Psalms 140:1-8

1 Save me, Lord, from evildoers; keep me safe from violent people.
2 They are always plotting evil, always stirring up quarrels.
3 Their tongues are like deadly snakes; 1 their words are like a cobra's poison.
4 Protect me, Lord, from the power of the wicked; keep me safe from violent people who plot my downfall.
5 The proud have set a trap for me; they have laid their snares, and along the path they have set traps to catch me.
6 I say to the Lord, "You are my God." Hear my cry for help, Lord!
7 My Sovereign Lord, my strong defender, you have protected me in battle.
8 Lord, don't give the wicked what they want; don't let their plots succeed.

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 1

  • 1. 140.3Romans 3.13.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.