Psalms 140 - ESV - Bible Reading / Study Notes

Psalm 140

Deliver Me, O Lord, from Evil Men

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

140:1   Deliver me, O LORD, from evil men;
    preserve me from violent men,
2   who plan evil things in their heart
    and stir up wars continually.
3   They make their tongue sharp as a serpent’s,
    and under their lips is the venom of asps. Selah
4   Guard me, O LORD, from the hands of the wicked;
    preserve me from violent men,
    who have planned to trip up my feet.
5   The arrogant have hidden a trap for me,
    and with cords they have spread a net;¹
    beside the way they have set snares for me. Selah
6   I say to the LORD, You are my God;
    give ear to the voice of my pleas for mercy, O LORD!
7   O LORD, my Lord, the strength of my salvation,
    you have covered my head in the day of battle.
8   Grant not, O LORD, the desires of the wicked;
    do not further their² evil plot, or they will be exalted! Selah
9   As for the head of those who surround me,
    let the mischief of their lips overwhelm them!
10   Let burning coals fall upon them!
    Let them be cast into fire,
    into miry pits, no more to rise!
11   Let not the slanderer be established in the land;
    let evil hunt down the violent man speedily!
12   I know that the LORD will maintain the cause of the afflicted,
    and will execute justice for the needy.
13   Surely the righteous shall give thanks to your name;
    the upright shall dwell in your presence.

Footnotes

[1] 140:5 Or they have spread cords as a net
[2] 140:8 Hebrew his

Commentary

David on the run from Saul, possibly around the time when Doeg killed the priests. This Psalm, with Psalms 141 and 142, is a prayer in times of trouble; each looks to God to deliver, and finds in God a refuge.

v1: "Rescue me...protect me." Here is dependence upon God. The problem is evil men who deliberately set out to destroy the godly.

v2-3: Evil things planned;

they devise evil plans in their hearts;
they stir up war every day;
they make their tongues as sharp as a serpent's; and
the poison of vipers is on their lips.

Verse 3 is quoted in Rom 3.15, referring to the fact that all are sinners. Where David describes those who oppose truth and attack God's people, Paul describes everyone.

v4-5: David is their target; "keep me...protect me," repeating the request of v1. Their plan was;

to cause him to trip or stumble;
they have hidden a snare for me;
they have spread out the cords of their net;
they have set traps for me;
they have surrounded me (v9).

v6-8: David turns to God, seeking His protection. He had experienced deliverance before, and knew God as his strong deliverer. Had the wicked been victorious here, they would have repeated their attacks on others.

v9-11: Prayer that the schemes of the wicked be turned upon them.

v12-13: Confidence in God who judges righteously, 1 Pet 2.23.