Psalms 140

Psalm 140 is a lament in which David cries out for deliverance from violent enemies who plot his ruin, ultimately anchoring his hope in God’s justice and the inevitable vindication of the righteous.

• The psalmist initiates an urgent plea for protection from violent, treacherous adversaries (vv. 1-5).
• He turns his focus toward God, anchoring his identity and safety in Yahweh (vv. 6-7).
• The prayer shifts to an imprecatory petition, asking for God to return the evil plots of the wicked upon their own heads (vv. 8-11).
• The psalm concludes with a declaration of faith that God acts as the advocate for the afflicted and that the righteous will find eternal security in His presence (vv. 12-13).

• The imagery of hunting and trapping (nets, snares, gins, cords) used to describe the wicked's plots.
• The specific metaphor of 'serpent's' (H5175, נָחָשׁ) venom and 'adders' poison (H5919, עַכְשׁוּב) under the lips.
• The repeated plea for preservation from the 'violent man' (H2555, חָמָס).
• The frequent use of 'Selah' to punctuate the psalm, marking pauses for reflection.

This passage provides a model for how believers should process intense betrayal and systemic evil by bringing it directly to God, transitioning from the fear of human plots to the confidence of divine justice.

Even when surrounded by those who plot 'continual' evil, the righteous find a fortress in God's presence and His certain promise to maintain their cause.

The text follows a trajectory from a defensive plea against external threats to an offensive petition for justice, landing finally in a restful assurance of God’s sovereignty.

• The Lord will maintain the cause of the afflicted and the right of the poor (v. 12).
• The righteous shall give thanks unto God's name (v. 13).
• The upright shall dwell in God's presence (v. 13).

• Evil shall hunt the violent man to overthrow him (v. 11).

• Traditionally attributed to David during the period when he was fleeing from Saul or during the rebellion of Absalom, periods marked by intense conspiracy and betrayal.

• The imagery of 'traps', 'nets', and 'cords' reflects the common methods of hunting and fowling in the Ancient Near East, used here as powerful metaphors for political conspiracy and assassination plots.

• This is an individual lament psalm that transitions into an imprecatory prayer, a genre where the author calls upon God to execute judgment against his enemies.

• The New Testament draws upon this psalm's description of human depravity to show the universal need for redemption.
• Matthew Henry notes that the righteous, while ill-used by men, are righteous in the sight of God through faith. Regarding the imprecatory sections, there is historic tension: some view them as prophetic cries for the final defeat of God's enemies (typological), while others see them as an expression of the believer's raw desire for justice in a fallen world, though it must be balanced with the New Testament command to love one's enemies.

• Romans 3:13 quotes Psalm 140:3 ('adders' poison is under their lips') as part of Paul’s argument that all humanity is under sin.

• The word 'plan' or 'imagine' (H2803, חָשַׁב) suggests 'plaiting' or 'interweaving,' implying that the wicked do not just think evil, they weave complex, calculated schemes.
• The term 'violent' (H2555, חָמָס, Hamas) is a strong term for violence often associated with blatant injustice or lawlessness.
• The Hebrew 'Selah' (H5542) is retained in many translations; it signifies a pause, likely for the musical accompaniment to intensify or drop away, allowing the lyrics to be contemplated.

• The shift from the singular 'evil man' and 'violent man' (vv. 1, 4) to the plural 'those that compass me' (v. 9), suggesting David felt surrounded by a group or a system of opposition.

• The specific 'historical' setting remains uncertain as the superscription does not explicitly tie it to a specific historical event like the flight from Saul, though the language aligns with David's life.