Psalm 140:9 kjv
As for the head of those that compass me about, let the mischief of their own lips cover them.
Psalm 140:9 nkjv
"As for the head of those who surround me, Let the evil of their lips cover them;
Psalm 140:9 niv
Those who surround me proudly rear their heads; may the mischief of their lips engulf them.
Psalm 140:9 esv
As for the head of those who surround me, let the mischief of their lips overwhelm them!
Psalm 140:9 nlt
Let my enemies be destroyed
by the very evil they have planned for me.
Psalm 140 9 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ps 5:10 | "Hold them guilty, O God; let them fall by their own counsels..." | Plea for enemies' plans to fail |
| Ps 7:16 | "His mischief shall return upon his own head, and his violent dealing shall fall upon his own crown." | Retribution for evil schemes |
| Ps 9:15 | "The nations have sunk in the pit that they made..." | Wicked trapped by their own devices |
| Ps 10:2 | "In arrogance the wicked hotly pursue the poor; let them be caught in the schemes that they have devised." | Wicked ensnared by their own plots |
| Ps 35:8 | "Let destruction come upon him unaware... and let him fall into that very destruction." | Unexpected ruin for the plotter |
| Ps 55:9 | "Destroy, O Lord, divide their tongue..." | Disrupting the wicked's unity/speech |
| Ps 58:6 | "Break their teeth in their mouth, O God..." | Violent imagery of God's judgment |
| Ps 64:8 | "So they will make their own tongue stumble them..." | Wicked defeated by their own words |
| Ps 109:17 | "He loved to curse; let curses come upon him..." | Consequences for a life of cursing |
| Prov 1:18 | "But these men lie in wait for their own blood; they set an ambush for their own lives." | Self-destructive nature of evil |
| Prov 26:27 | "Whoever digs a pit will fall into it, and a stone will come back on him who starts it rolling." | Principle of sowing and reaping |
| Est 7:10 | "So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai." | Poetic justice example: Haman's end |
| Isa 54:17 | "No weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed, and you shall refute every tongue that rises against you in judgment." | God's protection against malicious words |
| Jer 11:20 | "But, O LORD of hosts, who judges righteously... let me see your vengeance upon them..." | Appealing to God's righteous judgment |
| Ez 35:6 | "As I live, declares the Lord GOD, I will prepare you for blood, and blood shall pursue you..." | Retributive justice on aggressors |
| Obad 1:15 | "As you have done, it shall be done to you; your deeds shall return on your own head." | The law of retribution clearly stated |
| Mat 7:2 | "For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you." | Principle of judgment and reciprocity |
| Gal 6:7 | "Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap." | Universal spiritual law of consequence |
| 2 Tim 4:14 | "Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds." | Acknowledging God as the Avenger |
| Rev 16:6 | "For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and You have given them blood to drink..." | Divine justice against the persecutors |
| Rev 18:6 | "Pay her back as she herself has paid, and render to her double for her deeds..." | Lex Talionis in eschatological judgment |
| Jude 1:16 | "These are grumblers, malcontents, following their own sinful desires; they utter loud boasts, flattering people to gain advantage." | Describes the wicked who use their lips |
Psalm 140 verses
Psalm 140 9 Meaning
Psalm 140:9 is a fervent prayer from David, pleading with God to execute justice upon his adversaries. The verse specifically requests that the malicious schemes and deceitful words of his enemies, which they employ to ensnare and harm him, would recoil upon them. It is an appeal for divine retribution, where the very trouble and harm plotted by the wicked would become their own downfall and judgment, utterly consuming and overwhelming them.
Psalm 140 9 Context
Psalm 140 is a "Lament" psalm by David, characteristic of his prayers when facing intense opposition. Throughout the chapter, David details the nature of his enemies: violent men (verse 1), those who devise evil plans (verse 2), whose tongues are like venomous snakes (verse 3), and who lay traps for him (verse 5). The psalmist appeals to God for deliverance, recognizing Him as his strength and refuge (verse 7).
Historically, David's life was frequently marked by flight from enemies, whether it be King Saul's relentless pursuit, the rebellion of his son Absalom, or foreign adversaries. This specific prayer arises from a deeply felt need for God's intervention against verbal abuse, deceitful counsel, and potentially life-threatening conspiracies. It underscores a central biblical theme: God is a righteous judge who defends the innocent and brings the deeds of the wicked back upon their own heads. The cultural context views oaths, curses, and malicious speech not as mere words, but as powerful forces intended to cause harm, hence the desire for these to become instruments of self-destruction for the aggressor. This prayer stands in polemic against the notion that those who wield malicious words or engage in deceit will prosper; it asserts God's ultimate justice.
Psalm 140 9 Word analysis
- As for the head:
- Original Hebrew: רֹאשׁ (ro'sh)
- Meaning: Head, chief, leader, sum, top.
- Significance: Can refer to the leadership or the collective entirety of the hostile parties. It signifies the very source or beginning of their malicious endeavors. It suggests that the judgment would begin from their prime instigators or completely envelop them.
- of those who encompass me about:
- Original Hebrew: סֹבְבַי (sovevay)
- Meaning: My surrounders, my circumnavigators, those who enclose me.
- Significance: Depicts enemies who have surrounded David, implying a sense of being cornered, besieged, or encircled by a conspiracy. It speaks to a concerted, coordinated effort to harm him, rather than isolated acts.
- let the mischief:
- Original Hebrew: עֲמָל (amal)
- Meaning: Toil, trouble, misery, distress, iniquity, wickedness, evil.
- Significance: Not merely minor annoyance, but severe trouble or calamitous harm. It refers to the product of wickedness—the plans, deeds, and especially the harmful intent that spring from their evil nature.
- of their own lips:
- Original Hebrew: שִׂפְתֵימוֹ (sif'teymo)
- Meaning: Their lips, their speech, their language.
- Significance: Emphasizes that the source of their evil lies in their verbal expressions—curses, false accusations, slander, deceitful counsel, plotting, and incitement to violence. The power of words is central; what they utter is what should recoil upon them.
- cover them:
- Original Hebrew: יְכַסֵּמוֹ (yekassemow)
- Meaning: Let it cover them, overwhelm them, conceal them, hide them.
- Significance: A powerful image implying complete engulfment. It suggests that their own malicious words and the resulting "mischief" would utterly submerge, overwhelm, or bury them, leading to their downfall and ruin. It means their own evil becomes their judgment.
Psalm 140 9 Bonus section
This verse, found within the category of imprecatory psalms, reflects a deeply theological understanding of God's character as just and holy. It expresses a desire for cosmic justice to prevail, a trust that God will not allow wickedness to go unchecked indefinitely. These prayers are not sanctioned invitations for personal vendetta, but fervent appeals to God's character to execute righteous judgment on earth, especially against those who defy His moral law and persecute the innocent. Such prayers acknowledge that true justice ultimately belongs to the Lord, and it is His right and power to avenge. This appeal for the wicked's "mischief" to "cover them" also speaks to a fulfillment where the deceptive, unrighteous actions are brought to light and become the very reason for condemnation, preventing the wicked from hiding or escaping the consequences of their deeds.
Psalm 140 9 Commentary
Psalm 140:9 stands as a profound declaration of trust in divine justice amidst persecution. David's prayer is not merely a call for personal revenge but an appeal to the sovereign God, the righteous Judge, to enforce His moral order. The verse succinctly captures the biblical principle of divine retribution, often expressed as sowing and reaping, where the wicked's own instruments of malice become the means of their undoing. The specific focus on the "mischief of their own lips" highlights the potency of speech in both blessing and cursing in ancient thought, asserting that malicious words, intended to harm, will ultimately revert to those who utter them. This demonstrates that God holds all accountable, and the very words and intentions of the wicked, by divine decree, will become the source of their own downfall, underscoring God's ultimate control over all human machinations. It serves as a stark reminder that attempts to usurp God's authority through human deceit will inevitably fail, bringing ruin upon the schemers.