Psalms 140:3

They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent ,.... Which Kimchi says it does before it bites. Aristotle F9 Hist. Animal. l. 2. c. 17. observes, that the tip or extreme point of a serpent's tongue is as small as a hair, and so exceeding sharp and piercing. Arama interprets this of the sharpness and cunning of the serpent; and particularly the serpent that deceived Eve, and spake cunningly to her. "For God knoweth", &c.; and may design the calumnies and detractions, which were sharp as a razor; as swords, and spears, and arrows, and as the tongue of a serpent, Psalm 57:4 ; and the subtlety of false teachers, and deceitful workers; and the sharp and cutting words of wicked men against Christ and his people, Judges 1:15 ;

adder's poison is under their lips ; which may signify the malignity of sin in wicked men, which comes from the old serpent the devil; is latent in men; very infectious, like poison, and deadly and incurable, but by the grace of God, and blood of Christ: and may describe particularly the mischief of the tongue, which is a little member, as the asp is a little creature; but very mischievous, full of deadly poison, which lurks in it, lies under it, and which spitting out, it stupifies and kills insensibly; as do the calumnies of wicked men, and the doctrines of false teachers; see Romans 3:13 . The Targum is,

"the poison of the spider;'

though it is said F11 Philosoph. Transact. abridged, vol. 2. p. 800. & vol. 5. par. 1. p. 24. the spider is not venomous.

Selah ; on this word; see Gill on Psalm 3:2 .