Their poison is like the poison of a serpent: they are like the deaf adder that stoppeth her ear;
Parallel translations
- WEB Their poison is like the poison of a snake; like a deaf cobra that stops its ear,
- BSB Their venom is like the venom of a snake, like a cobra that shuts its ears,
- 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 have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; adders’ poison is under their lips. Selah.
- Jas 3:8But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
- Eccl 10:11Surely the serpent will bite without enchantment; and a babbler is no better.
- Jer 8:17For, behold, I will send serpents, cockatrices, among you, which will not be charmed, and they shall bite you, saith the LORD.
- Rom 3:13Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips:
- Matt 3:7But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
- Deut 32:33Their wine is the poison of dragons, and the cruel venom of asps.
- Isa 11:8And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ den.
- Job 20:14Yet his meat in his bowels is turned, it is the gall of asps within him.
- Job 20:16He shall suck the poison of asps: the viper’s tongue shall slay him.
- Matt 23:33Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation 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.