Lexical Summary shabluwl: Snail, slug Original Word: שַׁבְלוּל Strong's Exhaustive Concordance snail From the same as shebel; a snail (as if floating in its own slime) -- snail. see HEBREW shebel Brown-Driver-Briggs שַׁבְּלוּל noun masculine snail (Shaph`el form, causing moisture, from notion of moisture or fluid in בלל); — name due to slimy trail Psalm 58:9, שַׁבְּלוּל תֶּמֶס יַהֲלֹךְ. Topical Lexicon Natural Background and Ancient Observation In the land of Israel the common slug or snail is often seen in the early morning leaving a glistening trail, only to wither swiftly under the rising heat (compare Psalm 90:6). Ancient observers noted how the creature appears to “melt” as it retracts, its moisture evaporating until little remains but a translucent shell or desiccated skin. This striking sight furnished a vivid illustration of fragility and inevitable decay, well suited to the wisdom and lament traditions of Scripture. Biblical Occurrence Psalm 58:8 is the only verse that contains שַׁבְלוּל. David prays concerning violent rulers: “May they be like a slug that melts away as it moves along; like a stillborn child, may they never see the sun.” (Berean Standard Bible) Imagery of Dissolution and Divine Judgment 1. Rapid Disintegration – The slug’s body literally liquefies under the sun, portraying the speed with which God can bring the wicked to nothing (Psalm 73:19; Obadiah 1:15). Relation to Wisdom and Poetry Psalm 58 belongs to the imprecatory psalms, yet its imagery parallells themes found in Proverbs and Ecclesiastes: Shablul reinforces the moral order taught throughout wisdom literature: unrighteous power inevitably collapses. Echoes in Prophetic and New Testament Revelation Though the word itself is not repeated, the concept resurfaces: Historical and Liturgical Use Early Jewish liturgies employed Psalm 58 in times of oppression, trusting God to overturn unjust rulers. Church fathers such as Augustine saw in the melting slug an emblem of earthly power dissolving before Christ’s kingdom. In Reformation hymnody, the verse underscored God’s vindication of persecuted believers. Pastoral and Devotional Applications 1. Encouragement in Persecution – Believers suffering under corrupt authority can pray confidently, knowing that the apparent strength of the wicked is as perishable as a slug in the sun (2 Thessalonians 1:6). Homiletical Insights • Title: “When Slugs Meet the Sun” – A sermon on the certainty of divine judgment. Notes for Further Study • Compare the Septuagint’s rendering of Psalm 58:8 (“κεράτιον”) for insight into how Greek translators perceived the creature. Forms and Transliterations בלול שַׁ֭בְּלוּל bə·lūl belul bəlūlLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Psalm 58:8 HEB: כְּמ֣וֹ שַׁ֭בְּלוּל תֶּ֣מֶס יַהֲלֹ֑ךְ NAS: [Let them be] as a snail which melts away KJV: As a snail [which] melteth, INT: as A snail melts goes |
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