Psalms · psalm 140 of 150
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Psalm 140 is a prayer of David asking to be rescued from evil and violent men who stir up war, sharpen their tongues like serpents and set traps for him. David confesses that the Lord is his God and the strength of his salvation, asks that the evil of his enemies fall on them, and ends by affirming that the Lord upholds the cause of the afflicted and that the righteous will dwell in his presence.
Psalm 140 is a lament of David, addressed to the choirmaster, and the second of the final collection of Davidic psalms. It shares with Psalms 141 to 143 the theme of traps and the wickedness of enemies. Its vocabulary, serpents, traps and nets, is that of a hunter and his prey, and it portrays a righteous man cornered who turns to the Lord.
The psalm begins with a petition: deliver me, O Lord, from evil men; preserve me from violent men. Verses 2 and 3 describe them: they plan evil things in their hearts, stir up wars continually, sharpen their tongues like serpents, and under their lips is the venom of vipers. The most dangerous wickedness here is not the sword but the word.
Verses 4 and 5 repeat the petition with new images: guard me from the hands of the wicked, from violent men who have planned to trip my feet. The proud have hidden a trap and cords, spread a net and set snares by the wayside.
In verses 6 to 8 David turns to the Lord: I say to the Lord, you are my God; give ear to the voice of my pleas. He calls him the strength of his salvation, who covered his head in the day of battle, and asks that he not grant the desires of the wicked. Verses 9 to 11 ask that the mischief of the lips of his enemies cover them, that burning coals fall on them and that they be cast into pits. Verses 12 and 13 end with certainty: the Lord will maintain the cause of the afflicted and the justice due the needy, and the righteous will give thanks to his name and the upright will dwell in his presence.
References follow ESV book names and verse numbers. Read each verse in your Bible before the explanation.
David asks the Lord to deliver him from evil and violent men. The prayer begins with the honest cry of someone in danger.
The enemies sharpen their tongues like serpents, and under their lips is the venom of vipers. Words can harm as much as weapons.
David calls the Lord the strength of his salvation and says that he covered his head in the day of battle. Trust is founded on past experiences of God's protection.
The Lord upholds the cause of the afflicted and the justice due the needy, and the righteous will give thanks to his name and live in his presence. The psalm ends with certainty, not fear.
6 questions with answers and references, ready for Sunday school, small group or a Bible quiz night.
Answer: From evil and violent men. — Psalm 140:1
Answer: To a serpent's, with the venom of vipers under their lips. — Psalm 140:3
Answer: A trap and cords, a net and snares by the wayside. — Psalm 140:5
Answer: That he is his God, and he asks him to hear his pleas. — Psalm 140:6
Answer: The strength of his salvation. — Psalm 140:7
Answer: The afflicted and the needy. — Psalm 140:12
Psalm 140 teaches us to bring real threats to God, whether physical, at work or in slander. In a small group you can pray for those who suffer hurtful words, rumors or harassment. The psalm does not recommend answering with the same weapons but handing the defense over to the Lord.
It also makes us examine how we use our tongues. If words can be like venom, they must be handled with care. For Christians, Jesus suffered slander and violence and entrusted his cause to the Father. We can pray this psalm for justice, without personal wishes for harm, and trust that the Lord upholds the afflicted. Whoever knows this can rest and give thanks.
Psalm 140 ends with the confidence that the righteous will dwell in the Lord's presence. Psalm 141 continues with a similar plea but with a more personal accent: that David's prayer rise like incense and that the Lord guard his mouth.
It is a term in the Hebrew text that appears at the end of some verses of the psalms, such as verses 3, 5 and 8. Its exact meaning is not known with certainty: it could mark a musical pause, a rise in pitch or a moment to reflect. Many translations leave it untranslated.
The title does not say, and the text describes the enemies in general terms: violent, proud and slanderous men. Some think of the time of his persecution by Saul, others of conflicts in his reign. Because it is general, it serves for any situation of threat.
The imprecatory prayers of the psalms hand justice over to God instead of taking it personally. They are not a model for revenge. In the New Testament, Jesus teaches us to love and pray for enemies, and Paul cites the principle of leaving vengeance to God. Christians can pray for justice and for the conversion of those who do harm.