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Commentary Critical and Explanatory

Psalms 140:7

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

O God the Lord, the strength of my salvation - (; , margin.) Powerless as to saving myself, I have my salvation-strength in thee.

Thou hast covered my head in the day of battle - (, margin.) "Battle" - literally, 'armature,' arms. The head is specified, as the part where a wound would be most deadly. Compare ; , where a king's body-guard is called keeper of his head.

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See also Psalms 140:7 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Psalms 140:7. _THOU HAST COVERED MY HEAD_] Not only when I fought with the proud blaspheming Philistine; but in the various attempts made against my life by my sworn enemies....

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    O GOD THE LORD ... - literally, “Yahweh, Lord, the strength of my salvation” The word rendered “God,” in the original, is יהוה _Yahweh_. The address is to Yahweh as the Lord; that is, as the supreme R...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    PSALM 140-142 These three Psalms are Psalms of David. The third one in this series, 142 is another Maschil, the last Maschil Psalm, being a prayer when David was in the cave. In these Psalms the distr...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    CXL. THE PRAYER OF A MAN HARD BESET BY TREACHEROUS FOES. It seems clear that the foes of whom the author complains are Jews, not foreign assailants. Slander and violence are their weapons, and the war...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    GOD THE LORD. Hebrew. _Jehovah._ Adonai. App-4. (2). OF. Genitive of character. my saving strength. covered. screened or protected. Not the same word as in Psalms 140:9....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _O God the Lord_ Jehovah, Lord. Cp. Psalms 109:21 (note); Psalms 141:8. _thou hast covered my head_ Protected it as with a helmet. Cp. Psalms 60:7;...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    Appeal to Jehovah, the Helper in time of need....

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    PSALMS 140 DESCRIPTIVE TITLE Deliverance from Slanderous and Violent Enemies Implored and Expected. ANALYSIS Stanza I., Psalms 140:1-3, Rescue from Violent Slanderers Besought. Stanza II., Psalms 1...

  • Darby's translation notes (1890)

    140:7 battle. (a-19) Or 'of arming for the battle.'...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    A prayer for deliverance from enemies (perhaps national), ascribed to David probably because it consists mainly of quotations from, and adaptations of, earlier Pss....

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    COVERED] better, 'screened.'...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    Psalms 107:150 _GORDON CHURCHYARD_ POISON! PSALMS 140 Jesus said, "Children of *vipers, how can you say anything that is good? You are *evil people" ...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    IN THE DAY OF BATTLE. — Literally, _in the day of arms, i.e.,_ when he was arming for fight. God covered the warrior’s head, _i.e.,_ provided the “helmet of salvation” (Isaiah 59:17). (Comp. also Psal...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    _[Psalms 140:8]_ יְהֹוִ֣ה אֲ֭דֹנָי עֹ֣ז יְשׁוּעָתִ֑י סַכֹּ֥תָה...

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    Psalms 140:1 IN tone and contents this psalm has many parallels in the earlier books, especially among the psalms ascribed to David. Its originality lies principally in its use of peculiar words, and...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

      CONFIDENCE IN GOD'S PROTECTION Psalms 140:1-13 Here is a picture of a man who is beset by foes. Around are slander and hatred; at his feet stratagems and traps. There is no help save in Him who al...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    The previous five psalms have dealt with the absolute sufficiency of Jehovah. Their titles will indicate this, “Jehovah the Object of His people's praise, Jehovah the God of mercy, Jehovah the God of...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    O GOD the Lord, the strength of my salvation, thou (e) hast covered my head in the day of battle. (e) He calls to God with lively faith, being assured of his mercies, because he had before time prove...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    As when the thickness, &c. If this is to be connected with what goes before, it declares the efficacy of those powerful words, capable to break up the thick and hard earth, of the hearts of man. But i...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    This is a blessed appeal to the Lord! Where shall an exercised soul go in his affliction, but to a throne of grace? And how sure shall be the Lord's condemnation of the ungodly, when the cry of the su...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    THE FOLLOWING COMMENTARY COVERS PSALMS 140 THROUGH 144. The five following psalms go over ground which we have trodden over in detail: only they apply to a restored Israel, still in conflict, and not...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    O GOD THE LORD, THE STRENGTH OF MY SALVATION,.... Temporal and spiritual, which he was able to effect; the mighty God and mighty Saviour: and this encouraged David to believe he should have deliveranc...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    O GOD the Lord, the strength of my salvation, thou hast covered my head in the day of battle. Ver. 7. _In the day of battle_] Heb. of armours; for battle David never had any with Saul, but declined i...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _Hear the voice of my supplication_ The more malice appears in our enemies against us, and the greater efforts they use to injure us, the more earnest ought we to be in prayer to God, after the exampl...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    O God the Lord, the All-powerful, THE STRENGTH OF MY SALVATION, the one Stronghold in which the believers are sure of deliverance, THOU HAST COVERED MY HEAD IN THE DAY OF BATTLE, literally, "in the da...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    PRAYER FOR DELIVERANCE FROM MALICIOUS ENEMIES. To the chief musician, for performance in public worship, a psalm of David, in which he presents to the Lord the usual complaint, adding to this a ferve...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    1-7 The more danger appears, the more earnest we should be in prayer to God. All are safe whom the Lord protects. If he be for us, who can be against us? We should especially watch and pray, that the...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    With thy powerful protection, as with a helmet or shield....

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Psalms 140:7 GOD H3069 Lord H136 strength H5797 salvation H3444 covered H5526 (H8804) head H7218 day H3117 battle...

  • Spurgeon's Bible Commentary

    To the Chief Musician, a Psalm of David. Very likely this Psalm was written by David while he was being hunted about by Saul, and while all manner of falsehoods were being spoken against him. He there...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: The malice of enemies and prayer for preservation. CHARACTERS: God, David. CONCLUSION: Those are safe whom God preserves. In Him believers may count upon security against all real enemies....

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    This psalm was composed by David, on occasion of Saul's persecution. The title, _a psalm of David,_ is undisputed. Psalms 140:1. _From the evil man,_ Doëg the Edomite: _from the violent man,_ Saul, w...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _I said unto the Lord, Thou art my God._ DAVID’S FIVE-STRINGED HARP (with verses 12, 13):--There are five things in my text to which I want especially to draw the attention of any who are in sore tr...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _Deliver me, O Lord, from the evil man._ GOD PRESERVES HIS SERVANT To put Luther out of harm’s way for a while a prudent man took him prisoner, and kept him out of the strife in the castle of Wartbur...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    PSALM PSALM—NOTE ON PSALMS 140:1. This lament comes from those threatened by ungodly people who intend to do him serious harm. This psalm, in praying for protection and expressing trust, also prays fo...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    PSALM—NOTE ON PSALMS 140:6 The right response to such danger is to reaffirm trust in God and to ask him for help. ⇐...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    INTRODUCTION “This Psalm is a prayer for protection against enemies who were at once violent and crafty, and unscrupulous in the use of their tongues. The general strain of the Psalm is like that of...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION MAINLY a psalm of supplication. David is in great straits, threatened by violent and malignant enemies (Psalms 140:1), against whom he prays to God for aid (Psalms 140:1, Psalms 140:4,

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Psa 140:1-13, another psalm of David. Deliver me, O LORD, from the evil man: preserve me from the violent man; Which imagine mischiefs in their heart; continually are they gathered together for war. T...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    1 Samuel 17:36; 1 Samuel 17:37; 1 Samuel 17:45; 2 Samuel 8:14;...

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