PSALMS 139 AND 140
cording t o some statistics-is this an attempt to escape
G d in the darkness? Discuss other forms of darkness.
Most of all; discuss not only the futileness of this effort but
the needlessness of it.
7. What a tremendous thought! Not only did God create man,
but He took a personal interest in creating each one. Dis-
cuss how very complete is the interest of our Creator
in each one of us.
8. What is involved in the expression the “underparts of the
earth”?
9. God has a plan and purpose for every life, is this taught
in this psalm? Discuss.
10. How do the first and second births relate?
11. How is the word “precilous” used in this psalm?
12. How is the word “awake” here used?
13. The multiplicity of the purposes of God is a strong argument
for immortality. How so?
14. Rotherham has an interesting thought about the writing
of the fourth stanza, Discuss.
16. Who was the “lawless one”? Why t o be slain? Was this
merciful ?
16. What protection did the psalmist seek against the lawless
one?
PSALM 140
DESCRIPTIVE TITLE
Deliverance from Slanderous and Violent Enemies I
Implored and Expected.
ANALYSIS
Stanza I., vers. 1-3, Rescue from Violent Slanderers Besought. Stanza
II., vers. 4, 5, The Plottings of the Slanderers Indicated. Stanza IIL, vers.
6-8, Personal Relation to Jehovah and His Past Mercies Pleaded. Stanza
IV., vers. 9-11, Prayer becomes Impassioned Imprecation. Stanza V., vers.
12, 13, Calm Assurance at length comes of Complete Vindication.
(Lm.) A Psalm-By David.
1 Rescue me Jehovah from evil men,
from the man of violent deeds wilt thou preserve me:
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STUDIES IN PSALMS
2 Who have devised evil things in [their] heart,
every day they stir up wars:
3 They have sharpened their tongue like a serpent,
the venom of the viper1 is under their lips.
4 Keep me Jehovah from the hands of the lawless one,
from the man of violent deeds. wilt thou preserve me,-
who have devised t o give a thrust unto my foohteps.
5 Proud men have hid a trap for me and nooses,
they have spread a net by the side of the traok,-
lures have they set for me.
6 I have said unto Jehovah-“My GOD art thou!
oh give ear, Jehovah to the voice of my supplications.
‘I Jehovah Sovereign Lord my stronghold of salvation,
thou hast been a screen to my head in the day of arms.
8 Do not grant Jehovah the desires of the lawless one,
his device do not promote.’’ %omz
9 If they who encompass me lift up their head*
let the mischief of their own lips cover them:
10 Let him rain upon them4 live coals,
into the fire let him cast them-
into the place of flowing waters that they rise not again.
11 The slanderer6 shall not be established in the land,
the man of violence let calamity hunt him in great hastens
12 I know that Jehovah will execute the right of the humbled,
the vindication of the needy.
13 Surely righteous ones shall give thaniks unto thy name,
upright ones shall dwell in thy presence.
Wm.1
PARAPHRASE
PSALM 140
0 Lord, deliver me from evil men. Preserve me from the
violent,
2 Who plot and stir up trouble all day long.
3 Their words sting like poisonous snakes.
1. Or? “spider”-O.G. “The meaning of the Heb. word is uncertain”-Dr.
2. Cp. Intro., Chap. III., “Selah.”
3. So Del. divides the verses.
4. So Gt., cp. 11:7.
5. MI.: “man of tongue.”
6. So Del., “With thrust upon thrust.”-O.G., Dr.
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PSALM 140
4 Keep me out of their power. Preserve me from their
violence, f o r they are plotting against me.
5 These proud men have set a trap to catch me, a noose t o
yank me up and leave me dangling in the air; they wait in
ambush with a net to throw over and hold me helpless in its ,
meshes.
6, 7, 8 0 Jehovah, my Lord and Savior, my God and my
shield-hear me as I pray! Don’t let these wioked men suc-
ceed; don’t let them prosper and be proud.
9 Let their plots boomerang! Let them be destroyed by
the very evil they have planned for me.
10 Let burning coals fall down upon their heads, or throw
them into the fire, o r into deep pits from which they can’t escape.
11 Don’t let liars prosper here in our land; quickly punish
them.
12 But the Lord will surely help those they persecute; He
will maintain the rights of the poor.
19 Surely the godly are thanking You, 8or they shall live
in Your presence.
EXPOSITION
The situation indicated by this psalm is clearly Davidic.
The very fact that slander is the primary weapon relied upon
by the writer’s enemies is enough to make us suspect who the
writer is; and when violence is seen waiting on slander, ready
to str‘ike as soon as slander has succeeded in doing its poisonous
work, we have instantly all the conditions required by the psalm
vividly brought before our minds: that is, as soon as we think
of D m i d at Saul’s court as the sufferer and Petitioner of the
psalm. There is no need to risk a unsversal negative, by denying e
that any other man ever lived in whose history these peculiar
conditions met; but the doubt may be confidently expressed,
that it would be extremely difficult t o imagine a second hero
able t o meet the requirements here indicated. He must be a
believer in Jehovah-a man of prayer-a man who has been
under arms-a man who can point t o past divine deliverances-
a man whose life is at the mercy of a slanderous tongue-and,
to f’or‘bearfurther specification, a man whose rescue from present
peril will cause righteous men to thank Jehovgh and dwell
securely in his presence. David fulfils all these conditions; and,
not knowing where to find another who does this, we may well
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STUDIES IN PSALMS
hold ourselves justified in accepting the traditional ascription
of authorship to be well sustained,
The reader who pleases t o turn to our exposition of Ps. 69
will see how far we are from offering an unqualified defence
of the imprecations which several of the psalms contain; but
the above considerations respecting the peculiar conditions
which met in David, may suggest in great strength the plea
that it is no wonder that, in his circumstances, he did call to
Jehovah f o r heavy judgments on his enemies. David-not-
withstanding his reverent and tender scruples against lifting
up a finger to injure his tyrannical master, Saul-was, after
all, looking forward to the personal OCCUpahCy of the throne
of the kingdom, and where, then, could he naturally desire these
turbulent enemies to be, if not swept away by the judicial visita-
tions of Jehovah? How else could he look forward t o a king-
dom in which the humbled and needy should be viwdicated, and
men be free to dwebl in safehy and thwkfulness in Jehovah’s
presence? In those circumstances probably no man livivg is
now placed.
QUESTIONS FOR DISOUSSION
1. This is described as an “imprecatory psalm”; what is meant
by this expression? How is it t o be understood?
2. Show hlow appropriate this psalm is to Dcavid’s experience.
3. In David’s circumstance we can understand his desire as
here expressed. Discuss.
PSALM 141
DESCRIPTIVE TITLE
A Temptation to Conspiracy Shunned.
ANALYSIS
Stanza I., vers. 1-3, Prayer for Guarded Speech. Stanza II., vers. 4; 5,
Danger from Proffered Hospiltalities. Stanza III., vers. 6, 7, Guarded Ad-
missions. Stanza IV., vers. 8-10, Prayer for Personal Preservation.
(Lm.) Psalm-By David.
1 Jehovah I have called upon thee, oh haste thou unto me:
oh give ear to my voke when I call unto thee.
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