Psalms 140
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Deliver me, O Lord, from the evil man: preserve me from the violent 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.
Public Domain KJV text from Wordproject.org
Psalm 140:1-13
Deliver Me, O Lord, from Evil Men
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.
1Deliver me, O Lord, from evil men;
preserve me from violent men,
2who plan evil things in their heart
and stir up wars continually.
3They make their tongue sharp as a serpent’s,
and under their lips is the venom of asps. Selah
4Guard me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked;
preserve me from violent men,
who have planned to trip up my feet.
5The arrogant have hidden a trap for me,
and with cords they have spread a net;
beside the way they have set snares for me. Selah
6I say to the Lord, You are my God;
give ear to the voice of my pleas for mercy, O Lord!
7O Lord, my Lord, the strength of my salvation,
you have covered my head in the day of battle.
8Grant not, O Lord, the desires of the wicked;
do not further their evil plot, or they will be exalted! Selah
9As for the head of those who surround me,
let the mischief of their lips overwhelm them!
10Let burning coals fall upon them!
Let them be cast into fire,
into miry pits, no more to rise!
11Let not the slanderer be established in the land;
let evil hunt down the violent man speedily!
12I know that the Lord will maintain the cause of the afflicted,
and will execute justice for the needy.
13Surely the righteous shall give thanks to your name;
the upright shall dwell in your presence.
ESV Bible text displayed through the American Bible Society's Global Bible Widget
Psalm 140:1-13
Psalm 140
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
1Rescue me, Lord, from evildoers;
protect me from the violent,
2who devise evil plans in their hearts
and stir up war every day.
3They make their tongues as sharp as a serpent’s;
the poison of vipers is on their lips.
4Keep me safe, Lord, from the hands of the wicked;
protect me from the violent,
who devise ways to trip my feet.
5The arrogant have hidden a snare for me;
they have spread out the cords of their net
and have set traps for me along my path.
6I say to the Lord, “You are my God.”
Hear, Lord, my cry for mercy.
7Sovereign Lord, my strong deliverer,
you shield my head in the day of battle.
8Do not grant the wicked their desires, Lord;
do not let their plans succeed.
9Those who surround me proudly rear their heads;
may the mischief of their lips engulf them.
10May burning coals fall on them;
may they be thrown into the fire,
into miry pits, never to rise.
11May slanderers not be established in the land;
may disaster hunt down the violent.
12I know that the Lord secures justice for the poor
and upholds the cause of the needy.
13Surely the righteous will praise your name,
and the upright will live in your presence.
NIV Bible text displayed through the American Bible Society's Global Bible Widget
Commentary
Often, when people hurt us, we see only the person not the evil one who is working behind the scenes to cripple and destroy us. Ephesians reminds us that we “wrestle not with flesh and blood” but against dark powers, a roaring lion seeking to devour God’s children.
Miraculously, God turns the very thing intended to cause us pain into a blessing. Isaiah 28:28 reminds us that “Grain is crushed, though one certainly does not thresh it forever,” only until it is ready to be used to nourish others. Trials endured give us a testimony to encourage others who walk behind us on the path of life.
The promise is that God will “cover our heads” when attacks come. To me that is a reminder that He will help us deal with thoughts of anger, self-pity, the desire for revenge or any other dark thinking. We must trust that He is always with us, alway bringing good out of intended evil.
Look at Joseph. Attacked by his brothers, they did the unthinkable and sold him as a slave. But as Joseph said many years later, God took the evil that was intended and brought good out of it.
Vicky Perry
Librarian, Mt View, Hawaii (as of this writing)
