Desires. — The form of the Hebrew word is anomalous, but the meaning certain. The LXX. and Vulg. give the first clause thus: “Give me not over to the enemy, by reason of their own desire;” which may possibly have been in St. Paul’s mind in Romans 1:24.

Further not. — The text of this clause has undoubtedly suffered. The Authorised Version follows the LXX. and Vulg. in inserting a negative before the last word. These versions also take the word rendered “wicked devices” as a verb, not finding a noun of the form anywhere else: “They have plotted against me: desert me not, lest they exalt themselves.” So also Symmachus, and another Greek version quoted by Origen.

As the text at present stands, we must render: his plot do not furtherthey lift up. Looking on to the next verse, “the head of those surrounding me,” the suggestion at once arises that the verb lift up properly belongs to this clause:

“His plot do not further.
They lift the head, these surrounding me.”

This arrangement disregards the “selah.” and also obliges us to suspect that a clause has dropped cut after the first clause of Psalms 140:9 — a suspicion confirmed by the rhythm.[20]

[20] Mr. Burgess amends to “Further not his plot to his exaltation.”

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