Psalms 140:6-13

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 140:6-13 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.