Psalms 140:8-13

8 Do not grant the wicked their desires, LORD; do not let their plans succeed.
9 Those who surround me proudly rear their heads; may the mischief of their lips engulf them.
10 May burning coals fall on them; may they be thrown into the fire, into miry pits, never to rise.
11 May slanderers not be established in the land; may disaster hunt down the violent.
12 I know that the LORD secures justice for the poor and upholds the cause of the needy.
13 Surely the righteous will praise your name, and the upright will live in your presence.

Psalms 140:8-13 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 10

  • 1. Psalms 10:2-3; S Psalms 66:7
  • 2. Proverbs 18:7; Psalms 7:16
  • 3. Psalms 11:6; Psalms 21:9; S Matthew 3:10; Luke 12:49; Revelation 20:15
  • 4. S Psalms 34:21
  • 5. S Psalms 82:3
  • 6. S 1 Kings 8:45; Psalms 9:4
  • 7. S Psalms 35:10
  • 8. S Psalms 138:2; Psalms 97:12
  • 9. S Psalms 11:7
  • 10. Psalms 16:11
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