Psalms 140:1-13
1 Deliver me, O LORD, from the evil man: preserve me from the violenta man;
2 Which imagine mischiefs in their heart; continually are they gathered together for war.
3 They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; adders' poison is under their lips. Selah.
4 Keep me, O LORD, from the hands of the wicked; preserve me from the violent man; who have purposed to overthrow my goings.
5 The proud have hid a snare for me, and cords; they have spread a net by the wayside; they have set gins for me. Selah.
6 I said unto the LORD, Thou art my God: hear the voice of my supplications, O LORD.
7 O GOD the Lord, the strength of my salvation, thou hast covered my head in the day of battle.
8 Grant not, O LORD, the desires of the wicked: further not his wicked device; lest they exalt themselves. Selah.
9 As for the head of those that compass me about, let the mischief of their own lips cover them.
10 Let burning coals fall upon them: let them be cast into the fire; into deep pits, that they rise not up again.
11 Let not an evil speaker be established in the earth: evil shall hunt the violent man to overthrow him.
12 I know that the LORD will maintain the cause of the afflicted, and the right of the poor.
13 Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name: the upright shall dwell in thy presence.
CXL. The Prayer of a Man hard Beset by Treacherous Foes. It seems clear that the foes of whom the author complains are Jews, not foreign assailants. Slander and violence are their weapons, and the war which they stir up is party strife, not actual battle. Note further that the Psalmist characterises his enemies (Psalms 140:5) as the proud a very natural term for the poor and pious Pharisee to use of the rich and aristocratic Sadducee. We have no certain indication of the date at which the Ps. was written. We can only say that it is natural to regard it as a Pharisee Ps. and to compare Psalms 56-59, 82, 94.
Psalms 140:1. The Ps. begins with a double introduction, or rather with two variants of the same introduction, Psalms 140:1 f. Note that the words - Preserve me from the violent man occur in each introduction.
Psalms 140:6. Prayer for victory and imprecations upon his foes.
Psalms 140:8 b - Psalms 140:10. The text is quite uncertain. We may emend and translate thus: Grant not, O Yahweh, the desires of the wicked man: His plot do not thou promote. Let not them that encompass me about lift up their head: let the iniquity of their lips overwhelm them: may he rain upon them coals of fire: may he cast them into floods so that they rise not. Of course such conjectures can do no more than give the general sense.
Psalms 140:12 f. The poet is confident that the cause of the godly, who are as a rule poor and needy, will prevail.