H4/1 V1 1. Prayer. Preservation from enemies.
W1 2,3. The evil man. Purpose. Selah.
V2 4-. Prayer. Preservation from enemies.
W2 -4,5. The evil man. Purpose. Selah.
V3 6,7. Prayer. Preservation from enemies.
W3 8. The evil man. desires.
V4 9-11. Prayer. Preservation of enemies.
Psalm 140)
1 Deliver me, O LORD, from an evil man:
Preserve me from the violent man;
2 Who 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. (Quoted in Rom. 3:13) Selah. (Connecting the evil with the prayer to the delivered)
4 Keep me, O LORD, from the hands of the lawless;
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; (Cp. Job 18:10)
They have set gins for me. Selah. (See v.3.)
6 I said to the LORD, "You are my GOD (El):"
Hear the voice of my supplications, O LORD.
7 O GOD the Lord (Adonai Yahaveh), the strength of my salvation,
You have protected my head in the day of battle.
8 Grant not, O LORD, the desires of the lawless:
Further not his wicked device (or plots); lest they exalt themselves. Selah. (See v.3)
9 As for the head of those that compass me about,
Let the labor (or toil) of their own lips overwhelm them.
10 Let burning coals (put for cruel words and hard speeches which wound the heart as fire wounds the body. Cp. Prov. 16:27; 26:23) fall upon them:
Let them be cast into the fire;
Into deep pits, let them not rise up again.
11 Let not an evil speaker (a slanderer) be established in the earth:
Let evil hunt the violent man to overthrow him.
12 I know that the LORD will maintain the cause of a poor one
And the right of the poor.
13 Surely the righteous shall give thanks to Your name:
The upright shall dwell in Your presence. (Cp. 11:7; 16:11.)