Seventh-day Adventist Bible CommentaryPsalms 140

Evil man. That the psalmist has in mind not only a single individual but a class of wicked and “violent” men, is evident from the plurals in v. 2.

Imagine mischiefs. The enemies seem to be continually plotting and planning some new form of evil.

Adders’ poison. The slanderous words of these wicked men (see James 3:8). Paul quotes from this verse to show the wickedness of the natural, unconverted man (Rom. 3:13).

My goings. Or, “my steps.” The wicked are continually trying to defeat the purposes of the righteous, attempting to make the steps of the unsuspecting to slip and to cause their victims to fall by the way.

Covered my head. Divine protection is a better shield than any earthly helmet of brass or iron (see Eph. 6:13, 17).

Further not. The psalmist appealed to the Lord to keep the evil schemes of the wicked from succeeding.

Their own lips. See v. 3. The poison of slander is such that the slanderer suffers from his own words. Any expression of doubt or evil reacts on the speaker as well as on the hearer (see SC 124).

Let burning coals. A common sport among these wicked plotters was to scatter firebrands among their enemies. The psalmist desires that these evil men should have a portion of what they have meted out to the innocent.

I know. The psalmist is sure that the Lord is on the side of the righteous, and that those who are suffering for His sake are not unnoticed by Him.

Presence. Compare Ps. 16:11; 51:11.