1.
Do ye indeed speak righteousness, O congregation? do ye judge uprightly, O ye sons of men?
Title. Michtam. See App-65 .
Do ye indeed . . . ? Figure of Speech. Erotesis. App-6 . Render:
"Are ye indeed silent [when] ye should speak righteousness? When ye should judge with equity, O ye sons of men?"
O congregation: or, O faction. Hebrew. 'elem. Occurs only here and in the subscription of Psalms 55 = silent. So human judges are dumb when they ought to speak, and deaf when they ought to hear (Psalms 58:4 ).
men. Hebrew. 'adam. App-14 .
2.
Yea, in heart ye work wickedness; ye weigh the violence of your hands in the earth.
wickedness. Hebrew. 'avval. Compare App-44 .
Ye weigh = Ye weigh out, or, dispense.
3.
The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies.
wicked = lawless. Hebrew. rasha'. App-44 .
4.
Their poison is like the poison of a serpent: they are like the deaf adder that stoppeth her ear;
5.
Which will not hearken to the voice of charmers, charming never so wisely.
6.
Break their teeth, O God, in their mouth: break out the great teeth of the young lions, O LORD.
God. Hebrew. Elohim. App-4 .
LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah. App-4 .
7.
Let them melt away as waters which run continually: when he bendeth his bow to shoot his arrows, let them be as cut in pieces.
cut in pieces = cut down [like grass].
8.
As a snail which melteth, let every one of them pass away: like the untimely birth of a woman, that they may not see the sun.
9.
Before your pots can feel the thorns, he shall take them away as with a whirlwind, both living, and in his wrath.
the thorns. Put by Figure of speech Metonymy (of Cause), App-6 , for the fire caused by them (Ecclesiastes 7:6 ).
10.
The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance: he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.
11.
So that a man shall say, Verily there is a reward for the righteous: verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth.
the righteous = the righteous one.
He is a God: or, There is a God, judges in the earth [will say]. Note the Introversion in this verse.