Their venom is like the venom of a snake, like a cobra that shuts its ears,
Parallel translations
- WEB Their poison is like the poison of a snake; like a deaf cobra that stops its ear,
- KJV Their poison is like the poison of a serpent: they are like the deaf adder that stoppeth her ear;
- NKJV Their poison is like the poison of a serpent; They are like the deaf cobra that stops its ear,
- NASB They have venom like the venom of a serpent; Like a deaf cobra that stops up its ear,
- NLT They spit venom like deadly snakes; they are like cobras that refuse to listen,
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The wicked's speech is as deadly as snake venom, and they are willfully deaf to correction. It pictures hardened sinners who refuse all appeal.
Overview
David compares the destructive words of the wicked to a serpent's poison, recalling humanity's ancient deceiver. Like a cobra that stops its ear, they deliberately shut out any voice that would turn them from evil. This willful deafness contrasts with the believer who hears the voice of the Good Shepherd and follows him.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- Ps 140:3They sharpen their tongues like snakes; the venom of vipers is on their lips. Selah
- Jas 3:8but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
- Eccl 10:11If the snake bites before it is charmed, there is no profit for the charmer.
- Jer 8:17“For behold, I will send snakes among you, vipers that cannot be charmed, and they will bite you,” declares the LORD.
- Rom 3:13“Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.” “The venom of vipers is on their lips.”
- Matt 3:7But when John saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his place of baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?
- Deut 32:33Their wine is the venom of serpents, the deadly poison of cobras.
- Isa 11:8The infant will play by the cobra’s den, and the toddler will reach into the viper’s nest.
- Job 20:14yet in his stomach his food sours into the venom of cobras within him.
- Job 20:16He will suck the poison of cobras; the fangs of a viper will kill him.
- Matt 23:33You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape the sentence of hell?
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
The Psalms are Christ's own prayer book and a gallery of his portraits — the suffering one of Psalm 22, the risen Lord of Psalm 16, the priest-king of Psalm 110, the Son to whom the nations are given.
How Psalms 58:4 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.