Psalms 140

General context

The speaker asks the Lord to deliver him from the evil man and preserve him from the violent man, men who imagine mischiefs in their heart and gather for war, who have sharpened their tongues like a serpent with adders' poison under their lips. He asks to be kept from the hands of the wicked who have purposed to overthrow his goings; the proud have hidden a snare and cords, spread a net by the wayside and set gins for him. He says he has told the Lord, thou art my God, and asks him to hear his supplications; the Lord is the strength of his salvation who covered his head in the day of battle. He asks the Lord not to grant the desires of the wicked or further his device, lest they exalt themselves. He wishes that the mischief of their own lips cover the head of those who surround him, that burning coals fall on them, that they be cast into the fire and deep pits and not rise again, and that no evil speaker be established in the earth, for evil shall hunt the violent man. He says he knows the Lord will maintain the cause of the afflicted and the right of the poor, and that the righteous shall give thanks and the upright dwell in the Lord's presence. Selah is printed at the end of verses 3, 5 and 8.

Cited passages: Psalms 140:1, Psalms 140:2, Psalms 140:3, Psalms 140:4, Psalms 140:5, Psalms 140:6, Psalms 140:7, Psalms 140:8, Psalms 140:9, Psalms 140:10, Psalms 140:11, Psalms 140:12, Psalms 140:13

Psalms 140 (KJV)

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Historical context

The source prints no heading for this psalm; verse 1 begins with "Deliver me, O Lord, from the evil man", so no title, author or occasion is given and none is asserted. The speaker is a single "I" who is not named. The enemy is called the evil man, the violent man, the wicked, the proud and an evil speaker, singular and plural by turns, and no name, nation or place is given. The harm described is in words, sharpened tongues and poison under the lips, and in traps, snare, cords, net and gins, while "the day of battle" in verse 7 is a past occasion on which the speaker says his head was covered, without any battle being described. The word Selah is printed three times, at the end of verses 3, 5 and 8, and the text does not explain it. The psalm quotes the speaker's own past words to the Lord in verse 6. Nothing reports that the wishes of verses 9-11 were carried out.

Cited passages: Psalms 140:1, Psalms 140:3, Psalms 140:5, Psalms 140:7, Psalms 140:8, Psalms 140:6, Psalms 140:11

Literary context

The three Selahs divide the psalm into sections that each end on the enemy: their poisoned lips, their traps, their possible self-exaltation. Verses 1 and 4 are near repeats, "preserve me from the violent man" in both, with the enemies' plotting described after each. From verse 9 the petitions turn from asking protection to asking harm: heads covered by their own lips' mischief, coals, fire, pits. The mischief of "their own lips" in verse 9 answers the sharpened tongues of verse 3, and the head the speaker asks to have covered with mischief in verse 9 answers his own head covered in battle in verse 7. Verses 12-13 change from petition to confidence, "I know" and "Surely", and the closing words move from the afflicted and poor to the righteous and upright who "dwell in thy presence". The psalm never names a moment of rescue; it sets past protection and future confidence around present pleading.

Cited passages: Psalms 140:3, Psalms 140:5, Psalms 140:8, Psalms 140:1, Psalms 140:4, Psalms 140:9, Psalms 140:10, Psalms 140:7, Psalms 140:12, Psalms 140:13

Key moments

1. Deliver me from the violent man (Psalms 140:1). The speaker asks the Lord to deliver him from the evil and violent man.
2. Tongues like a serpent (Psalms 140:3). The enemies have sharpened tongues and adders' poison under their lips.
3. Snare, net and gins (Psalms 140:5). The proud have hidden a snare, spread a net and set gins for the speaker.
4. Head covered in battle (Psalms 140:7). The speaker says the Lord covered his head in the day of battle.
5. Coals and deep pits (Psalms 140:10). The speaker wishes burning coals, fire and deep pits on his enemies.
6. The cause of the afflicted (Psalms 140:12). The speaker says he knows the Lord will maintain the cause of the afflicted and the poor.

For reflection

The speaker's enemies attack with tongues and traps, and he asks that the mischief of their own lips cover their heads. What does the psalm suggest about a harm that is made of words, and about answering it with the same?

People in this chapter

• David