Psalms 140

1 O LORD, rescue me from evil people. Protect me from those who are violent,

2 those who plot evil in their hearts and stir up trouble all day long.

3 Their tongues sting like a snake; the venom of a viper drips from their lips. Interlude

4 O LORD, keep me out of the hands of the wicked. Protect me from those who are violent, for they are plotting against me.

5 The proud have set a trap to catch me; they have stretched out a net; they have placed traps all along the way. Interlude

6 I said to the LORD, “You are my God!” Listen, O LORD, to my cries for mercy!

7 O Sovereign LORD, the strong one who rescued me, you protected me on the day of battle.

8 LORD, do not let evil people have their way. Do not let their evil schemes succeed, or they will become proud. Interlude

9 Let my enemies be destroyed by the very evil they have planned for me.

10 Let burning coals fall down on their heads. Let them be thrown into the fire or into watery pits from which they can’t escape.

11 Don’t let liars prosper here in our land. Cause great disasters to fall on the violent.

12 But I know the LORD will help those they persecute; he will give justice to the poor.

13 Surely righteous people are praising your name; the godly 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.

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.