Chapter Overview
Summary
Psalm 140 (MT) / Psalm 139 (LXX) is a Davidic petition against violent-men, with v. 3 — 'they make their tongue sharp as a serpent's, and under their lips is the venom of asps' — cited at Romans 3:13 as the FOURTH component of Paul's universal-sinfulness catena (Rom 3:10–18).
Notable Variants
140:3 'poison of asps under their lips' → Romans 3:13 (Paul's catena component); the sharp-tongue-as-serpent imagery paralleling Ps 52:2, 58:4, 64:3; the violent-man (ish-chamasim) category as imprecatory-target.
Structural Notes
MT Ps 140 = LXX Ps 139. 13 verses (MT/LXX), 13 verses (English).
For the music director. A psalm of David.
Superscription tracks MT.
Rescue me, LORD, from the evil person; protect me from the violent one.
'Deliver me, O LORD, from evil men; preserve me from violent men' tracks MT.
They scheme evil in their hearts; all day long they stir up conflict.
'Who plan evil things in their heart and stir up wars continually' tracks MT.
They sharpen their tongues like a serpent; the venom of a viper is under their lips. Selah.
Masoretic (WLC)
שָׁנְנוּ לְשׁוֹנָם כְּמוֹ־נָחָשׁ חֲמַת עַכְשׁוּב תַּחַת שְׂפָתֵימוֹ סֶלָה
They make their tongue sharp as a serpent's, and under their lips is the venom of asps. Selah
Septuagint (LXX)
ἠκόνησαν γλῶσσαν αὐτῶν ὡσεὶ ὄφεως ἰὸς ἀσπίδων ὑπὸ τὰ χείλη αὐτῶν διάψαλμα
They have sharpened their tongue as a serpent's; the poison of asps is under their lips. Selah
ROMANS 3:13 CITATION. Paul cites the second-half of this verse verbatim at Rom 3:13: 'The venom of asps is under their lips (ios aspidōn hypo ta cheilē autōn).' The line is embedded in the catena-of-seven-psalm-and-prophet-texts (Rom 3:10–18) establishing universal-sinfulness: (a) Rom 3:10–12 // Ps 14:1–3; (b) Rom 3:13a // Ps 5:10 LXX; (c) Rom 3:13b // PS 140:4 LXX (THIS VERSE); (d) Rom 3:14 // Ps 10:7; (e) Rom 3:15–17 // Isa 59:7–8; (f) Rom 3:18 // Ps 36:2.
THE VENOM-UNDER-LIPS vocabulary (ios hypo ta cheilē) anchors the speech-corruption-as-snake-poison tradition. James 3:8 ('the tongue is a restless evil, full of deadly poison,' meston iou thanatēphorou) deploys the same vocabulary for the same-theology.
Guard me, LORD, from the hands of the wicked; protect me from the violent one who plans to trip my steps.
'Guard me, O LORD, from the hands of the wicked; preserve me from violent men, who have planned to trip up my feet' tracks MT.
The arrogant have hidden a trap for me and ropes; they have spread a net beside the path; they have set snares for me. Selah.
'The arrogant have hidden a trap for me, and with cords they have spread a net' tracks MT.
I say to the LORD, "You are my God." Hear, LORD, the voice of my pleas for mercy.
'I say to the LORD: You are my God; give ear to the voice of my pleas for mercy, O LORD!' tracks MT.
LORD God, the strength of my salvation, You have shielded my head on the day of battle.
'O LORD, my Lord, the strength of my salvation, you have covered my head in the day of battle' tracks MT.
Do not grant the desires of the wicked, LORD. Do not let their schemes succeed — they would rise in triumph. Selah.
'Grant not, O LORD, the desires of the wicked; do not further their evil plot, or they will be exalted!' tracks MT.
As for the heads of those who surround me — let the trouble their own lips cause cover them.
'As for the head of those who surround me, let the mischief of their lips overwhelm them!' tracks MT.
Let burning coals rain down on them; let them be thrown into fire, into flooding pits from which they cannot rise.
'Let burning coals fall upon them! Let them be cast into fire, into miry pits, no more to rise!' tracks MT. BURNING-COALS imagery. Romans 12:20 ('you will heap burning coals on his head,' citing Prov 25:22) reconfigures coals-on-head as kindness-overcomes-enemy.
Let the slanderer find no footing in the land. Let evil hunt the violent one, blow after blow.
'Let not the slanderer be established in the land; let evil hunt down the violent man speedily!' tracks MT.
I know that the LORD will take up the cause of the afflicted and the justice of the poor.
'I know that the LORD will maintain the cause of the afflicted, and will execute justice for the needy' tracks MT.
Surely the righteous will give thanks to Your name; the upright will dwell in Your presence.
'Surely the righteous shall give thanks to your name; the upright shall dwell in your presence' tracks MT. DWELL-IN-YOUR-PRESENCE — the close of the psalm. Revelation 21:3 ('the dwelling place of God is with man') extends.