<div class="version vid107 iso6393eng" data-vid="107" data-iso6393="eng">
 <div class="book bkPSA">
 <div class="chapter ch140" data-usfm="PSA.140">
 <div class="label">140</div><div class="s1">Psalm 140#sn Psalm 140. The psalmist asks God to deliver him from his deadly enemies, calls judgment down upon them, and affirms his confidence in God&#8217;s justice.</div><div class="s2">For the music director; a psalm of David.</div><div class="p">1 O Lord, rescue me from wicked men!#tn Heb &#8220;from a wicked man.&#8221; The Hebrew uses the singular in a representative or collective sense (note the plural verbs in v. 2).</div><div class="p">Protect me from violent men,#tn Heb &#8220;a man of violent acts.&#8221; The Hebrew uses the singular in a representative or collective sense (note the plural verbs in v. 2).</div><div class="p">2 who plan ways to harm me.#tn Heb &#8220;they devise wicked [plans] in [their] mind.&#8221;</div><div class="p">All day long they stir up conflict.#tc Heb &#8220;they attack [for] war.&#8221; Some revocalize the verb (which is a Qal imperfect from &#1490;&#1468;&#1493;&#1468;&#1512;, gur, &#8220;to attack&#8221;) as &#1497;&#1456;&#1490;&#1464;&#1512;&#1493;&#1468; (y&#255;garu), a Piel imperfect from &#1490;&#1464;&#1512;&#1464;&#1492; (garah, &#8220;stir up strife&#8221;). This is followed in the present translation.</div><div class="p">3 Their tongues wound like a serpent;#tn Heb &#8220;they sharpen their tongue like a serpent.&#8221; Ps 64:3 reads, &#8220;they sharpen their tongues like sword.&#8221; Perhaps Ps 140:3 uses a mixed metaphor, the point being that &#8220;they sharpen their tongues [like a sword],&#8221; as it were, so that when they speak, their words wound like a serpent&#8217;s bite. Another option is that the language refers to the pointed or forked nature of a serpent&#8217;s tongue, which is viewed metaphorically as &#8220;sharpened.&#8221;</div><div class="p">a viper&#8217;s#tn The Hebrew term is used only here in the OT. venom is behind#tn Heb &#8220;under.&#8221; their lips. (Selah)</div><div class="p">4 O Lord, shelter me from the power#tn Heb &#8220;hands.&#8221; of the wicked!</div><div class="p">Protect me from violent men,</div><div class="p">who plan to knock me over.#tn Heb &#8220;to push down my steps.&#8221;</div><div class="p">5 Proud men hide a snare for me;</div><div class="p">evil men#tn Heb &#8220;and ropes,&#8221; but many prefer to revocalize the noun as a participle (&#1495;&#1465;&#1489;&#1456;&#1500;&#1460;&#1497;&#1501;, khov&#255;lim) from the verb &#1495;&#1464;&#1489;&#1463;&#1500; (khaval, &#8220;act corruptly&#8221;). spread a net by the path;</div><div class="p">they set traps for me. (Selah)</div><div class="p">6 I say to the Lord, &#8220;You are my God.&#8221;</div><div class="p">O Lord, pay attention to my plea for mercy!</div><div class="p">7 O sovereign Lord, my strong deliverer,#tn Heb &#8220;the strength of my deliverance.&#8221;</div><div class="p">you shield#tn Heb &#8220;cover.&#8221; my head in the day of battle.</div><div class="p">8 O Lord, do not let the wicked have their way!#tn Heb &#8220;do not grant the desires of the wicked.&#8221;</div><div class="p">Do not allow their#tn Heb &#8220;his.&#8221; The singular is used in a representative sense (see v. 1). plan to succeed when they attack!#tn Heb &#8220;his plot do not promote, they rise up.&#8221; The translation understands the final verb as being an unmarked temporal clause. Another option is to revocalize the verb as a Hiphil and take the verb with the next verse, &#8220;those who surround me lift up [their] head,&#8221; which could refer to their proud attitude as they anticipate victory (see Ps 27:6). (Selah)</div><div class="p">9 As for the heads of those who surround me &#8211; </div><div class="p">may the harm done by#tn Heb &#8220;harm of their lips.&#8221; The genitive here indicates the source or agent of the harm. their lips overwhelm them!</div><div class="p">10 May he rain down#tn The verb form in the Kethib (consonantal Hebrew text) appears to be a Hiphil imperfect from the root &#1502;&#1493;&#1468;&#1496; (mut, &#8220;to sway&#8221;), but the Hiphil occurs only here and in Ps 55:3, where it is preferable to read &#1497;&#1463;&#1502;&#1456;&#1496;&#1460;&#1497;&#1512;&#1493;&#1468; (yamtiru, &#8220;they rain down&#8221;). In Ps 140:10 the form &#1497;&#1463;&#1502;&#1456;&#1496;&#1461;&#1512; (yamter, &#8220;let him rain down&#8221;) should probably be read. fiery coals upon them!</div><div class="p">May he throw them into the fire!</div><div class="p">From bottomless pits they will not escape.#tn Heb &#8220;into bottomless pits, they will not arise.&#8221; The translation assumes that the preposition -&#1489;&#1468;&#1456; (bet) has the nuance &#8220;from&#8221; here. Another option is to connect the line with what precedes, take the final clause as an asyndetic relative clause, and translate, &#8220;into bottomless pits [from which] they cannot arise.&#8221; The Hebrew noun &#1502;&#1463;&#1492;&#1458;&#1502;&#1465;&#1512;&#1464;&#1492; (mahamorah, &#8220;bottomless pit&#8221;) occurs only here in the OT.</div><div class="p">11 A slanderer#tn Heb &#8220;a man of a tongue.&#8221; will not endure on#tn Heb &#8220;be established in.&#8221; the earth;</div><div class="p">calamity will hunt down a violent man and strike him down.#tn Heb &#8220;for blows.&#8221; The Hebrew noun &#1502;&#1463;&#1491;&#1456;&#1495;&#1461;&#1508;&#1465;&#1492; (madkhefoh, &#8220;blow&#8221;) occurs only here in the OT.</div><div class="p">12 I know#tc The translation follows the Qere and many medieval Hebrew mss in reading a first person verb form here. The Kethib reads the second person. that the Lord defends the cause of the oppressed</div><div class="p">and vindicates the poor.#tn Heb &#8220;and the just cause of the poor.&#8221;</div><div class="p">13 Certainly the godly will give thanks to your name;</div><div class="p">the morally upright will live in your presence.</div>
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O LORD, rescue me from wicked men!
Protect me from violent men,
who plan ways to harm me.
All day long they stir up conflict.
Their tongues wound like a serpent;
a viper’s venom is behind their lips. (Selah)
O LORD, shelter me from the power of the wicked!
Protect me from violent men,
who plan to knock me over.
Proud men hide a snare for me;
evil men spread a net by the path;
they set traps for me. (Selah)
I say to the LORD, “You are my God.”
O LORD, pay attention to my plea for mercy!
O sovereign LORD, my strong deliverer,
you shield my head in the day of battle.
O LORD, do not let the wicked have their way!
Do not allow their plan to succeed when they attack! (Selah)
As for the heads of those who surround me –
may the harm done by their lips overwhelm them!
May he rain down fiery coals upon them!
May he throw them into the fire!
From bottomless pits they will not escape.
A slanderer will not endure on the earth;
calamity will hunt down a violent man and strike him down.
I know that the LORD defends the cause of the oppressed
and vindicates the poor.
Certainly the godly will give thanks to your name;
the morally upright will live in your presence.

සවන් දෙන්න Psalms 140