Psalm 140

Psalm 140 belongs to Book Five of the Psalms and is one of the group of Psalms 138–145 whose superscriptions bear David's name. Following Psalm 139, which ends with a declaration of hatred toward the wicked, Psalms 140 through 143 continue with David's pleas for rescue from his enemies. The Korean Revised Version and the New Korean Revised Version do not assign a verse number to the superscription ("To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David"), so the psalm has 13 verses in those versions. The Hebrew Bible counts the superscription as verse 1, giving 14 verses.

Structure

• Verses 1–3 The psalmist asks to be delivered from the evil man and the violent man. They continually devise mischief and gather together for war; their tongues are sharp like a serpent's, and adders' poison is under their lips.
• Verses 4–5 He again asks to be preserved, complaining that the proud have purposed to overthrow his goings and have hidden a snare, cords, a net, and gins for him.
• Verses 6–8 He confesses, "Thou art my God," and asks the God who covered his head in the day of battle not to let the devices of the wicked succeed.
• Verses 9–11 He asks that his enemies be covered by the mischief of their own lips and be cast into burning coals and deep pits. The evil speaker shall not be established.
• Verses 12–13 He expresses confidence that God will maintain the cause of the afflicted (vindicating the wronged) and the right of the poor, and he declares that the righteous shall give thanks and the upright shall dwell in God's presence.

Key Verses

• Psalm 140:3 "Adders' poison is under their lips" — quoted by Paul in Romans 3 when he declares that all people are under sin.
• Psalm 140:7 "Thou hast covered my head in the day of battle" — a confession of God as a protector who shields like a helmet.
• Psalm 140:12 "The LORD will maintain the cause of the afflicted" — the conclusion of the psalm, where lament gives way to confidence.

People and Places

• David: the king of Israel named in the superscription.
• The wicked and the violent: unnamed enemies who attack the psalmist chiefly with deceitful and harmful words.

Points for Reflection

• The superscription names David, but the text does not say on what occasion the psalm was composed. Explanations linking it to the times when David was pursued by Saul or Absalom are conjectures by interpreters.
• Selah appears in verses 3, 5, and 8. Its exact meaning is unknown; many regard it as a musical pause or a mark of emphasis.
• Passages such as verses 9–11, which ask for the downfall of enemies, are commonly classified as imprecatory elements. Many interpreters read them not as expressions of personal revenge but as prayers that commit judgment to God, and some read them alongside Romans 12:17–21, which instructs believers to leave vengeance to God. However, the "coals of fire" in Romans 12:20 appear in a context of doing good to one's enemy, so they carry a different meaning from the burning coals of this psalm.