A PRAYER FOR PROTECTION.
Psalm 140:1-9.
This is a Psalm of David, no doubt from the time when he was pursued by his enemies in the wilderness. The Psalm switches between singular foes: pointing perhaps particularly to king Saul and his three thousand men at arms; and Doeg and the Ziphites, who betrayed David to Saul. In this, David is very much a type of Christ, who was harassed by many foes, and betrayed by Judas Iscariot, and was ‘delivered into the hands of evil men’ (cf. Luke 24:7).
PSALM 140:1a. “Deliver me, O LORD, from the evil man.” This is reminiscent of the Lord’s Prayer (cf. Matthew 6:13). But also of 2 Thessalonians 3:1-2, in which Paul asks for prayer ‘that the word of the Lord may have free course,’ and ‘that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not faith.’
PSALM 140:1b. “Save me from the man of violences.” Evil soon descends into violence, and one cannot help but be reminded of the way that the Passover crowd in Jerusalem descended into a hostile baying for the blood of Jesus. This is what their leaders had wanted all along; yet it is of the Lord’s mercy that such an evil deed was the very means by which our salvation has been procured!
PSALM 140:2. (cf. Psalm 120:7). Saul wanted to do David mischief, and gathered three thousand men to chase him down like a common criminal. The Pharisees and Sadducees sought together to entrap Jesus in His words. Herod and Pilate made a pact against Jesus.
PSALM 140:3. When the Apostle Paul quotes this verse in Romans 3:13, he uses it to demonstrate that the whole world stands guilty before God. The words of wicked men against Christ and His people will yet be called to account (cf. Jude 1:14-15). But what a wicked thing the tongue is (cf. James 3:6-8)!
PSALM 140:4. “Keep me from the hands of the wicked” is a slight intensifying of Psalm 140:1a. David himself testified that it is better to ‘fall into the hand of the LORD’ than to ‘fall into the hand of man’ (cf. 1 Chronicles 21:13; Hebrews 10:31). “Preserve me from the violent man” is a repeat of Psalm 140:1b; to which the Psalmist adds, “who have purposed to overthrow my goings” (cf. 1 Samuel 26:1). In the same way the Pharisees sought to overthrow Jesus, looking to entangle Him in His talk (cf. Matthew 22:15).
PSALM 140:5. It is the purpose of “the proud” to ensnare the righteous by one means or another (cf. Psalm 119:85). The subtlety of the enemies of Jesus is seen in the many and various ways in which they set about to do Him harm (cf. Luke 11:53-54; Luke 20:20).
PSALM 140:6. The basis of David’s prayer is both relationship and experience. The Psalmist trusted the LORD as his covenant God (cf. Psalm 31:14), and prayed that his “supplications” would be heard (cf. Psalm 28:2). Jesus, likewise, ‘offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears’ (cf. Hebrews 5:7).
PSALM 140:7. The Psalmist appeals to the Sovereign LORD who is also “the strength of my salvation.” He is both mighty God and mighty Saviour. The LORD had “covered (David’s) head in the day of battle” when he had fought with Goliath with no armour at all, but only the protection of his God. Since Jesus has wrought salvation for us (cf. Isaiah 59:16), we must also don ‘the helmet of salvation’ (cf. Ephesians 6:17); ‘for an helmet, the hope of salvation’ (cf. 1 Thessalonians 5:8); the ‘sure’ hope of our salvation (cf. Hebrews 6:19).
PSALM 140:8. “The wicked” may agree as one man in their “wicked devices," but the Psalmist recognises that even these characters are under the providence of God. Allow it not, LORD, “lest they exalt themselves.”
PSALM 140:9. The LORD had covered the head of His servant in the day of battle (cf. Psalm 140:7). “As for the head of those that compass me about, let the mischief of their own lips cover them” (cf. Psalm 140:3).
It is worth noting as we close, that the imprecations expressed in this Psalm are not in any way vindictive, but rather God-honouring. David is the author here: a man who twice had his nemesis Saul at his mercy, but refused to do him any harm. ‘Vengeance is mine,’ says the LORD, ‘I will repay’ (cf. Romans 12:19). Even Jesus ‘answered not a word’ before Pilate (cf. Matthew 27:14).
