Psalms 140

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.

7 LORD and King, you save me because you are strong. You are like a shield that keeps me safe in the day of battle.

8 Lord, don't give sinners what they want. Don't let their plans succeed. If you do, they will become proud. "Selah"

9 Those who are all around me have caused me trouble by what their lips have said. Let that trouble fall on their own heads.

10 Let burning coals fall on people like that. May they be thrown into the fire. May they be thrown into muddy pits and never get out.

11 Don't let men who tell lies about me settle down in the land. May trouble hunt down those who want to hurt me.

12 I know that the LORD makes sure that poor people are treated fairly. He stands up for those who are in need.

13 I'm sure that those who do right will praise your name. Those who are honest will live with you.

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.

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.