Psalms 58:2No, in your heart you plot injustice. You measure out the violence of your hands in the earth.
The setting
Ancient Israel, ~1000 BC. David exposes how corrupt judges 'weigh out' violence like merchants measure grain. Modern Israel/Palestine.
The emotion here: sick disgust at cold calculation behind cruelty
The original word
palash (פלש) — to weigh out, like a merchant measuring precious metals for exact payment
Why it matters
Ancient scales were used to measure both gold and grain, making this a commercial metaphor
Read with care
What most readers miss in Psalms 58:2
Violence is being 'measured out' deliberately and precisely, not done in anger but calculated
Common misconceptionMost people think this is about hot-tempered violence, but it's actually about cold, premeditated harm - evil done with a scale and weights.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Psalms 58:2
Bible Genome reading
Psalms 58:2 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Psalms 58:2 comes from the book of Psalms, written during the United Kingdom period. These words are attributed to David. The dominant emotion in this verse is angry, with a comfort power of 20% and a tone that is urgent. It belongs to the psalm genre of biblical literature. Key themes include injustice, violence, corruption. Notable phrases: plot injustice; measure out violence.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same angry
“Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears. Let the weak say, 'I am strong.'”
— Joel 3:10
“You blind guides, who strain out a gnat, and swallow a camel!”
— Matthew 23:24
“Listen to this word, you cows of Bashan, who are on the mountain of Samaria, who oppress the poor, who crush the needy, who tell their husba…”
— Amos 4:1
“I hate, I despise your feasts, and I can't stand your solemn assemblies.”
— Amos 5:21
“Your eyes shall not pity; life shall go for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.”
— Deuteronomy 19:21
Your reflection
What does Psalms 58:2 mean to you, today?
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