Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 140:6
I said unto the LORD, Thou [art] my God: hear the voice of my supplications, O LORD.
6. I said ] I have said, or, I say. Cp. Psa 16:1; Psa 31:14. In his distress he appeals to Jehovah, pleading the relation which entitles him to expect protection. Cp. Psa 63:1; Psa 143:10.
hear ] R.V., Give ear unto.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
6 8. Appeal to Jehovah, the Helper in time of need.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
I said unto the Lord, Thou art my God … – In all these dangers from open war, in all these perils from a crafty enemy lying in ambush, my only refuge was God; my hope was in him alone. From all these dangers, seen and unseen, I knew that he could defend me, and I confidently believed that he would.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Psa 140:6-7
I said unto the Lord, Thou art my God.
Davids five-stringed harp
(with verses 12, 13):–There are five things in my text to which I want especially to draw the attention of any who are in sore trouble, and particularly those who are in trouble from enemies who are seeking to ruin them.
I. Possession asserted (verse 6).
1. What was the possession? The Lord Himself. If God be your God, all things are yours, for all things are in God, and the God who has given Himself to us cannot deny us anything.
2. The claim. He exhibited his title-deeds.
3. Who was the attesting Witness? It is a very easy thing to say to the minister, The Lord is my God; but it may not be true. It is a very solemn thing to be able to say to Jehovah, Thou art my God. True believers have dialogues with their God; they are accustomed to speak with the Most High. I said unto Jehovah, Thou art my God.
4. The occasion. When he was in trouble. I said unto Jehovah, Thou art my God. Men said I was a castaway; but I said, Thou art my God. They said I was without a friend; but I said unto Jehovah, Thou art my God.
II. A petition presented. Hear the voice of my supplications.
1. His prayers were frequent. When you have double trouble, take care that you have double prayer.
2. His prayers were full of meaning. Voice.
3. His prayers were meant for God.
4. He could not rest unless he had the Lords attention.
III. Preservation experienced (verse 7).
1. God had been Davids Armour-bearer. Has it not been so with us in days past? Have we not had our heads covered when God held His shield above us? Have we not been guarded from all hurt by the providence and by the grace of the Most High?
2. God had guarded His most vital part.
3. God had been the strength of his salvation.
IV. Protection expected (verse 12).
1. He is the Judge of all the earth, and shall not He do right?
2. Moreover, God is a compassionate Friend; and when He sees any of His dear saints very poor and afflicted, do you not think that, when they cannot take care of themselves, He will take care of them?
V. Praise predicted (verse 13).
1. Praise is assured by gratitude.
2. By holy confidence.
3. By abiding in fellowship with Him. (C. H. Spurgeon.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
6. (Compare Psa 5:1-12;Psa 16:2).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
I said unto the Lord, thou [art] my God,…. He said this to the Lord himself; claimed his covenant interest in him, and expressed it in the strength of faith: and this he did when in the midst of trouble and distress; in danger of falling into the hands of evil and violent men; they imagined mischief against him; were bent on his ruin, and laid nets, snares, gins, and traps for him; when he applied to his God, who only could deliver him; and being his covenant God, he had reason to believe he would; see Ps 31:14;
hear the voice of my supplications, O Lord; the requests he put up in an humble manner for deliverance and salvation; and which he expressed vocally, and entreated they might be heard and answered; and nothing could tend more to strengthen his faith in this than that it was his own God and Father he prayed unto; see Ps 28:2; Thus Christ, in the days of his flesh, offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying; and in the midst of his troubles, and surrounded with enemies, declared his faith in God as his God, Heb 5:7.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Such is the conduct of his enemies; he, however, prays to his God and gets his weapons from beside Him. The day of equipment is the day of the crisis when the battle is fought in full array. The perfect states what will then take place on the part of God: He protects the head of His anointed against the deadly blow. Both Psa 140:8 and Psa 140:8 point to the helmet as being , Psa 60:9; cf. the expression “the helmet of salvation” in Isa 59:17. Beside , from the . . , there is also the reading , which Abulwald found in his Jerusalem codex (in Saragossa). The regular form would be , and the boldly irregular ma’awajje follows the example of , , and the like, in a manner that is without example elsewhere. for is also a hapaxlegomenon; according to Gesenius the principal form is , but surely ore correctly (like ), which in Aramaic signifies a bridle, and here a plan, device. The Hiph. (root , whence , Arab. nfq ) signifies educere in the sense of reportare , Pro 3:13; Pro 8:35; Pro 12:2; Pro 18:22, and of porrigere , Psa 144:13, Isa 58:10. A reaching forth of the plan is equivalent to the reaching forth of that which is projected. The choice of the words used in this Psalm coincides here, as already in , with Proverbs and Isaiah. The future expresses the consequence (cf. Psa 61:8) against which the poet wishes to guard.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
6. I said to Jehovah. In these words he shows that his prayers were not merely those of the lips, as hypocrites will make loud appeals to God for mere appearance sake, but that he prayed with earnestness, and from a hidden principle of faith. Till we have a persuasion of being saved through the grace of God there can be no sincere prayer. We have here an excellent illustration of the nature of faith, in the Psalmist’s turning himself away from man’s view, that he may address God apart, hypocrisy being excluded in this internal exercise of the heart. This is true prayer — not the mere idle lifting up of the voice, but the presentation of our petitions from an inward principle of faith. To beget in himself a persuasion of his obtaining his present requests from God, he recalls to his mind what deliverance’s God had already extended to him. He speaks of his having been to him as a shield in every time of danger. Some read the words in the future tense — “Thou wilt cover my head in the day of battle.” But it is evident David speaks of protection formerly experienced from the hand of God, and from this derives comfort to his faith. He comes forth, not as a raw and undisciplined recruit, but as a soldier well tried in previous engagements. The strength of salvation is equivalent to salvation displayed with no ordinary power.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
6. Thou art my God His refuge is alone in God. No human sagacity could elude the malignant cunning and vigilance of his enemies. The quality and policy of his enemies, as here given, cause humanity to recoil with indignation and horror.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
This is a blessed appeal to the Lord! Where shall an exercised soul go in his affliction, but to a throne of grace? And how sure shall be the Lord’s condemnation of the ungodly, when the cry of the sufferer ascends before the throne!
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Psa 140:6 I said unto the LORD, Thou [art] my God: hear the voice of my supplications, O LORD.
Ver. 6. I said unto the Lord ] Danger drove David home to God; as bugbears do little children to their parents.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Psa 140:6-8
6I said to the Lord, You are my God;
Give ear, O Lord, to the voice of my supplications.
7O God the Lord, the strength of my salvation,
You have covered my head in the day of battle.
8Do not grant, O Lord, the desires of the wicked;
Do not promote his evil device, that they not be exalted. Selah.
Psa 140:6-7 This is covenant language. The faithful follower calls on his faithful God for help and deliverance.
Notice the prayer requests.
1. rescue me, Psa 140:1 a
2. preserve me, Psa 140:1 b
3. keep me, Psa 140:4 a
4. preserve me, Psa 140:4 b
5. give ear, Psa 140:6 b
6. do not grant the desires of the wicked, Psa 140:8 a
7. do not promote their evil device, Psa 140:8 b
8. may the mischief of their lips cover them, Psa 140:9 b
9. may burning coals fall upon them, Psa 140:10 a
10. may they be cast into the fire, Psa 140:10 b
11. may they be cast into deep pits they cannot get out of, Psa 140:10 c
12. may the slander not be established, Psa 140:11 a
13. may evil hunt the violent man speedily, Psa 140:11 b
These are a combination of imperatives, imperfects used as imperatives, imperfects used as jussives, and jussives. This Psalm is a prayer for justice to be done to evil, violent, wicked, proud, lying people!
Psa 140:8 desires This term (BDB 16) is found only here in the OT. The psalmist prays that the desires of the wicked go unfulfilled. God gives the desires of the heart of faithful followers because He places them there. Our desires (and our words) clearly reveal our hearts!
device This term (BDB 273) is found only here in the OT.
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
GOD. Hebrew El App-4.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Psa 140:6-8
Psa 140:6-8
STROPHE III
“I said unto Jehovah, Thou art my God:
Give ear unto the voice of my supplications, O Jehovah.
O Jehovah the Lord, the strength of my salvation,
Thou hast covered my head in the day of battle.
Grant not, O Jehovah, the desires of the wicked;
Further not his evil device, lest they exalt themselves.
(Selah)”
The mention of “war” in Psa 140:2, and the mention of victory in the day of “battle” are clearly not the words of a man fleeing from King Saul. The speaker here is a king against whom a war is planned and who here thanks God for victory in a previous battle.
Here again the terminology and thought-patterns correspond exactly with other Davidic psalms. See Psa 16:2; Psa 28:4; and Psa 112:10.
“Further not his evil device” (Psa 140:8). “The Hebrew phrase from which this comes is, `Do not let issue successfully his evil device.
The RSV closes the strophe here, placing the “Selah” at the end of this clause. We are not able to judge if this is an improvement or not. It appears to us that the meaning is not greatly affected by the change.
E.M. Zerr:
Psa 140:6. See comments at Psa 86:12 for distinctive meanings of Lord and God, since both are used in this verse. A supplication is a very earnest form of prayer.
Psa 140:7. Again see above reference for God and Lord. Strength of salvation means the strength necessary for salvation is to come from God. Covered my head means that David was shielded from fatal results when forced to battle with his enemies.
Psa 140:8. An unselfish man like David would not begrudge anyone a righteous desire. The connection shows he was asking for the disappointment of the wicked man in his wicked devices. The motive, also, that David had was a righteous one. He feared the wicked man would be self-exalted if he were successful in his evil designs.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
I said unto: Psa 16:2, Psa 16:5, Psa 16:6, Psa 31:14, Psa 91:2, Psa 119:57, Psa 142:5, Lam 3:24, Zec 13:9
hear: Psa 27:7, Psa 27:8, Psa 28:1, Psa 28:2, Psa 55:1, Psa 55:2, Psa 64:1
Reciprocal: Psa 143:10 – for thou art
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Psa 140:6-8. Hear the voice of my supplication The more malice appears in our enemies against us, and the greater efforts they use to injure us, the more earnest ought we to be in prayer to God, after the example of David here, to take us under his protection. On him believers may depend for security, and may enjoy it and themselves with holy serenity. Those are safe whom God preserves. Thou hast covered my head in the day of battle With thy powerful protection, as with a helmet or shield. Grant not the desires of the wicked Suffer not him, who now seeks my destruction, to obtain his desire; further not his wicked device Let him not succeed in any of his mischievous designs against me. Lest they exalt themselves Lest he, and those associated with him, grow insolent, so as to dare to attempt all manner of violence against other innocent persons: or, lest they exalt themselves against thee, as if by their power and policy they had frustrated thy design and promise made to me.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
David repeated his call for God’s help (cf. Psa 140:1). He pictured God’s protection of him in military terms (Psa 140:7). Then he asked God not to permit his enemies’ evil intentions.