Psalm 140
Psalm 140, The Cry and Confidence of a Slandered Soul
Scripture Text
Psalm 140:1, “Deliver me, O LORD, from the evil man: preserve me from the violent man;”
Psalm 140:2, “Which imagine mischiefs in their heart; continually are they gathered together for war.”
Psalm 140:3, “They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; adders’ poison is under their lips. Selah.”
Psalm 140:4, “Keep me, O LORD, from the hands of the wicked; preserve me from the violent man; who have purposed to overthrow my goings.”
Psalm 140:5, “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.”
Psalm 140:6, “I said unto the LORD, Thou art my God: hear the voice of my supplications, O LORD.”
Psalm 140:7, “O GOD the Lord, the strength of my salvation, thou hast covered my head in the day of battle.”
Psalm 140:8, “Grant not, O LORD, the desires of the wicked: further not his wicked device; lest they exalt themselves. Selah.”
Psalm 140:9, “As for the head of those that compass me about, let the mischief of their own lips cover them.”
Psalm 140:10, “Let burning coals fall upon them: let them be cast into the fire; into deep pits, that they rise not up again.”
Psalm 140:11, “Let not an evil speaker be established in the earth: evil shall hunt the violent man to overthrow him.”
Psalm 140:12, “I know that the LORD will maintain the cause of the afflicted, and the right of the poor.”
Psalm 140:13, “Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name: the upright shall dwell in thy presence.”
Introduction
Psalm 140 is titled To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. Like many of David’s psalms, it comes from a season of trouble, danger, hostility, and prayer. The specific occasion is not named, but the content fits well with the years when David was a fugitive from Saul’s court. During that season, David was hunted, slandered, misrepresented, and treated as a threat to the kingdom, even though he had shown loyalty, restraint, and faith toward the LORD.
The title indicates that this psalm was given to the chief Musician. Some have understood the Chief Musician as the LORD Himself, while others understand him as the leader of the temple singers or musicians, such as Heman, Asaph, or another appointed leader in Israel’s worship.
1 Chronicles 6:33, “And these are they that waited with their children. Of the sons of the Kohathites: Heman a singer, the son of Joel, the son of Shemuel,”
1 Chronicles 16:4, “And he appointed certain of the Levites to minister before the ark of the LORD, and to record, and to thank and praise the LORD God of Israel:”
1 Chronicles 16:5, “Asaph the chief, and next to him Zechariah, Jeiel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Mattithiah, and Eliab, and Benaiah, and Obededom: and Jeiel with psalteries and with harps; but Asaph made a sound with cymbals;”
1 Chronicles 25:6, “All these were under the hands of their father for song in the house of the LORD, with cymbals, psalteries, and harps, for service of house of God, according to king’s order to Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman.”
This psalm was not to be hidden away as private bitterness. It was given for worship, instruction, and warning. David’s trouble became part of the worship life of God’s people. The saints needed to learn how to pray when slandered, hunted, falsely accused, and surrounded by evil men.
Psalm 140 is especially concerned with evil speech. David’s enemies sharpen their tongues like serpents, and poison is under their lips. Their words are not merely careless. Their words are weapons. Their slander is tied to violence, traps, schemes, pride, and war. This psalm shows that wicked words can be instruments of destruction, and that the righteous must bring such danger before the LORD.
The psalm begins in urgent trouble but ends in confidence. David asks for deliverance, preservation, and judgment against evil. He then declares that the LORD will maintain the cause of the afflicted and the right of the poor. The final note is not fear, but hope, “Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name: the upright shall dwell in thy presence.”
A. Evil Men, Their Evil Words, and Their Evil Plots
1. Psalm 140:1 through Psalm 140:3, Praying for Deliverance
Psalm 140:1, “Deliver me, O LORD, from the evil man: preserve me from the violent man;”
David begins without a long introduction. There is no extended prelude of praise before the plea. He goes straight to the point, “Deliver me, O LORD.” This shows the urgency of his trouble. There are seasons when prayer begins with immediate desperation. David does not posture, delay, or pretend. He runs to the LORD.
He asks to be delivered “from the evil man” and preserved “from the violent man.” Evil and violence are joined together. Evil in the heart often becomes violence in conduct. The violent man may not always begin with a sword in his hand. Sometimes he begins with slander in his mouth, schemes in his mind, and hatred in his heart.
David knew this kind of danger. Saul pursued him unjustly. Men lied about him. Doeg the Edomite gave a report that led to the slaughter of priests. David lived under the pressure of people willing to twist facts, stir fear, and use power against him.
1 Samuel 22:9, “Then answered Doeg the Edomite, which was set over servants of Saul, and said, I saw son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech son of Ahitub.”
1 Samuel 22:18, “And king said to Doeg, Turn thou, and fall upon priests. And Doeg Edomite turned, and he fell upon priests, and slew on that day fourscore and five persons that did wear linen ephod.”
Doeg’s words became bloodshed. Psalm 140 fits this kind of world. Slander and violence often travel together. Before wicked men destroy the righteous physically, they often try to destroy them reputationally.
This pattern was also seen in the life of Christ. The enemies of Jesus slandered Him before they crucified Him. They accused Him falsely, twisted His words, and portrayed Him as a threat.
Matthew 26:59, “Now chief priests, and elders, and all council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death;”
Matthew 26:60, “But found none: yea, though many false witnesses came, yet found they none. At last came two false witnesses,”
The righteous often suffer first under lies, then under violence. Psalm 140 gives the righteous a way to pray under that pressure.
Psalm 140:2, “Which imagine mischiefs in their heart; continually are they gathered together for war.”
David describes the inward life of his enemies. They “imagine mischiefs in their heart.” Their evil actions are not accidental. They come from inward corruption. They meditate on harm. They plan injury. Their imagination is set on mischief.
This is serious because Scripture teaches that actions flow from the heart.
Proverbs 4:23, “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are issues of life.”
Matthew 15:18, “But those things which proceed out of mouth come forth from heart; and they defile man.”
Matthew 15:19, “For out of heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:”
Christ teaches that false witness and violent sins arise from the heart. David saw that same principle in his enemies. Their mouths, hands, and schemes were evil because their hearts imagined mischief.
The verse continues, “continually are they gathered together for war.” These men are not merely irritated or temporarily angry. They are continually inclined toward conflict. They gather for war. This may refer to literal battle, but it also includes organized hostility, plotting, accusation, and persecution.
There are people who seem unable to live without conflict. They stir strife, gather allies, create accusations, and provoke battles. David’s enemies were like that. They were not peacemakers. They were war makers.
Proverbs 6:16, “These six things doth LORD hate: yea, seven are abomination unto him:”
Proverbs 6:17, “A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,”
Proverbs 6:18, “An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,”
Proverbs 6:19, “A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.”
Psalm 140:2 contains several of these evils, a heart devising mischief, violent intent, false speech, and discord.
Psalm 140:3, “They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; adders’ poison is under their lips. Selah.”
David now focuses on their speech. “They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent.” Their tongues are weapons. They do not speak to heal, clarify, or tell truth. They sharpen their words to wound.
The comparison to a serpent is fitting. A serpent strikes quickly and injects poison. Slander works the same way. A word may be brief, but the poison spreads. It damages trust, reputation, peace, and fellowship. A malicious tongue can wound more deeply than a blade because it can travel farther and remain longer.
The verse continues, “adders’ poison is under their lips.” Their mouths contain venom. This is not merely rough language or careless speech. It is poisonous speech, designed to destroy.
The apostle Paul quotes this verse in Romans 3 as part of his description of mankind’s sinfulness.
Romans 3:10, “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:”
Romans 3:11, “There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.”
Romans 3:12, “They are all gone out of way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.”
Romans 3:13, “Their throat is open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; poison of asps is under their lips:”
Romans 3:14, “Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:”
Paul applies the principle broadly to fallen humanity. David experienced the poison of wicked tongues from particular enemies, but Paul shows that this poison belongs to the sinful condition of mankind apart from grace. The tongue reveals the heart.
James also warns about the destructive power of the tongue.
James 3:5, “Even so tongue is little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great matter little fire kindleth!”
James 3:6, “And tongue is fire, world of iniquity: so is tongue among members, that it defileth whole body, and setteth on fire course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.”
The tongue can set a whole life on fire. David knew this by painful experience.
The verse ends with “Selah.” This is a pause for thought, meditation, or musical emphasis. The reader should stop and consider the depth of human sin, especially the evil that can come through speech. We often think too little of man’s sinfulness and too lightly of the damage caused by wicked words.
2. Psalm 140:4 and Psalm 140:5, Praying for Preservation
Psalm 140:4, “Keep me, O LORD, from the hands of the wicked; preserve me from the violent man; who have purposed to overthrow my goings.”
David repeats his plea in slightly different language. “Keep me, O LORD.” He knows he cannot keep himself. He needs the LORD to guard him from the hands of the wicked. The hands represent power, action, control, and violence. Evil men do not merely speak. They act. David asks God to keep him from their reach.
He again says, “preserve me from the violent man.” Preservation is God’s protective care over His servant. David is not naïve. He knows the danger is real. But he also knows the LORD is greater than the danger.
The enemies have “purposed to overthrow my goings.” They want to make David stumble. They want to trip him in his path, interrupt his calling, discredit his obedience, and bring him down. The attack is not random. It is purposeful.
This is how the wicked often work against the righteous. They try to make a man stumble in his ordinary path of duty. They twist his words, misread his motives, provoke anger, set traps, and look for any excuse to accuse him.
The enemies of Christ did this repeatedly.
Luke 20:20, “And they watched him, and sent forth spies, which should feign themselves just men, that they might take hold of words, that so they might deliver him unto power and authority of governor.”
They tried to catch Jesus in His words. David’s enemies tried to overthrow his goings. The righteous must be alert because the wicked often try to create the very failure they want to condemn.
Psalm 140:5, “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.”
David identifies these enemies as “the proud.” Pride is often behind slander, scheming, and violence. The proud man wants control, vindication, dominance, and self exaltation. He cannot bear the righteous man’s integrity because it exposes him.
The proud hide snares and cords. They spread a net by the wayside. They set traps. The imagery is hunting language. David is being treated like an animal to be captured. His enemies are not confronting him honestly. They are hiding devices and waiting for him to fall.
This may fit Saul’s pursuit of David, when David was hunted through wilderness regions, caves, and cities.
1 Samuel 23:14, “And David abode in wilderness strong holds, and remained in mountain in wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God delivered him not into his hand.”
Saul sought David every day, but God did not deliver David into his hand. That is the truth David prays into in Psalm 140.
The traps are also spiritual. Satan uses honor, pleasure, profit, fear, anger, discouragement, lust, pride, and bitterness as snares. The believer must not merely avoid obvious sin. He must discern hidden traps.
2 Timothy 2:25, “In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to acknowledging of truth;”
2 Timothy 2:26, “And that they may recover themselves out snare of devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.”
The devil sets snares, and wicked men often imitate his methods. David’s response is prayer, not panic.
The verse again ends with “Selah.” The reader is called to pause and consider the danger of hidden snares and the necessity of God’s preserving grace.
B. Seeking God’s Help
1. Psalm 140:6 through Psalm 140:8, Praying to the God of Strength and Salvation
Psalm 140:6, “I said unto the LORD, Thou art my God: hear the voice of my supplications, O LORD.”
David’s prayer now becomes a confession of covenant allegiance. “Thou art my God.” David belongs to the LORD. He does not appeal to idols, worldly alliances, manipulation, or personal vengeance. He appeals to Yahweh.
This confession gives confidence. Because the LORD is David’s God, David asks, “hear the voice of my supplications.” He does not merely ask God to hear the words. He asks Him to hear the voice, the cry, the burden, the distress, and the faith behind the prayer.
The LORD hears His people personally.
Psalm 34:15, “The eyes of LORD are upon righteous, and ears are open unto their cry.”
Psalm 34:17, “The righteous cry, and LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.”
David stands on that truth. The righteous may be slandered by men, but they are heard by God.
Psalm 140:7, “O GOD the Lord, the strength of my salvation, thou hast covered my head in the day of battle.”
David addresses God as “O GOD the Lord.” This combines the covenant name and sovereign Lordship of God. David recognizes that the LORD is not only his God by covenant, but also his Master and ruler.
He calls Him “the strength of my salvation.” God does not merely provide salvation. He is the strength of salvation. David’s deliverance rests in God’s power. The LORD is not a weak helper. He is mighty to save.
David then remembers past protection, “thou hast covered my head in the day of battle.” The head is vital in battle. A soldier’s head must be protected. David says God covered his head. God was his shield, helmet, armor, and protector.
David knew literal battle, but this also applies to the battle against slander, treachery, and spiritual attack. God had covered him before, and therefore David trusted Him again.
Psalm 18:2, “The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, strength, in whom I will trust; buckler, and horn of my salvation, and my high tower.”
Psalm 18:30, “As for God, his way is perfect: word of LORD is tried: he is buckler to all those that trust in him.”
God is a buckler to all who trust in Him. David had experienced that protection.
The New Testament also speaks of salvation as a helmet.
Ephesians 6:17, “And take helmet of salvation, and sword of Spirit, which is word of God:”
God guards the head, the mind, the confidence, and the hope of His people in the day of battle.
Psalm 140:8, “Grant not, O LORD, the desires of the wicked: further not his wicked device; lest they exalt themselves. Selah.”
David asks God not to grant the desires of the wicked. Wicked men have desires, plans, dreams, ambitions, and devices. David asks God to frustrate them. If God allows the wicked to succeed unchecked, they will exalt themselves. Their pride will grow. Their violence will increase. Their confidence in evil will strengthen.
This is a righteous prayer. It is proper to ask God to stop wicked plans. It is proper to ask that lies fail, traps collapse, false accusations be exposed, violent schemes be frustrated, and proud men be humbled.
Psalm 33:10, “The LORD bringeth counsel of heathen to nought: he maketh devices of people of none effect.”
Psalm 33:11, “The counsel of LORD standeth for ever, thoughts of his heart to all generations.”
God can bring wicked counsel to nothing. David asks Him to do so.
The verse ends with another “Selah.” The reader should pause and consider the need for God to restrain wickedness. A society, church, family, or nation suffers greatly when wicked desires are allowed to prosper without restraint.
2. Psalm 140:9 through Psalm 140:11, David’s Prayer Regarding the Wicked
Psalm 140:9, “As for the head of those that compass me about, let the mischief of their own lips cover them.”
David now prays specifically concerning the leaders or chief figures among those surrounding him. “The head of those that compass me about” may refer to Saul, Doeg, or another leading enemy. Whoever is meant, David asks that the mischief of their own lips cover them.
This is a prayer for just reversal. They used their lips to harm others. David asks that the harm return upon them. Let their own words become their covering. Let their slander expose them. Let their lies trap them.
This principle appears often in Scripture. The wicked fall into the pit they dig.
Psalm 7:15, “He made pit, and digged it, and is fallen into ditch which he made.”
Psalm 7:16, “His mischief shall return upon his own head, and his violent dealing shall come down upon his own pate.”
David is not asking for random cruelty. He is asking that God’s justice return evil upon the evil doer.
Psalm 140:10, “Let burning coals fall upon them: let them be cast into the fire; into deep pits, that they rise not up again.”
This is an imprecatory prayer. David asks that judgment fall upon the wicked. Burning coals may recall the judgment of Sodom, where fire fell from heaven. It may also symbolize the burning judgment appropriate to those whose words set fires of destruction.
Genesis 19:24, “Then LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from LORD out of heaven;”
Genesis 19:25, “And he overthrew those cities, and all plain, and all inhabitants of cities, and that which grew upon ground.”
The wicked had set traps for David. David asks that they be cast into deep pits. Again, this is fitting reversal. Let the trap makers fall into the trap. Let the violent be overthrown by judgment.
Christians must read such prayers in light of the whole counsel of Scripture. Under the New Covenant, believers are commanded not to return evil for evil and not to take personal vengeance.
Romans 12:17, “Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in sight of all men.”
Romans 12:19, “Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith Lord.”
David’s prayer entrusts vengeance to God. That remains the proper pattern. Believers may pray for justice, for evil to be stopped, and for wicked plans to fail, but they must not seize personal vengeance. They must also pray for repentance where God grants mercy.
Matthew 5:44, “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;”
The Christian can pray both that evil be defeated and that sinners be saved. God alone knows how to answer with perfect justice and mercy.
Psalm 140:11, “Let not an evil speaker be established in the earth: evil shall hunt the violent man to overthrow him.”
David now prays against the establishment of the slanderer. “Let not an evil speaker be established in the earth.” This is important. When evil speakers become established, truth suffers, justice is distorted, the innocent are harmed, and the community is poisoned.
God’s people should not desire the success of slanderers. A lying tongue is not a small matter. It is one of the things the LORD hates.
Proverbs 6:16, “These six things doth LORD hate: yea, seven are abomination unto him:”
Proverbs 6:17, “A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,”
Proverbs 6:19, “A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.”
David’s prayer aligns with God’s moral order. Let the evil speaker not be established.
The verse ends, “evil shall hunt the violent man to overthrow him.” Earlier, violent men hunted David. Now David declares that evil will hunt the violent man. The hunter becomes the hunted. Wickedness becomes its own pursuer.
This is often how God’s justice works. Sin carries consequences within itself. Violent men create violent worlds. Liars build traps they cannot escape. Proud men set fires that burn back upon themselves. God may allow evil to become the instrument of the wicked man’s downfall.
Proverbs 26:27, “Whoso diggeth pit shall fall therein: and he that rolleth stone, it will return upon him.”
This is not karma. It is providential justice under the living God.
3. Psalm 140:12 and Psalm 140:13, Confidence in God’s Victory
Psalm 140:12, “I know that the LORD will maintain the cause of the afflicted, and the right of the poor.”
David now moves from prayer to confidence. “I know.” This is not wishful thinking. It is faith grounded in God’s character, God’s word, and God’s past faithfulness.
He knows that the LORD will “maintain the cause of the afflicted.” The afflicted may be weak in the eyes of men, but they are not forgotten by God. He upholds their cause. He sees their suffering. He hears their cries. He will act in His time.
The LORD also maintains “the right of the poor.” Many people ignore the poor because they lack power, money, influence, and protection. God does not ignore them. The Judge of all the earth sees when the poor are exploited, slandered, oppressed, or denied justice.
Psalm 9:9, “The LORD also will be refuge for oppressed, refuge in times of trouble.”
Psalm 9:10, “And they that know thy name will put trust in thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.”
Psalm 12:5, “For oppression of poor, for sighing of needy, now will I arise, saith LORD; I will set him in safety from him that puffeth at him.”
God is the defender of the afflicted and the poor. This does not mean every injustice is corrected immediately in this life, but it does mean no injustice is forgotten by God. His judgment is certain, and His compassion is real.
This truth is especially important for those who suffer under slander. A man’s reputation may be damaged by lies, but God knows the truth. Human courts, public opinion, and wicked tongues may fail, but the LORD maintains the cause of the afflicted.
Psalm 140:13, “Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name: the upright shall dwell in thy presence.”
The psalm ends with confidence and worship. “Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name.” David believes that the righteous will not end in silence. Their prayers for deliverance will become songs of thanksgiving. The God who hears supplication will give His people reason to praise His name.
The final phrase is the greatest hope, “the upright shall dwell in thy presence.” This is better than victory over enemies alone. The highest reward of the upright is not merely safety, vindication, or reputation restored. It is dwelling in the presence of God.
This looks beyond David’s immediate trouble to the ultimate hope of all the righteous. To dwell in God’s presence is life, joy, peace, and eternal blessing.
Psalm 16:11, “Thou wilt shew me path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.”
The final hope of Scripture is God’s people dwelling with Him forever.
Revelation 22:3, “And there shall be no more curse: but throne of God and of Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:”
Revelation 22:4, “And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.”
Psalm 140 begins with evil men, violent men, slander, poison, snares, and traps. It ends with thanksgiving and dwelling in God’s presence. That is the movement of faith. Trouble is real, but God’s presence is final.
Doctrinal and Practical Summary
Psalm 140 teaches that the righteous may suffer under slander, violence, traps, and malicious schemes. God’s people are not promised a life without enemies. David himself faced evil and violent men.
The psalm teaches that wicked speech is spiritually dangerous. The tongue can be sharpened like a serpent, and poison can lie under the lips. Slander is not harmless. It is often the first weapon of persecution.
Psalm 140 teaches that evil actions come from evil hearts. David’s enemies imagined mischief in their hearts before they acted outwardly. The heart must be guarded because out of it flow the issues of life.
The psalm teaches that God’s people should pray for deliverance and preservation. David does not respond with panic or personal vengeance. He brings the matter to the LORD.
Psalm 140 also teaches that it is right to pray for wicked plans to fail. David asks God not to grant the desires of the wicked or further their devices. The success of evil is not something God’s people should bless.
The imprecatory section teaches that justice belongs to God. David asks that the wicked be covered by their own mischief and that evil hunt the violent man. Under the New Covenant, believers must not return evil for evil, but they may still entrust justice to God and pray for evil to be stopped.
Finally, Psalm 140 ends with confidence. The LORD will maintain the cause of the afflicted and the right of the poor. The righteous will give thanks to His name, and the upright will dwell in His presence.
