Psalms 140

Psalm 140 is a fervent prayer of David seeking deliverance from wicked and violent men who plot mischief and speak deceitfully. He appeals to God as his strength and salvation, asking Him to thwart the designs of his adversaries and bring judgment upon them. David expresses confidence that the Lord will uphold the afflicted and that the righteous will ultimately dwell in God's presence.

In Psalm 140, David cries out to the Lord for protection from evil and violent individuals who continually devise harm and gather for conflict. He describes their malicious intent and their deceitful words, likening their tongues to serpents' poison. David acknowledges God as his personal God and the strength of his salvation, recalling past divine protection in battle. He then petitions God to deny the wicked their desires and to prevent their schemes from succeeding, lest they become arrogant. David further prays for divine judgment upon his enemies, asking that their own mischief befall them and that they be utterly destroyed. The psalm concludes with David's firm conviction that the Lord will champion the cause of the oppressed and the poor, ensuring that the righteous will offer thanks and abide in God's presence.

Psalm 140, attributed to David, opens with an earnest supplication for deliverance from the “evil man” and the “violent man.” David describes his adversaries as those who perpetually imagine mischief in their hearts and gather together for war. He vividly portrays their malicious speech, stating they have sharpened their tongues like a serpent and possess “adders' poison” under their lips, highlighting their deceptive and harmful words. David reiterates his plea for preservation from these wicked and violent individuals who have purposed to overthrow his steps, noting that the proud have cunningly laid snares, cords, nets, and gins to entrap him. Amidst these threats, David declares his unwavering faith, affirming to the Lord, “Thou art my God,” and imploring Him to hear his supplications. He recalls God's past protection, acknowledging Him as “the strength of my salvation” who has covered his head in the day of battle. The psalm transitions into a series of imprecatory prayers, where David asks the Lord not to grant the desires of the wicked nor to further their wicked devices, lest they exalt themselves. He specifically prays that the mischief of their own lips might cover the heads of those who surround him. David calls for severe divine judgment upon them, wishing for burning coals to fall upon them, for them to be cast into fire and deep pits from which they cannot rise. He further requests that evil speakers not be established in the earth, confident that evil will ultimately hunt down the violent man to overthrow him. The psalm concludes with a powerful declaration of faith and assurance: David knows that the Lord will maintain the cause of the afflicted and the right of the poor. He firmly believes that the righteous will surely give thanks to God's name, and the upright will dwell in His divine presence.