The Lord Will

Psalm 58:8

β€œAs 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.”

KJV

Read in Psalm 58

Meaning

These images are ancient poetic rhetoric about disappearance and judgment. They should not be used to speak cruelly about pregnancy loss, disability, infants, or bereaved families.

Read carefully

The image is a poetic comparison for disappearance and does not provide a theology of pregnancy loss or infant worth.

Reflection

Preserve the literary function of the image while speaking with particular care toward people affected by miscarriage, stillbirth, infertility, or grief.