Psalms 58:8 Meaning and Explanation
“As a snail which melteth, let every one of them pass away: like the untimely birth of a woman, that they may not see the sun.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The psalmist wishes for the wicked to perish quietly and completely, like things that never truly lived.
The Context of Psalms 58:8
The psalm intensifies its plea, using images of utter disappearance and failure to ever have truly lived.
What Does Psalms 58:8 Mean?
A snail that melts leaves only a slimy trace and disappears. The image conveys slow dissolution without trace or significance. Each wicked person is wished to disappear in this manner—not with fanfare but with quiet obliteration.
An untimely birth—a miscarriage—never sees the sun; it never enters the living world. To be like such an existence is to be as though one never lived at all. The verse expresses the wish that the wicked pass from existence without having achieved their schemes or legacy.
Frequently Asked Questions About Psalms 58:8
What does Psalms 58:8 mean?
The psalmist wishes for the wicked to perish quietly and completely, like things that never truly lived.
What is the context of Psalms 58:8?
The psalm intensifies its plea, using images of utter disappearance and failure to ever have truly lived.