Psalms 140:1-8

Prayer for Protection against the Wicked.

1 1Rescue me, O LORD, from evil men; Preserve me from 2violent men
2 Who 3devise evil things in their hearts; They 4continually * stir up wars.
3 They 5sharpen their tongues as a serpent; 6Poison of a viper is under their lips. Selah.
4 7Keep me, O LORD, from the hands of the wicked; 8Preserve me from violent men Who have purposed to 9trip up my feet.
5 The proud have 10hidden a trap for me, and cords; They have spread a 11net by the wayside; They have set 12snares for me. Selah.
6 I 13said to the LORD, "You are my God; 14Give ear, O LORD, to the 15voice of my supplications.
7 "O GOD the Lord, 16the strength of my salvation, You have 17covered my head in the day of battle.
8 "Do not grant, O LORD, the 18desires of the wicked; Do not promote 19his evil device, that they not be exalted. Selah.

Psalms 140:1-8 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 19

  • 1. Psalms 17:13; Psalms 59:2; Psalms 71:4
  • 2. Psalms 18:48; Psalms 86:14; Psalms 140:11
  • 3. Psalms 7:14; Psalms 36:4; Psalms 52:2; Proverbs 6:14; Isaiah 59:4; Hosea 7:15
  • 4. Psalms 56:6
  • 5. Psalms 57:4; Psalms 64:3
  • 6. Psalms 58:4; Romans 3:13; James 3:8
  • 7. Psalms 71:4
  • 8. Psalms 140:1
  • 9. Psalms 36:11
  • 10. Job 18:9; Psalms 35:7; Psalms 141:9; Psalms 142:3
  • 11. Psalms 31:4; Psalms 57:6; Lamentations 1:13
  • 12. Psalms 141:9; Isaiah 8:14; Amos 3:5
  • 13. Psalms 16:2; Psalms 31:14
  • 14. Psalms 143:1
  • 15. Psalms 116:1; Psalms 130:2
  • 16. Psalms 28:8; Psalms 118:14
  • 17. Psalms 144:10
  • 18. Psalms 112:10
  • 19. Esther 9:25; Psalms 10:2, 3

Footnotes 6

  • [a]. "Selah" may mean: "Pause, Crescendo" or "Musical interlude"
  • [b]. Or "devised"
  • [c]. Lit "push violently"
  • [d]. Lit "track"
  • [e]. Heb "YHWH," usually rendered LORD
  • [f]. Lit "weapons"
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