Psalms 140

Psalm 140

1

For the music leader. A psalm of David.

1 Rescue me from evil people, LORD! Guard me from violent people

2 who plot evil things in their hearts, who pick fights every single day!

3 They sharpen their tongues like a snake's; spider poison is on their lips. Selah

4 Protect me from the power of the wicked, LORD! Guard me from violent people who plot to trip me up!

5 Arrogant people have laid a trap for me with ropes. They've spread out a net alongside the road. They've set snares for me. Selah

6 I tell the LORD, "You are my God! Listen to my request for mercy, LORD!"

7 My LORD God, my strong saving help— you've protected my head on the day of battle.

8 LORD, don't give the wicked what they want! Don't allow their plans to succeed, or they'll exalt themselves even more! Selah

9 Let the heads of the people surrounding me be covered with the trouble their own lips caused!

10 Let burning coals fall on them! Let them fall into deep pits and never get out again!

11 Let no slanderer be safe in the land. Let calamity hunt down violent people—and quickly!

12 I know that the LORD will take up the case of the poor and will do what is right for the needy.

13 Yes, the righteous will give thanks to your name, and those who do right will live in your presence.

Psalms 140 Commentary

Chapter 140

David encourages himself in God. (1-7) He prays for, and prophesies the destruction of, his persecutors. (8-13)

Verses 1-7 The more danger appears, the more earnest we should be in prayer to God. All are safe whom the Lord protects. If he be for us, who can be against us? We should especially watch and pray, that the Lord would hold up our goings in his ways, that our footsteps slip not. God is as able to keep his people from secret fraud as from open force; and the experience we have had of his power and care, in dangers of one kind, may encourage us to depend upon him in other dangers.

Verses 8-13 Believers may pray that God would not grant the desires of the wicked, nor further their evil devices. False accusers will bring mischief upon themselves, even the burning coals of Divine vengeance. And surely the righteous shall dwell in God's presence, and give him thanks for evermore. This is true thanksgiving, even thanks-living: this use we should make of all our deliverances, we should serve God the more closely and cheerfully. Those who, though evil spoken of and ill-used by men, are righteous in the sight of God, being justified by the righteousness of Christ, which is imputed to them, and received by faith, as the effect of which, they live soberly and righteously; these give thanks to the Lord, for the righteousness whereby they are made righteous, and for every blessing of grace, and mercy of life.

Footnotes

• [a]. LXX snake poison
• [b]. Heb uncertain
• [c]. Heb uncertain
• [d]. Heb uncertain

Chapter Summary

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.