John Calvin Commentary Psalms 140:8

"Grant not, O Jehovah, the desires of the wicked; Further not his evil device, [lest] they exalt themselves. Selah" — Psalms 140:8 (ASV)

Grant not, O Jehovah! the desires of the wicked. We might render these words as Establish not, though the meaning would be the same—that God would restrain the desires of the wicked and frustrate all their aims and attempts. We see from this that it is in His power, whenever He sees fit, to frustrate the unprincipled designs of men, their wicked expectations, and to dash their schemes.

When, therefore, it is found impracticable to bring our enemies to a right state of mind, we are to pray that the devices which they have imagined may be immediately overthrown and thwarted. In the next clause, there is more ambiguity. As the Hebrew verb פוק, puk, means to lead out, as well as to strike or fall, the words might mean that God would not carry into effect the counsels of the wicked.

But the opinion of those may be correct who read—their thought is Thou wilt not strike, David representing such hopes as the wicked are accustomed to entertain. We find him elsewhere (Psalms 10:6) describing their pride in a similar way, in entirely overlooking divine providence, and considering all events as subject to their control, and the world placed under their sole management.

The word which follows would thus fit appropriately—they shall be lifted up, in allusion to the wicked being inflated by pride through the idea that they can never be overtaken by adversity. If the other reading is preferred, the negative particle must be considered as repeated—“Do not allow their attempts to be put into effect; let them not be exalted.” At any rate, David is to be considered as censuring the security of his enemies, in taking no account of God and in surrendering themselves to unbridled license.