Psalms 140:7-13

7 "O GOD the Lord, 1the strength of my salvation, You have 2covered my head in the day of battle.
8 "Do not grant, O LORD, the 3desires of the wicked; Do not promote 4his evil device, that they not be exalted. Selah.
9 "As for the head of those who surround me, May the 5mischief of their lips cover them.
10 "May 6burning coals fall upon them; May they be 7cast into the fire, Into deep pits from which they 8cannot rise.
11 "May a slanderer * not be established in the earth; 9May evil hunt the violent man speedily."
12 I know that the LORD will 10maintain the cause of the afflicted And 11justice for the poor.
13 Surely the 12righteous will give thanks to Your name; The 13upright will dwell in Your presence.

Psalms 140:7-13 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 13

  • 1. Psalms 28:8; Psalms 118:14
  • 2. Psalms 144:10
  • 3. Psalms 112:10
  • 4. Esther 9:25; Psalms 10:2, 3
  • 5. Psalms 7:16; Proverbs 18:7
  • 6. Psalms 11:6
  • 7. Psalms 21:9; Matthew 3:10
  • 8. Psalms 36:12
  • 9. Psalms 34:21
  • 10. 1 Kings 8:45, 49; Psalms 9:4; Psalms 18:27; Psalms 82:3
  • 11. Psalms 12:5; Psalms 35:10
  • 12. Psalms 97:12
  • 13. Psalms 11:7; Psalms 16:11; Psalms 17:15

Footnotes 5

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