What does Psalm 58:5 mean by "the cobra that stops its ears"? Text “Their venom is like the venom of a serpent, like a cobra that shuts its ears, refusing to hear the tune of the charmer, no matter how skillful the enchanter.” (Psalm 58:4-5) Canonical Context Psalm 58 is an imprecatory psalm of David that exposes corrupt civil leaders (“mighty ones,” v. 1) who pervert justice. Verses 3-5 depict their moral character with three images: straying from birth, speaking lies, and behaving like venomous serpents. The cobra that “shuts its ears” completes the picture of deliberate, willful resistance to all corrective influence. Cultural Background: Snake-Charming in the Ancient Near East Egyptian tomb paintings (e.g., Rekhmire, 15th c. BC) and Ugaritic texts attest to musicians who subdued serpents with reed pipes and rhythmic motions. Jeremiah 8:17 alludes to the same craft. David’s audience knew that a cobra could be rendered docile, yet occasionally a specimen proved uncontrollable. The psalm leverages that anomaly as an image of obstinate wickedness. Natural History: The Cobra’s Physiology and Hearing Snakes lack external ears but possess an inner ear linked to the jawbone, detecting airborne vibrations. A snake charmer’s pipe is perceived more by vibration and sight than by melody. Thus, to call the cobra “deaf” is not zoological error but poetic insight: even the minimal sensory input a snake can process is here willfully blocked. Modern herpetology confirms that some cobras raise the anterior ribs, flatten the hood, and enter a trance-like immobility—yet may suddenly strike if unduly provoked. The psalmist likens unrepentant leaders to a serpent that chooses aggression over restraint. Poetic and Rhetorical Force 1. Intentional Deafness — The wicked are not victims of ignorance; they actively refuse truth (cf. Isaiah 6:10; Zechariah 7:11). 2. Incurable Venom — Just as a charmer’s craft becomes useless, human persuasion cannot reform hearts apart from divine intervention (Jeremiah 17:9). 3. Imminent Danger — Venom here is metaphoric for destructive policies that flow from corrupt rulers, warranting the psalm’s pleas for judgment (vv. 6-11). Theological Implications The image highlights total depravity: fallen humanity resists general revelation (Romans 1:18-20) and special revelation (John 3:19). Only regenerative grace can open deaf ears (Mark 7:34-35). The cobra scene anticipates the Messianic hope of a renewed creation where “the infant will play by the cobra’s hole” (Isaiah 11:8), signaling the reversal wrought by Christ’s resurrection. Historical Interpretation • Targum: “like the deaf adder that stops up its ear so as not to hear the voice of wise men.” • Augustine: the cobra pictures heretics who “close the ear of the heart.” • Calvin: the wicked “shut out every remonstrance that might recall them.” These readings converge on culpable obstinacy, never on any putative error about snake anatomy. Cross-References Ps 140:3; Jeremiah 8:17; Matthew 23:33; Romans 3:13—each links serpents with deceitful or murderous speech. The motif culminates in Revelation 12:9 where the “ancient serpent” symbolizes satanic rebellion. Practical Applications 1. Governmental Accountability — Believers must pray for and, when possible, confront leaders whose policies spread moral venom. 2. Personal Repentance — Ask the Spirit to expose any area where we “stop our ears” to conviction (Hebrews 3:13-15). 3. Evangelism — Expect that some will resist the gospel as stubbornly as the cobra, yet persist, for “faith comes by hearing” (Romans 10:17). Key Takeaways Psalm 58:5 uses the figure of a cobra deliberately blocking all influence to portray wicked rulers who willfully reject moral truth. The image is culturally intelligible, textually secure, scientifically congruent, theologically profound, and pastorally urgent. |
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