Psalms 140

Prayer for Help in the Face of Enemies

1

For the [music] director. A psalm of David.

1 Rescue me, O Yahweh, from evil men. Preserve me from violent men,

2 who plan evil [things] in [their] heart. They stir up wars continually.

3 They sharpen their tongue as [sharp as] a snake's; [the] venom of a viper [is] under their lips. Selah

4 Protect me, O Yahweh, from [the] hands of [the] wicked. Preserve me from violent men, who have planned to {make me stumble}.

5 [The] proud have hidden a trap for me, and cords. They have spread out a net along [the] {side} of [the] path. They have set snares for me. Selah

6 I say to Yahweh, "You [are] my God." Listen, O Yahweh, to the voice of my supplications.

7 O Yahweh, my Lord, the strength of my salvation, you have covered my head in [the] day of battle.

8 Do not grant, O Yahweh, [the] desires of [the] wicked. Do not allow [them] to attain their plan, lest they be exalted. Selah

9 [With respect to the] head of [those who] surround me, may the harm of their lips cover them.

10 Let burning coals fall on them; let them be dropped into the fire, into bottomless pits [from which] they cannot rise.

11 Do not let a {slanderer} be established in the land; as for [the] man of violence, let evil hunt him quickly.

12 I know that Yahweh will maintain [the] cause of [the] afflicted, [and] justice for [the] needy.

13 Surely [the] righteous will give thanks to your name; [the] upright will dwell 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]. The Hebrew Bible counts the superscription as the first verse of the psalm; the English verse number is reduced by one
• [b]. The several uses of the singular "man" in this psalm are probably collective
• [c]. Literally "push my steps"
• [d]. Literally "hand"
• [e]. Hebrew "his"
• [f]. Literally "man of tongue"
• [g]. According to the reading tradition (Qere)

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.