comments about these texts? Please submit them here.