How does Psalm 58:3 describe the nature of humanity from birth? Setting the Stage Psalm 58 is a psalm of David that contrasts God’s righteous judgment with human corruption. Verse 3 drills down to the earliest roots of that corruption. The Text Under the Microscope “ ‘The wicked are estranged from the womb; the liars go astray from birth.’ ” (Psalm 58:3) Key Words and Phrases • “Estranged” – cut off, alienated, out of step with God’s character • “From the womb” – a poetic way of saying “from the very start of life” • “Go astray” – deliberate deviation, a willful wandering • “Liars” – the core expression of a heart already bent toward deceit What This Reveals About Human Nature • Sinful tendency is not merely learned later; it is innate. • Alienation from God begins at conception, not adolescence. • We do not drift toward goodness but away from it unless intervened upon by grace. • Deceit is singled out as an early hallmark of that fallen bent. Tracing the Theme through the Bible • Psalm 51:5 – “Surely I was brought forth in iniquity; in sin my mother conceived me.” • Genesis 8:21 – “The intent of man’s heart is evil from his youth.” • Jeremiah 17:9 – “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure.” • Romans 3:10-12 – “There is no one righteous, not even one.” • Romans 5:12 – “Sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men.” • Ephesians 2:3 – “We were by nature children of wrath.” Living in the Light of This Truth 1. Humility: Recognize that our deepest problem is internal, not external. 2. Dependence: Acknowledge the need for new birth (John 3:3) rather than self-improvement. 3. Gratitude: Rejoice that Christ came to redeem us from a condition we could never fix ourselves (2 Corinthians 5:17-21). |
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