John Gill Commentary Psalms 140

Deliver me, O Lord, from the evil man
Either Saul; so Theodoret; or rather Doeg, according to R. Obadiah: but Jarchi interprets it of Esau; by whom he means Edom, or Rome, or rather the Christians in general. Were his sense confined to the Papists, he might be thought to be much in the right; for this is applicable enough to the man of sin, and his followers: for it may be understood collectively of a body of evil men; all men are evil by nature, their hearts, thoughts, words, works, and ways.

David's enemies were evil men; and so were Christ's; as Herod, Judas in particular, and the Jews in general.

And such are the enemies of God's people; the world, profane sinners, persecutors, and false teachers; and to be delivered from such is desirable, and to be prayed for, and an happiness when enjoyed; see (2 Thessalonians 3:2).

preserve me from the violent man :
or, "the man of violences" ^F8 ; of a violent spirit, that breathes out slaughter and death; of a fierce countenance, of blustering words, and furious actions.

Such a man was Doeg; who loved evil, and all devouring words, devised mischief, and boasted in it, (Psalms 52:1–4).

And Herod, who in his wrath, being disappointed, ordered sit the infants in and about Bethlehem to be slain.

And the Jews, who were violently set on the death of Christ, and vehemently desired it: and such are all violent persecutors of the church of God, who clothe themselves with the garment of violence, and drink the wine of it; and to be preserved from such is a great mercy.

FOOTNOTES:

• F8: (Myomx vyam) "a viro violentiarum", Piscator, Gejerus, Michaelis.

Which imagine mischiefs in [their] heart
This shows that not a single person barely is meant but more, as Saul's courtiers; who were secretly and continually meditating mischief against David, traducing him to Saul, and devising things to take away his life. Such were the Jews to Christ, who were always plotting to entangle him, or contriving to kill him; and so wicked men are ever devising mischief against the quiet in the land, which is very abominable to God; and rightly observed here, to prevail upon the Lord to preserve from them, (Psalms 2:1) (Proverbs 6:18) ;

continually are they gathered together [for] war ;
so Saul gathered together three thousand men, and went in pursuit of David, as an enemy, to take him. So Herod and Pontius Pilate joined together, though before enemies, in the prosecution of Christ; and Jews and Gentiles gathered together against him: so the saints, being in a warfare state, have their enemies, who often combine against them, and attack them, and will not suffer them to be at rest and peace; as sin, Satan, the world, and false teachers; see (Psalms 120:7) .

They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent
Which Kimchi says it does before it bites. Aristotle ^F9 observes, that the tip or extreme point of a serpent's tongue is as small as a hair, and so exceeding sharp and piercing. Arama interprets this of the sharpness and cunning of the serpent; and particularly the serpent that deceived Eve, and spoke cunningly to her. "For God knoweth" and may design the calumnies and detractions, which were sharp as a razor; as swords, and spears, and arrows, and as the tongue of a serpent, (Psalms 57:4) (64:3) ; and the subtlety of false teachers, and deceitful workers; and the sharp and cutting words of wicked men against Christ and his people, (Jude 1:15) ;

adder's poison is under their lips ;
which may signify the malignity of sin in wicked men, which comes from the old serpent the devil; is latent in men; very infectious, like poison, and deadly and incurable, but by the grace of God, and blood of Christ: and may describe particularly the mischief of the tongue, which is a little member, as the asp is a little creature; but very mischievous, full of deadly poison, which lurks in it, lies under it, and which spitting out, it stupifies and kills insensibly; as do the calumnies of wicked men, and the doctrines of false teachers; see (Romans 3:13) .

The Targum is,

FOOTNOTES:

• F9: Hist. Animal. l. 2. c. 17.
• F11: Philosoph. Transact. abridged, vol. 2. p. 800. & vol. 5. par. 1. p. 24.

Keep me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked
From falling into their hands, and the weight of them; and from their laying hands on him, being men of power and authority;

preserve me from the violent man :
or men, everyone of them; (See Gill on Psalms 140:1);

who have purposed to overthrow my goings :
to supplant him; to cause him to stumble and fall, to his disgrace and reproach; and that they might take an advantage of him, and an occasion against him. Arama interprets it, to drive me out of the land of Israel; see (1 Samuel 26:1 1 Samuel 26:9) . So Christ's enemies thought to have supplanted him, and have found something against him, to accuse him of to Caesar, (Matthew 22:15–22) .

The proud have hid a snare for me, and cords
These were the Ziphites, according to Arama; see (Psalms 119:85) ; the character well agrees with the Scribes and Pharisees, who were proud boasters, and despised others, and often laid snares for Christ to take away his life; and with the enemies of the church and people of God; who, through their pride, persecute them, and are insidious, and use artful methods to ensnare them; as the fowler lays his snare for the bird, and has his cords to draw it to him when it is taken in the snare, to which the allusion is;

they have spread a net by the wayside :
they waylaid him; knowing the way he would go, they lay in wait for him, to seize him at once as he went along; see (John 18:1John 18:2) ; the word "cords" in the preceding clause should be connected with this, and be read, "and with cords they have spread a net by the wayside": it being usual, as Jarchi observes, to fasten a long cord at the top of the net; and when the fowler sees the birds under the net, he draws the cord, and the net falls upon the fowls;

they have set gins for me ;
all these expressions design the insidiousness, and the private, secret, artful methods, the enemies of David, of Christ and his people, took and do take to ensnare them. Arama interprets the "snare and cords" of the watching of David's house; the "net by the wayside" of posting themselves at the gates of the city, and surrounding it; and gins of spies; see (1 Samuel 19:11–24) .

Selah; on this word, (See Gill on Psalms 3:2).