Psalm 140:8

Grant not, O LORD, the desires of the wicked: further not his wicked device; lest they exalt themselves. Selah.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(8) Desires.—The form of the Hebrew word is anomalous, but the meaning certain. The LXX. and Vulg. give the first clause thus: “Give me not over to the enemy, by reason of their own desire;” which may possibly have been in St. Paul’s mind in Romans 1:24.

Further not.—The text of this clause has undoubtedly suffered. The Authorised Version follows the LXX. and Vulg. in inserting a negative before the last word. These versions also take the word rendered “wicked devices” as a verb, not finding a noun of the form anywhere else: “They have plotted against me: desert me not, lest they exalt themselves.” So also Symmachus, and another Greek version quoted by Origen.

As the text at present stands, we must render: his plot do not further—they lift up. Looking on to the next verse, “the head of those surrounding me,” the suggestion at once arises that the verb lift up properly belongs to this clause:

“His plot do not further.

They lift the head, these surrounding me.”

This arrangement disregards the “selah.” and also obliges us to suspect that a clause has dropped cut after the first clause of Psalm 140:9—a suspicion confirmed by the rhythm.[20]

[20] Mr. Burgess amends to “Further not his plot to his exaltation.”

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

140:8-13 Believers may pray that God would not grant the desires of the wicked, nor further their evil devices. False accusers will bring mischief upon themselves, even the burning coals of Divine vengeance. And surely the righteous shall dwell in God's presence, and give him thanks for evermore. This is true thanksgiving, even thanks-living: this use we should make of all our deliverances, we should serve God the more closely and cheerfully. Those who, though evil spoken of and ill-used by men, are righteous in the sight of God, being justified by the righteousness of Christ, which is imputed to them, and received by faith, as the effect of which, they live soberly and righteously; these give thanks to the Lord, for the righteousness whereby they are made righteous, and for every blessing of grace, and mercy of life.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Grant not, O Lord, the desires of the wicked - That is, in the matter under consideration. Let them not accomplish their desire in my destruction. Let them not succeed in their designs against me. The prayer, however, "may" be used more generally. It is proper to pray that the desires of the wicked, as wicked people, may not be granted to them; that they may "not" be successful in their purposes. Success in such desires would be only an injury to themselves and to the world. It is proper to pray that the purposes of the wicked may be defeated, and that they may be led to abandon their designs and to seek better ends. For this, in fact, we always pray when we pray for their conversion.

Further not his wicked device - His purpose against me.

Lest they exalt themselves - Lest they attribute it to their own skill, wisdom, or valor, and lest they pride themselves on their success. To succeed in a righteous cause makes a man humble and grateful; in a bad cause, proud, and forgetful of God. The margin here is, "Let them not be exalted." The meaning is, that success would at the same time elate them in their own estimation, and increase their bad influence in the world. It is, on every account, a benevolent prayer that wicked people may "not" be successful in their plans of iniquity.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

8. (Compare Ps 37:12; 66:7).

lest they exalt themselves—or, they will be exalted if permitted to prosper.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

His wicked device; which is to destroy me.

Exalt themselves; not only against me, but against thee also, as if by their power and policy they had frustrated thy design and promise made to me.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Grant not, O Lord, the desires of the wicked,.... Of Doeg, as the Targum, and of other wicked men, who were desirous both of taking him, and of taking away his life: but the desires of such men are under the restraints of the Lord; nor can they fulfil them unless they have leave from him, which is here deprecated. The psalmist entreats he might not be delivered up to their will, or they have their will of him; see Psalm 27:12. Jarchi interprets it of Esau, as in Psalm 140:1; and it is applicable enough to antichrist and his wicked followers; who, could they have their desires, would root the Gospel, and the interest of Christ and his people, out of the world;

further not his wicked device: or, "let not his wicked device come forth" (l), or proceed to execution, or be brought to perfection; let him be disappointed in it, that he may not be able to perform his enterprise, or execute his designs; which cannot be done without the divine permission. The Rabbins, as Jarchi and others, render it, "let not his bridle come out" (m); the bridle out of his jaws, with which he was held by the Lord, and restrained from doing his will; let him not be left to his liberty, and freed from the restraints of divine Providence; see Isaiah 37:29;

lest they exalt themselves. Grow proud, haughty, and insolent to God and man; see Deuteronomy 32:27. Or, "let them not be exalted" (n); upon the ruin of me and my friends.

Selah; on this word; see Gill on Psalm 3:2.

(l) "ne facias prodire", Vatablus; "ne sinas exire", Cocceius, Michaelis. (m) "Vel frenum ejus ne sinas exire", Cocceius. (n) "ne exaltentur", Vatablus, Gejerus.

Geneva Study Bible

Grant not, O LORD, the desires of the wicked: {f} further not his wicked device; lest they exalt themselves. Selah.

(f) For it is in God's hand to overthrow the counsels and enterprises of the wicked.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

8. further not his evil device] Suffer it not to issue in success.

lest they exalt themselves] The construction is harsh, whether we render thus, or, ‘for then will they exalt themselves,’ and probably the word belongs to the next verse.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 8. - Grant not, O Lord, the desires of the wicked. The "desires of the wicked" are hurtful both to themselves and others. It is in his mercy that God does not grant them. Further not his wicked device; lest they exalt themselves. So the LXX., μήποτε ὑψωθῶσιν. Others translate, "Or how they will exalt themselves!" The third stanza here terminates. Psalm 140:8

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

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 סכּותה states what will then take place on the part of God: He protects the head of His anointed against the deadly blow. Both Psalm 140:8 and Psalm 140:8 point to the helmet as being מעוז ראשׁ, Psalm 60:9; cf. the expression "the helmet of salvation" in Isaiah 59:17. Beside מאויּי, from the ἅπ. λεγ. מאוה, there is also the reading מאויי, which Abulwald found in his Jerusalem codex (in Saragossa). The regular form would be מאוי, and the boldly irregular ma'awajjê follows the example of מחשׁכּי, מחמדּי, and the like, in a manner that is without example elsewhere. זממז for מזמּתו is also a hapaxlegomenon; according to Gesenius the principal form is זמם, but surely ore correctly זמם (like קרב), which in Aramaic signifies a bridle, and here a plan, device. The Hiph. חפיק (root פק, whence נפק, Arab. nfq) signifies educere in the sense of reportare, Proverbs 3:13; Proverbs 8:35; Proverbs 12:2; Proverbs 18:22, and of porrigere, Psalm 144:13, Isaiah 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 מעגּל, with Proverbs and Isaiah. The future ירוּמוּ expresses the consequence (cf. Psalm 61:8) against which the poet wishes to guard.