Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
Psalms 140:3
Verse Psalms 140:3. They have sharpened their tongues] They employ their time in forging lies and calumnies against me; and those of the most virulent nature.
Verse Psalms 140:3. They have sharpened their tongues] They employ their time in forging lies and calumnies against me; and those of the most virulent nature.
THEY HAVE SHARPENED THEIR TONGUES LIKE A SERPENT - Compare the notes at Psalms 64:3. The idea here is, that since the tongue of the serpent “seems” to be sharp, pointed, adapted to penetrate (and prob...
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...
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...
TONGUES. Singular. See note on Psalms 140:11. Quoted in Romans 3:13. SELAH. Connecting the evil with the prayer to be delivered; thus marking the Structure (App-66)...
Prayer for deliverance from the machinations of calumnious enemies....
_They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent_ The lying tongue is elsewhere compared to the sword or arrow which wounds (Psalms 52:2; Psalms 55:21; Psalms 57:4;...
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...
They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; adders' poison is under their lips. Selah. THEY HAVE SHARPENED THEIR TONGUES LIKE A SERPENT - not that a serpent sharpens its tongue: the point of...
A prayer for deliverance from enemies (perhaps national), ascribed to David probably because it consists mainly of quotations from, and adaptations of, earlier Pss....
SELAH] see on Psalms 3:4....
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" ...
Comp. Psalms 64:3; Psalms 58:4; Psalms 52:2; Psalms 10:7. ADDERS. — The Hebrew word is peculiar to this place, and is explained by Gesenius to be a comp
_[Psalms 140:4]_ שָֽׁנֲנ֣וּ לְשֹׁונָם֮ כְּֽמֹו ־נָ֫חָ֥שׁ חֲמַ֥ת...
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...
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...
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...
They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; (c) adders' poison [is] under their lips. Selah. (c) He shows the weapons the wicked use, when power and force fail them....
And. Hebrew, "keep guard at the door of my lips," (Montanus) or "on the poverty of," &c., (St. Jerome) that I may not speak too much, or imprudently; as I shall do, if left to myself. (Haydock) --- Ho...
It will be truly profitable in this, as in similar psalms, describing the soul under exercises, to view Christ, our pattern, our example, our surety. It is he who hath carried our griefs, as well as b...
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...
THEY HAVE SHARPENED THEIR TONGUES LIKE A SERPENT,.... Which Kimchi says it does before it bites. Aristotle i observes, that the tip or extreme point of a serpent's tongue is as small as a hair, and so...
_They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; adders' poison [is] under their lips. Selah._ Ver. 3. _They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent_] Which, by reason of his sharp tongue, stri...
_Deliver me from the evil man_ Either Saul, or Doeg, or some other malicious enemy, or rather enemies; the word _man_ being taken collectively for _men_, as appears from the next verse. _Continually,...
They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent, so that the sting of it is as deadly as that of a snake; ADDERS' POISON IS UNDER THEIR LIPS, to be poured into the wounds made by their fangs as they...
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...
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...
THEY HAVE SHARPENED THEIR TONGUES; their malicious hearts stirred up their tongues to utter vile slanders against me. _Like a serpent_; either whetting their tongues, as serpents are said to whet thei...
Psalms 140:3 sharpen H8150 (H8804) tongues H3956 serpent H5175 poison H2534 asps H5919 lips H8193 Selah H5542...
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...
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....
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...
_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...
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...
PSALM—NOTE ON PSALMS 140:3 UNDER THEIR LIPS IS THE VENOM OF ASPS. In Romans 3:13 Paul uses this phrase as part of his argument that Jews and Greeks are alike “under sin.”
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...
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,
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...
2 Corinthians 11:3; Genesis 3:13; Isaiah 59:13; Isaiah 59:3; James 3:
Tongues — Using words as sharp and piercing as the sting of a serpent....