Charles Ellicott Commentary Psalms 140:3

"They have sharpened their tongue like a serpent; Adders` poison is under their lips. Selah" — Psalms 140:3 (ASV)

Compare to Psalms 64:3; Psalms 58:4; Psalms 52:2; Psalms 10:7.

Adders.—The Hebrew word is specific to this place and is explained by Gesenius to be a compound of two words, to represent “that which rolls itself up and lies in ambush.”

“Besides the cobra and the cerastes, several other species of venomous snakes are common in Syria, and we may apply the name, either generically or specifically, to the vipers. Two species, Vipera ammodytes and Vipera euphratica, we found to be very common. The former of these was known to Linnæus as inhabiting Palestine. They are plainly colored serpents, with broad flat heads and suddenly-contracting tails” (Tristram, Nat. Hist. of the Bible, p. 275).

The Septuagint and Vulgate read “asp.” .