To the chief Musician. See App-64 . Title. A Psalm. Hebrew. mizmor. See App-65 . of David = by David. LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah. App-4 . the evil = an evil man. Hebrew. ra'a' . App-44 . man. Hebrew. 'adam. App-14 . man. Hebrew ' i s h . App-14 . read more
PSALM 140A PRAYER FOR PROTECTION AGAINST PERSECUTORSThis, like the other psalms in this group, is from the pen of David, according to the superscription, which is as reliable as any other information that has come down to us concerning the authorship of the Psalms.Barnes summed up the matter of authorship, writing, "This also is a psalm of David ... It bears every mark of David's style and spirit; and there can be no doubt that he was the author of it."[1]The bitter conflict that marked David's... read more
Psalms 140:0. David prayeth to be delivered from Saul and Doeg: he prayeth against them: he comforteth himself by confidence in God. To the chief musician. A Psalm of David. Title. לדוד מזמור למנצח lamnatseach mizmor ledavid.— There is no doubt but David wrote this psalm; and it is pretty generally agreed, that it was written under the persecution of Saul, and occasioned by the malicious and treacherous dealings of Doeg and the Ziphites. read more
1. evil man—Which of David's enemies is meant is not important. read more
Psalms 140:1-2 are an introductory cry for help. David’s enemies were evil, violent men who were stirring up trouble for him and his kingdom. In Psalms 140:3-5 the psalmist lamented his condition. The words of his enemies were as a serpent’s venom in their destructive power. David’s adversaries had tried to trap him as a hunter snares an animal. Evidently David felt they were trying to kill him. read more
1. Prayer for deliverance 140:1-8 read more
Psalms 140David prayed for God to frustrate his enemies’ attempts to trip him up-with confidence that God would defend him-in this individual lament psalm. read more
A prayer for deliverance from enemies (perhaps national), ascribed to David probably because it consists mainly of quotations from, and adaptations of, earlier Pss.2. ’Continually do they stir up wars’: cp. Proverbs 15:18. 3. Selah] see on Psalms 3:4. 7. Covered] better, ’screened.’11. Let not, etc.] better, ’a slander shall not.’ read more
(1) Evil man.—The singular of the object in this verse must not lead us to think the psalm is an expression of personal feeling against one enemy, for it is immediately changed to the plural.Violent man.—See Margin. read more
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Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Psalms 140:1-13
Psalm 140 - 143 Troubles for the godlyThese four psalms are similar, and from the title of Psalms 142:0 it appears that all four belong to the time when David was fleeing from Saul. (See introductory notes to Psalms 34:0.)Treachery and slander are the chief weapons that David’s enemies use to attack him. These men have the poison of snakes and the cunning of hunters (140:1-5). But Yahweh is David’s God, his defender in whom he trusts for victory (6-8). David’s enemies will receive a fitting... read more