Psalms 140:1-6

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

1 Lord, save me from sinful men. Keep me safe from those who want to hurt me.
2 They make evil plans in their hearts. They are always starting fights.
3 Their tongues are as deadly as the tongue of a serpent. The words from their lips are like the poison of a snake. "Selah"
4 Lord, keep me out of the hands of sinful people. Keep me safe from men who want to hurt me. They plan to trip me up and make me fall.
5 Proud people have hidden their traps to catch me. They have spread out their nets. They have set traps for me along my path. "Selah"
6 Lord, I say to you, "You are my God." Lord, hear my cry for your favor.

Psalms 140:1-6 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.
Holy Bible, New International Reader's Version® Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998 by Biblica.   All rights reserved worldwide.