Psalms 58:5 · Bible study
Psalms 58:5 Commentary: The Deaf Adder and Moral Resistance
Hebrew · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why does David compare the wicked to a deaf cobra? Explore the meaning of serpent charming, human stubbornness, and the limits of persuasion.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The wicked are beyond human persuasion, like a deaf cobra that ignores the skill of the charmer.
- Key words: charmers (whisperers, mutterers of spells), charming (binding spells), wisely (skillfully).
- Main debate: Whether the metaphor describes total inability or a relative resistance that grace can overcome.
- Theriological theme: Human depravity, the limits of persuasion, the need for divine grace.
- Best use: A sobering call to prayer for those hardened against the Gospel and a warning against self-hardening.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
refusing to hear the tune of the charmer who skillfully weaves his spell.
WEB World English Bible 2000
which doesn’t listen to the voice of charmers, no matter how skillful the charmer may be.
KJV King James Version 1769
Which will not hearken to the voice of charmers, charming never so wisely.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Which hearkeneth not to the voice of charmers, Charming never so wisely.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
Which hearkeneth not to the voice of whisperers, A charmer of charms most skilful.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
Which doth not hearken to the voice of enchanters, of one charming ever so wisely.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Neither is it my iniquity, nor my sin, O Lord: without iniquity have I run, and directed my steps.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Que no oye la voz de los que encantan, por más hábil que el encantador sea.
Para não ouvirem a voz dos encantadores, do encantador sábio em encantamentos.
Ils ont un venin pareil au venin d’ un serpent,
daß sie nicht höre die Stimme des Zauberers, des Beschwörers, der wohl beschwören kann.
Zij hebben vurig venijn, naar gelijkheid van vurig slangenvenijn; zij zijn als een dove adder, die haar oren toestopt;
che non ascolta la voce degl’incantatori, del mago esperto nell’affascinare.
Jad mają w sobie, jako wężowy, jako jad żmii głuchej, która zatula ucho swoje,
без вины моей сбегаются и вооружаются; подвигнись на помощь мне и воззри.
不 聽 行法術 的聲音，雖用極靈的 咒語也是不聽。
Who will not be moved by the voice of the wonder-worker, however great are his powers.
Verse in Context
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that Psalm 58:5 uses the image of a deaf cobra to expose the incurable moral stubbornness of the wicked. Barnes notes that the Hebrew word for charmers, laḥash, means 'whisperers' and refers to those using incantations to control serpents. Yet this adder stops its ears and refuses every charm. Keil and Delitzsch add that 'the most inventive affection and the most untiring patience cannot change their mind.' Gill, cautioning that the psalmist does not endorse magic, draws the spiritual analogy: the wicked's obstinacy demonstrates the insufficiency of human means and the necessity of divine grace. The Cambridge Bible concludes that while none are outside God's mercy, 'it lies in the power of man to defeat the operations of his grace', a sobering tension between divine sovereignty and human responsibility.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: The verse uses the metaphor of a deaf cobra to depict the moral resistance of the wicked to any form of correction or persuasion, inviting either divine judgment or special grace.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| The deaf adder metaphor | All commentators agree the image illustrates the wicked's determined resistance to correction or persuasion. | Christians differ on whether this describes a fixed state that grace cannot alter (some emphasize total inability) or a relative hardening that grace can overcome (others stress human freedom to resist). |
| The role of the charmer | The charmer represents human efforts to persuade or reform the wicked, whether through reason, warning or exhortation. | Some traditions apply it broadly to any human means; others see it specifically as prophetic warnings or Gospel preaching. There is also debate over whether the psalmist implies the charmer's skill is genuine or merely a foil. |
| Prayer for judgment (vv6ff) | The psalmist appeals to God to act against incorrigible evil, trusting in divine justice. | Some Christians read these imprecations as prophetic pronouncements or inspired prayers for justice; others are uncomfortable praying such words today and reinterpret them as appeals for God to vindicate righteousness. |
| Original sin and depravity | Verse 3 affirms that all people go astray from birth, reflecting a common Christian doctrine of original sin. | The extent of sin's effect on the will is debated: some hold that total depravity leaves sinners unable to respond to God unless grace overcomes their deafness; others maintain a measure of free will to cooperate with grace. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Snake charming was a known practice in the ancient Near East. The Hebrew term translated 'charmers' (laḥash) means whisperers, those who muttered incantations to control or draw out serpents. Deuteronomy 18:11 classifies such practices among forbidden acts, indicating they were familiar to Israel.
“For, behold, I will send serpents, adders among you, which will not be charmed; and they will bite you,” says Yahweh.
— Jeremiah 8:17 (WEB)
In Psalm 58, David employs the figure to describe his wicked judges, who 'plot injustice' and 'measure out violence' (v2). They are like a deaf cobra that stops its ear, refusing to hear the charmer's voice, no matter how skillfully woven the spell (v5). The Old Psalter, quoted by Clarke, offers a striking image: the snake fastens one ear to the earth and stops the other with its tail, blocking the sound. This symbolizes clinging to earthly things and sin, willfully deaf to any call to repentance. The historical setting of the psalm is likely one of unjust rulers, perhaps Saul's court or Absalom's rebellion, who showed themselves beyond reform. The psalmist sees only two possibilities for such people: either God's grace must intervene or His judgment must fall. The metaphor of the deaf adder becomes a vivid illustration of the human heart that has hardened itself against all divine and human appeal.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant variants for this verse. The Hebrew text is stable across manuscripts, and the only differences arise in modern translations' wording of the simile and the terms for charmers.
Reception History
Psalm 58:5 has been cited throughout church history as a warning against the hardened heart that refuses God's voice. Medieval interpreters, as represented in the Old Psalter quoted by Clarke, applied the verse to those who 'stop their ears with love of earthly things.' Reformers such as Calvin and the Geneva Bible stressed the image of total depravity, arguing that human efforts to reform the wicked are futile without grace. In pastoral practice, the verse is often used to encourage intercessory prayer for those who resist the Gospel and to caution believers against sin that dulls spiritual hearing. The image of the adder stopping its ear remains a vivid warning against willful ignorance of God's call.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The Nature of the Wicked: Venom and Deafness (vv4-5). They are not only malicious but incorrigible, like an adder that stops its ear.
- The Limits of Human Persuasion (v5). No reasoning, warning or charm can reach them; the charmer's highest skill fails.
- The Divine Response (vv6ff). Only God can break their teeth (judgment) or change their hearts (grace).
Five-point outline
- Source: The wicked go astray from the womb (v3).
- Poison: Their words and deeds are venomous (v4).
- Deafness: They shut their ears to every appeal (v5).
- Futility: Human effort cannot reform them (v5).
- Necessity: Only God can intervene through judgment or grace (vv6ff).
Illustration hooks
- A parent who has tried every argument, plea and consequence to reach a stubborn teenager, only to be met with silence or defiance.
- Watching a friend repeatedly choose destructive patterns, unable to break through no matter how wise the counsel.
- A defendant in court who refuses to listen to the judge’s instructions, blocking every voice of reason.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does this verse mean some people are beyond redemption?
- How do we balance the warning of hardened hearts with the hope of the Gospel?
- What does this teach about the power of persuasion and the need for prayer?
Leading a Discussion
Psalm 58:5 presents a striking image: the wicked are like a deaf cobra that refuses to hear the most skillful charmer. This metaphor raises profound questions about human stubbornness, the limits of influence, and the work of God. Use these questions in your group discussion.
Discussion questions
- Observation: From verses 3-5, what does the psalmist say about the origin and nature of the wicked?
- Interpretation: Why does the psalmist compare them to a deaf adder rather than a hearing snake?
- Interpretation: What does “charming never so wisely” suggest about attempts to reform or persuade such people?
- Application: In what situations have you seen people stubbornly refuse to change despite good advice or consequences?
- Application: How should we pray for those who seem to “stop their ears” to the Gospel?
- Connection: How does Jeremiah 8:17 echo this theme, and what does it tell us about God’s perspective on such hardness?
- Hope: Where in the Bible do we see God breaking through even the hardest hearts?
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Deuteronomy 18:11 | or a charmer, or someone who consults with a familiar spirit, or a wizard, or a necromancer. |
| Isaiah 19:3 | The spirit of the Egyptians will fail within them. I will destroy their counsel. They will seek the idols, the charmers, those who have familiar spirits, and the wizards. |
| Jeremiah 8:17 | “For, behold, I will send serpents, adders among you, which will not be charmed; and they will bite you,” says Yahweh. |
Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke draws attention to the adder's instinct to stop its ears against the charmer's voice, not from deafness but from cunning self-preservation. In the same way, he says, wicked people deliberately block their hearing against God's word and the call of Christ, clinging to earthly sins that keep them from light and repentance.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes draws a parallel between the deaf adder that ignores every charm and the human heart's resistance to all moral persuasion. He argues that no eloquence, remonstrance, or human skill can subdue inherent depravity; it lies beyond the reach of any power people can exert.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin highlights the boldness of David's challenge: by appealing to his enemies themselves to judge whether he speaks right, David shows the strength of a clear conscience. Only someone absolutely certain of his innocence would dare call his accusers as witnesses, forcing them to acknowledge the truth against their own malice.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge Bible compares these wicked judges to the deaf adder, the most venomous serpent, which resists every attempt to charm it. These people are not merely sinful but actively shut their ears to warnings and remain incapable of reformation. The commentator notes that although God's mercy extends to all, humans can still resist His grace.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Note stresses the complete resistance of the subject to persuasion, even when faced with the most skilled and expert charmer. The point is not that the charmer is weak, but that the listener is utterly deaf and unresponsive.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill uses the image of a deaf adder ignoring a charmer's skill to picture hardened sinners who refuse the Gospel. He is not endorsing enchantments but drawing a comparison: even the most eloquent and wise preaching of Christ cannot, by itself, overcome human obstinacy. True change requires God's powerful grace to reach the heart.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
describe the wicked generally, who sin naturally, easily, malignantly, and stubbornly.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch see the deaf adder as a figure for the self-hardened evildoer who remains completely unreachable by any human art, even the most skillful sorcery. They find here a biblical dualism: while all share inherited sinfulness, some develop a diabolical, loveless character that no patience or magic can soften.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry views this psalm as aimed at corrupt rulers during Saul's persecution of David. Though learned in God's laws, these judges perverted justice because Saul could reward them with land and positions. David speaks not as king but as a prophet, exposing their hypocrisy and bought verdicts.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley draws a sharp distinction: the adder is called deaf not because it cannot hear, but because it stubbornly refuses to be charmed. In the same way, these people are willfully deaf to God's counsels, their own consciences, and God's law. Their deafness is a matter of obstinate rejection, not incapacity.