Tap any verse number for what that verse means.
1Rescue me, O LORD, from evil men. Protect me from men of violence,
2who devise evil in their hearts and stir up war all day long.
3They sharpen their tongues like snakes; the venom of vipers is on their lips.
4Guard me, O LORD, from the hands of the wicked. Keep me safe from men of violence who scheme to make me stumble.
5The proud hide a snare for me; the cords of their net are spread along the path, and lures are set out for me.
6I say to the LORD, “You are my God.” Hear, O LORD, my cry for help.
7O GOD the Lord, the strength of my salvation, You shield my head in the day of battle.
8Grant not, O LORD, the desires of the wicked; do not promote their evil plans, lest they be exalted.
9May the heads of those who surround me be covered in the trouble their lips have caused.
10May burning coals fall on them; may they be thrown into the fire, into the miry pits, never to rise again.
11May no slanderer be established in the land; may calamity hunt down the man of violence.
12I know that the LORD upholds justice for the poor and defends the cause of the needy.
13Surely the righteous will praise Your name; the upright will dwell in Your presence.
Understand This
Psalm 140, explained
What Psalm 140 is saying
Psalm 140 is a Davidic lament petitioning God for protection against violent, scheming enemies whose tongues are sharp as serpents and whose lips conceal the poison of vipers. The psalm alternates between desperate petition and confident trust, culminating in the assurance that the LORD upholds the cause of the afflicted and maintains the rights of the poor.
The background behind it
The psalm's vivid language of traps, snares, and secret plots reflects the court intrigues David faced from Saul and later from internal conspirators. The serpent imagery connects to ancient Near Eastern curse traditions and Genesis 3's association of the serpent with deception.
Themes running underneath
The psalm presents evil as both verbal (sharp tongues, poisonous lips) and physical (traps, snares, violence), recognizing that the most dangerous attacks often begin with words. The closing confidence that God 'upholds the cause of the afflicted' establishes divine justice as the ultimate recourse for the vulnerable.
Why it still matters
This psalm validates the prayer for protection against those who weaponize words. It teaches that bringing fear and anger to God is not a failure of faith but an exercise of it.
Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible — used by permission, Bible Hub.