Psalms 140:1-7

1 1Deliver me, O LORD, from evil men; preserve me from 2violent men,
2 who plan evil things in their heart and 3stir up wars continually.
3 They make 4their tongue sharp as 5a serpent's, and 6under their lips is the 7venom of asps. Selah
4 Guard me, O LORD, from the hands of the wicked; preserve me from 8violent men, who have planned to trip up my feet.
5 The arrogant have 9hidden a trap for me, and with cords they have spread 10a net;[a] beside the way they have set 11snares for me. Selah
6 12I say to the LORD, You are my God; give ear to 13the voice of my pleas for mercy, O LORD!
7 O LORD, my Lord, 14the strength of my salvation, you have covered my head in the day of battle.

Psalms 140:1-7 Meaning and Commentary

To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. This psalm, A ben Ezra says, was composed by David before he was king; and Kimchi says, it is concerning Doeg and the Ziphites, who calumniated him to Saul; and, according to our English contents, it is a prayer of David to be delivered from Saul and Doeg. The Syriac inscription is, "said by David, when Saul threw a javelin at him to kill him, but it struck the wall; but, spiritually, the words of him that cleaves to God, and contends with his enemies." R. Obadiah says, it was made at the persecution of David by Saul, which was before the kingdom of David; as the persecution (of Gog) is before the coming of the Messiah. It is indeed before his spiritual coming, but not before his coming in the flesh; and David may be very well considered in the psalm as a type of Christ, for he was particularly so in his sufferings, as well as in other things.

Cross References 14

  • 1. Psalms 71:4; Psalms 119:153, 170
  • 2. Psalms 18:48; Proverbs 3:31
  • 3. See Psalms 56:6
  • 4. [Psalms 52:2]
  • 5. Psalms 58:4
  • 6. Psalms 10:7
  • 7. Cited Romans 3:13
  • 8. [See ver. 1 above]
  • 9. Psalms 35:7; Psalms 141:9; Psalms 142:3; Jeremiah 18:22
  • 10. Job 18:8-10
  • 11. Psalms 64:5
  • 12. Psalms 142:5
  • 13. Psalms 28:2; Psalms 31:22; Psalms 130:2
  • 14. Psalms 28:8

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. Or they have spread cords as a net
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.