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Psalms 140

Psalms 140

The big picture

Psalms 140 opens in verse 1 with “Deliver me, O LORD , from the evil man: preserve me from the violent man;”, reaches its middle movement near verse 7 with “O GOD the Lord, the strength of my salvation, thou hast covered my head in the day of…”, and closes in verse 13 with “Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name: the upright shall dwell in thy…” Repeated or prominent terms include LORD, evil, Selah, violent, wicked. Together, those details trace this chapter’s own movement from its opening to its conclusion.

Scripture beside the summary

Psalms · King James Version · 13

Psalms 140:1-7

1–7: Deliver me, O LORD , from the evil man: preserve me from the violent…

Psalms 140:1–7 opens with “Deliver me, O LORD , from the evil man: preserve me from the violent man;” and reaches “O GOD the Lord, the strength of my salvation, thou hast covered my head in the day of battle.” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on the wording and movement of this passage, with particular weight carried by LORD, preserve, Selah.

Deep dive

The movement opens with “Deliver me, O LORD , from the evil man: preserve me from the violent man;” By verse 4, the text has turned to “Keep me, O LORD , from the hands of the wicked; preserve me from the violent man; who have…” It lands on “O GOD the Lord, the strength of my salvation, thou hast covered my head in the day of…” The distance between those lines matters as much as any isolated phrase. The passage has a voice and pulse of its own, including 1 verse with a speech marker, 2 verses naming the LORD or God. Those features reveal where the narrative slows down, speaks directly, or changes direction.

Speaker, parallel lines, images, emotional movement, and changes in voice carry the argument. Wise guidance is richer than a mechanical promise. Words such as LORD, preserve, Selah, violent, adders, battle tie the complete block together. The central idea, “the wording and movement of this passage,” should remain answerable to the text. Some conclusions are explicit, some gather support across several verses, and others remain strong inferences or interpretations.

Names or load-bearing terms in this scene include Selah, Deliver, God, Keep, Lord, Thou. The nearest hinge to the center comes in verse 4: “Keep me, O LORD , from the hands of the wicked; preserve me from the violent man; who have purposed to overthrow my goings.” That detail helps separate the opening situation from what the passage changes next.

Words to trace: LORD, preserve, Selah, violent, adders, battle

Verse-by-verse path

  1. Psalms 140:1

    “Deliver me, O LORD , from the evil man: preserve me from the violent man;” Naming Deliver keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

  2. Psalms 140:2

    “Which imagine mischiefs in their heart; continually are they gathered together for war.” The line’s distinctive content terms include continually, gathered, heart. Its relationship to verses 1 and 3 shows what work it does in this passage.

  3. Psalms 140:3

    “They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; adders’ poison is under their lips. Selah.” Naming Selah keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

  4. Psalms 140:4

    “Keep me, O LORD , from the hands of the wicked; preserve me from the violent man; who have purposed to overthrow my…” Naming Keep keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

  5. Psalms 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.” Naming Selah keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

  6. Psalms 140:6

    “I said unto the LORD , Thou art my God: hear the voice of my supplications, O LORD .” Naming Thou keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

  7. Psalms 140:7

    “O GOD the Lord, the strength of my salvation, thou hast covered my head in the day of battle.” The verse names Lord rather than leaving the action without a source. Watch whether the next line continues, answers, or contrasts that action.

Psalms 140:1-7

King James Version

1Deliver me, O LORD , from the evil man: preserve me from the violent man;

2Which imagine mischiefs in their heart; continually are they gathered together for war.

3They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; adders’ poison is under their lips. Selah.

4Keep me, O LORD , from the hands of the wicked; preserve me from the violent man; who have purposed to overthrow my goings.

5The proud have hid a snare for me, and cords; they have spread a net by the wayside; they have set gins for me. Selah.

6I said unto the LORD , Thou art my God: hear the voice of my supplications, O LORD .

7O GOD the Lord, the strength of my salvation, thou hast covered my head in the day of battle.

Psalms 140:8-13

8–13: Grant not, O LORD , the desires of the wicked: further not his wicked…

Psalms 140:8–13 opens with “Grant not, O LORD , the desires of the wicked: further not his wicked device; lest they exalt…” and reaches “Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name: the upright shall dwell in thy presence.” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on the wording and movement of this passage, with particular weight carried by evil, LORD, wicked.

Deep dive

The movement opens with “Grant not, O LORD , the desires of the wicked: further not his wicked device; lest they…” By verse 10, the text has turned to “Let burning coals fall upon them: let them be cast into the fire; into deep pits, that they…” It lands on “Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name: the upright shall dwell in thy…” The distance between those lines matters as much as any isolated phrase. The passage has a voice and pulse of its own, including 1 verse naming the LORD or God. Those features reveal where the narrative slows down, speaks directly, or changes direction.

Speaker, parallel lines, images, emotional movement, and changes in voice carry the argument. Wise guidance is richer than a mechanical promise. Words such as evil, LORD, wicked, afflicted, burning, cause tie the complete block together. The central idea, “the wording and movement of this passage,” should remain answerable to the text. Some conclusions are explicit, some gather support across several verses, and others remain strong inferences or interpretations.

Names or load-bearing terms in this scene include Grant, Selah, Surely. The nearest hinge to the center comes in verse 10: “Let burning coals fall upon them: let them be cast into the fire; into deep pits, that they rise not up again.” That detail helps separate the opening situation from what the passage changes next.

Words to trace: evil, LORD, wicked, afflicted, burning, cause

Verse-by-verse path

  1. Psalms 140:8

    “Grant not, O LORD , the desires of the wicked: further not his wicked device; lest they exalt themselves. Selah.” Naming Grant and Selah keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

  2. Psalms 140:9

    “As for the head of those that compass me about, let the mischief of their own lips cover them.” The line’s distinctive content terms include compass, cover, head. Its relationship to verses 8 and 10 shows what work it does in this passage.

  3. Psalms 140:10

    “Let burning coals fall upon them: let them be cast into the fire; into deep pits, that they rise not up again.” The line’s distinctive content terms include burning, coals, deep. Its relationship to verses 9 and 11 shows what work it does in this passage.

  4. Psalms 140:11

    “Let not an evil speaker be established in the earth: evil shall hunt the violent man to overthrow him.” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

  5. Psalms 140:12

    “I know that the LORD will maintain the cause of the afflicted, and the right of the poor.” The line’s distinctive content terms include afflicted, cause, know. Its relationship to verses 11 and 13 shows what work it does in this passage.

  6. Psalms 140:13

    “Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name: the upright shall dwell in thy presence.” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

Psalms 140:8-13

King James Version

8Grant not, O LORD , the desires of the wicked: further not his wicked device; lest they exalt themselves. Selah.

9As for the head of those that compass me about, let the mischief of their own lips cover them.

10Let burning coals fall upon them: let them be cast into the fire; into deep pits, that they rise not up again.

11Let not an evil speaker be established in the earth: evil shall hunt the violent man to overthrow him.

12I know that the LORD will maintain the cause of the afflicted, and the right of the poor.

13Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name: the upright shall dwell in thy presence.

Questions to keep in mind while reading

  1. Follow the speaker, images, parallel lines, questions, and emotional movement.
  2. Notice where tension or suffering resists an easy answer.
  3. Read a saying as wisdom for faithful discernment, not as a mechanical promise detached from context.

Text first

Where readers differ

The chapter summary begins with what the passage says and how its parts fit together. It does not assume one denomination has already settled every question. Where a conclusion depends on a tradition, literary theory, or historical reconstruction, that dependence is named openly.

The KJV text is presented first. Interpretive conclusions are labeled, and differences are introduced only when they help a reader understand why serious communities do not always reach the same answer.

Comparative interpretive notes for this chapter are in preparation. Until reviewed notes are ready, this page separates the KJV text from summary and application without claiming that serious readers agree on every question.

Questions beneath the surface

  1. What account of God, human freedom, responsibility, and the good life emerges from Psalms 140?
  2. Which tension does the chapter refuse to resolve quickly?
  3. What changes when the chapter is read as part of the whole canon rather than as an isolated moral story?
  4. Where might a sincere reader confuse a familiar tradition with something the text states directly?

Questions for serious personal contemplation

These open-ended questions make room for tension, honest response, prayer, and conclusions that remain accountable to the chapter.

Observe without rushing

  1. What part of Psalms 140 makes you stop, feel unsettled, or feel surprised, and why?

  2. Which detail in the passage would be easiest to overlook? How does that detail change your understanding?

  3. Where do you see tension between what happens and this focus: Psalms 140:1–13 completes a passage that was not covered by the original study-unit map. Its own wording and immediate context supply the focus.?

  4. What important question does the passage leave open instead of resolving quickly?

Examine your inner life honestly

  1. Which person, response, fear, or desire in the passage feels most like your own life right now?

  2. What assumption about God, other people, or yourself does this text challenge?

  3. Which part would you rather soften, avoid, or explain away too quickly? What might that reaction reveal?

  4. If this Scripture could ask you one direct question, what do you think it would ask?

Respond with wisdom and courage

  1. What do you need to remember, confess, grieve, thank God for, or trust after reading this passage?

  2. How might another faithful person read this situation differently without ignoring the text?

  3. What obedient response would be costly, uncomfortable, or slow, yet still faithful to Scripture?

  4. What question will you carry into prayer this week, and which verses will you keep in front of you?