Psalms 140:4

Translation
King James Version
Keep me, O LORD, from the hands of the wicked; preserve me from the violent man; who have purposed to overthrow my goings.
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KJV (with Strong's)
Keep H8104 me, O LORD H3068, from the hands H3027 of the wicked H7563; preserve H5341 me from the violent H2555 man H376; who have purposed H2803 to overthrow H1760 my goings H6471.
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Complete Jewish Bible
Keep me, ADONAI, from the hands of the wicked, protect me from violent people who are trying to trip me up.
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Berean Standard Bible
Guard me, O LORD, from the hands of the wicked. Keep me safe from men of violence who scheme to make me stumble.
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American Standard Version
Keep me, O Jehovah, from the hands of the wicked; Preserve me from the violent man: Who have purposed to thrust aside my steps.
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World English Bible Messianic
LORD, keep me from the hands of the wicked. Preserve me from the violent men who have determined to trip my feet.
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Geneva Bible (1599)
Keepe mee, O Lord, from the handes of the wicked: preserue mee from the cruell man, which purposeth to cause my steppes to slide.
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Young's Literal Translation
Preserve me, Jehovah, from the hands of the wicked, From one of violence Thou keepest me, Who have devised to overthrow my steps.
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See also
Psalms 36:11Psalms 71:4Psalms 17:5Psalms 37:32Psalms 37:40Psalms 55:1Psalms 55:3
In the KJVVerse 16,268 of 31,102

Study This Verse

SUMMARY

Psalms 140:4 is a fervent and urgent prayer from the psalmist, likely David, to the LORD, seeking divine protection from the calculated malice and aggressive actions of his adversaries. He implores God to shield him from those characterized by moral corruption and physical violence, individuals whose deliberate and insidious intention is to disrupt, destabilize, or utterly destroy his life's path, purpose, and righteous walk. This verse encapsulates a profound cry for deliverance, underscoring the psalmist's deep vulnerability and his complete, unwavering reliance on God's sovereign and preserving power in the face of calculated evil.

CONTEXT

  • Literary Context: Psalm 140 is a classic individual lament, a genre prominently featured throughout the Psalter, where the psalmist expresses deep distress and appeals for divine intervention against enemies. It is situated within a collection of Davidic psalms (often grouped as Psalms 138-145) that consistently articulate themes of trust in God amidst suffering, pleas for deliverance, and anticipation of divine judgment. The psalm follows a typical lament structure: an initial cry to God in Psalms 140:1, a detailed description of the enemies' threats (both verbal and physical) in Psalms 140:2-3, a passionate plea for deliverance and judgment, and an eventual expression of confidence in God's righteous vindication. Verse 4 intensifies the psalmist's petition by moving beyond a general request for protection to a precise articulation of the adversaries' destructive intent, thereby escalating the urgency of the plea and setting the stage for the subsequent calls for God's decisive action against them.
  • Historical & Cultural Context: Traditionally attributed to David, this psalm reflects the relentless opposition he faced throughout his life, from King Saul's jealous pursuits to the rebellion orchestrated by his son, Absalom. The "wicked" (Hebrew: râshâʻ) and the "violent man" (Hebrew: ish châmâç) likely refer to specific individuals or factions who actively sought David's downfall through political conspiracy, military aggression, or slanderous accusations. In the ancient Near East, a king's "goings" (his path, his reign, his destiny, his very life's trajectory) were often perceived as divinely sanctioned. Therefore, any attempt to "overthrow" them was not merely an act of rebellion against the monarch but a direct affront to the divine order and God's chosen leader. The "hands of the wicked" symbolize their active power, control, and capacity to inflict harm, while the "violent man" points to an individual characterized by unjust, aggressive, and oppressive force, a common feature of political intrigue and warfare in that era.
  • Key Themes: Psalms 140:4 powerfully contributes to several overarching themes within the psalm and the broader biblical narrative. Firstly, it profoundly underscores the theme of Divine Protection and Preservation, portraying God as the ultimate refuge and active guardian against human malice. David's urgent plea to "Keep me" and "preserve me" highlights a deep-seated trust in God's sovereign ability to shield His anointed from harm, a theme richly echoed in other psalms of trust, such as Psalms 91. Secondly, the verse vividly illuminates the Malicious and Calculated Intent of the Wicked, emphasizing that their actions are not random or impulsive but "purposed" and strategically designed to "overthrow" David's life and divine purpose. This reveals the spiritual dimension of conflict, where adversaries seek to destabilize one's very walk with God, a concept profoundly explored in the broader biblical portrayal of spiritual warfare, particularly in Ephesians 6:12. Lastly, it powerfully conveys the theme of Vulnerability and Absolute Dependence on God. By crying out to the LORD, David acknowledges his own human limitations and his complete reliance on God's power and intervention, rather than on his own strength or strategic acumen, a posture of humility and faith frequently found in the prayers of God's servants throughout Scripture, as exemplified by Nehemiah's prayer for success in Nehemiah 1:11.

EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

Key Word Analysis

  • Hands (Hebrew, yâd', H3027): This primitive word refers to the open hand, indicating power, means, direction, or control. In the phrase "hands of the wicked," it signifies their active power, authority, or capacity to inflict harm and exert malicious influence. It denotes not merely their physical hands, but their entire sphere of operation and destructive capability.
  • Violent (Hebrew, châmâç', H2555): This term denotes violence, wrong, cruelty, or unjust gain. It describes the inherent character of the "man" (ʼîysh, H376) as one who is defined by aggressive, oppressive, and lawless behavior. This is not casual aggression but a deep-seated inclination towards inflicting harm and perpetrating injustice.
  • Purposed (Hebrew, châshab', H2803): This primitive root means to plot or contrive, often specifically in a malicious sense. It implies significant mental effort, to think, devise, or imagine. The wicked do not act impulsively but with calculated intent, carefully planning their destructive actions against the psalmist's "goings."
  • Overthrow (Hebrew, dâchâh', H1760): This primitive root means to push down, drive away, or cause to totter. It suggests an active, forceful, and deliberate attempt to destabilize someone, cause them to fall from their position, or to be driven off their intended path.
  • Goings (Hebrew, paʻam', H6471): This word refers to a stroke, foot, footstep, or going. In this context, "my goings" refers to the psalmist's path in life, his journey, his conduct, his progress, or his divinely appointed destiny. The enemies' aim is to disrupt his progress, cause him to stumble, or completely derail his life's course and purpose.

Verse Breakdown

  • "Keep me, O LORD, from the hands of the wicked;": This is a direct, urgent, and personal petition to Yahweh (H3068, Yᵉhôvâh), the self-existent and eternal God. The psalmist implores divine intervention to be guarded (H8104, shâmar, meaning to hedge about, protect, or preserve) from the sphere of influence, active power, and destructive capability (yâd, H3027) of those who are morally corrupt, actively ungodly, and oppose God's righteousness (râshâʻ, H7563). It is a profound cry for spiritual, physical, and existential preservation from external threats.
  • "preserve me from the violent man;": This clause serves as a powerful parallel to the first, intensifying the psalmist's plea. "Preserve" (H5341, nâtsar, meaning to guard, protect, or watch over) reinforces the absolute necessity of divine safekeeping. The "violent man" (ʼîysh châmâç, H376, H2555) specifies the distinct nature of the adversary: an individual characterized by cruel, unjust, oppressive, and aggressive force. The psalmist seeks protection not only from the collective power of the wicked but also from the specific, targeted aggression of a single, malevolent individual.
  • "who have purposed to overthrow my goings.": This final clause profoundly reveals the depth of the enemies' malice and their calculated, insidious intent. They have "purposed" (H2803, châshab, meaning to plot, contrive, or devise with deliberate thought) with strategic precision to "overthrow" (H1760, dâchâh, meaning to push down, drive away, or cause to stumble) the psalmist's "goings" (H6471, paʻam, referring to his path, steps, way of life, or destiny). This is not merely an act of opposition but a strategic, comprehensive attempt to destabilize his entire existence, ruin his divinely appointed destiny, or cause him to fall from his righteous walk or God-given purpose.

Literary Devices

Psalms 140:4 skillfully employs several potent literary devices to convey the psalmist's distress and the insidious nature of his enemies. Parallelism is prominently featured in the synonymous phrasing of the first two clauses: "Keep me, O LORD, from the hands of the wicked; preserve me from the violent man." This structural repetition serves to emphasize the urgency and the multifaceted nature of the threat, reinforcing the psalmist's desperate need for divine intervention. Metonymy is powerfully present in the phrase "the hands of the wicked," where "hands" stand as a symbolic representation for the active power, control, authority, and destructive capability of the wicked. This device vividly portrays the tangible and active threat posed by the adversaries. Furthermore, the expression "overthrow my goings" utilizes Synecdoche, where "goings" (referring to steps, a path, or a journey) serves to represent the psalmist's entire life, his conduct, his progress, and even his divinely appointed destiny. This highlights the comprehensive and devastating aim of the enemies' malicious plot. The verse also implicitly uses Personification by attributing deliberate "purpose" and "goings" to the abstract concept of a life's path, making the threat feel more tangible, personal, and insidious.

THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS

Psalms 140:4 profoundly articulates the believer's absolute reliance on God amidst the pervasive reality of human evil and calculated opposition. It affirms that God is not merely a distant observer but an active, sovereign protector who intimately intervenes in the affairs of His people. The psalmist's urgent plea acknowledges the widespread nature of wickedness and violence in the world, recognizing that evil often operates with deliberate, calculated intent to disrupt God's purposes and derail the lives of His faithful. This verse thus serves as a powerful and enduring reminder that while human adversaries may plot and scheme with malicious intent, their ultimate success is entirely subject to the sovereign will and preserving power of the LORD. It invites believers to cast their anxieties and burdens upon God, trusting implicitly that He is able to guard their path, secure their steps, and ensure their ultimate preservation, even when surrounded by those who relentlessly seek their downfall.

REFLECTION AND APPLICATION

Psalms 140:4 offers timeless insight and deeply practical guidance for believers navigating a world often fraught with hostility, opposition, and calculated malice. In moments when we feel targeted, slandered, actively undermined, or strategically opposed by others, this verse calls us to emulate David's immediate and fervent response: to turn unreservedly to the LORD. It encourages us to articulate our fears, vulnerabilities, and the specific nature of the threats we face before God, trusting in His unique and unparalleled ability to "keep" and "preserve" us. Understanding that the "wicked" often "purpose to overthrow our goings" helps us discern the profound spiritual nature of many attacks—they aim not merely to inflict superficial harm, but to derail our faith, disrupt our callings, and cause us to stumble from God's intended path for our lives. This perspective fosters spiritual vigilance and deepens our absolute reliance on God's protective hand, reminding us that our true security is not found in our own strength, cunning, or strategic acumen, but in His unwavering faithfulness and sovereign power. It empowers us to continue walking steadfastly in faith, knowing that even amidst the most malicious plots, our steps are ultimately secured by the One who holds all things, including our very lives and destinies, firmly in His hands.

Questions for Reflection

  • What specific "hands of the wicked" or the influence of a "violent man" might you be facing in your life today, whether directly or indirectly, spiritually or physically?
  • How does understanding that adversaries "purpose to overthrow your goings" change your perspective on current challenges, opposition, or setbacks you might be experiencing?
  • In what practical and tangible ways can you actively "keep" and "preserve" yourself by relying more fully on the LORD's divine protection and guidance this week?
  • How does David's immediate and earnest turning to God in prayer inspire your own response when faced with distress, injustice, or malicious intent from others?

FAQ

What does it mean for the wicked to "overthrow my goings"?

Answer: To "overthrow my goings" (Hebrew: lehadof paʻamay) means that the wicked have a deliberate, calculated, and malicious intent to cause the psalmist to stumble, fall, or be completely derailed from his path in life. "Goings" refers to one's steps, journey, moral conduct, or divinely appointed destiny. This isn't just about physical harm; it's about disrupting one's purpose, undermining one's moral standing, or causing deviation from a righteous and God-ordained course. It implies a strategic effort to cause failure, ruin, or a complete disruption of one's life's trajectory, echoing the broader biblical concept of God directing and securing our steps, as found in Proverbs 16:9.

Who are the "wicked" and "violent man" in a contemporary context?

Answer: While the original context referred to specific human adversaries of David, in a contemporary sense, the "wicked" (râshâʻ) can represent anyone or any system that is morally corrupt, ungodly, and actively opposes righteousness or seeks to harm others. The "violent man" (ish châmâç) refers to individuals characterized by aggression, injustice, oppression, or abusive behavior. This can manifest in various forms today, from those who spread malicious gossip, slander, or false accusations, to those who engage in unjust legal battles, to systems that perpetuate systemic injustice and oppression, or even spiritual forces that seek to undermine a believer's faith, calling, and purpose, as vividly described in Ephesians 6:12.

CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT

Psalms 140:4 finds its ultimate and most profound fulfillment in the person and redemptive work of Jesus Christ. He is the preeminent "righteous one" against whom the wicked and violent men of His generation "purposed to overthrow [His] goings." From Herod's murderous attempt on His life as an infant (Matthew 2:16) to the relentless plots of the religious leaders who sought to trap Him in His words (Mark 12:13), and ultimately, the Roman authorities who orchestrated His crucifixion, Jesus faced the full, concentrated force of human wickedness and violence. Yet, the Father "kept" and "preserved" Him, not by preventing His suffering, but by ensuring His ultimate triumph over it. The crucifixion, intended by wicked men to "overthrow" His mission and silence His message, became the very means of salvation, demonstrating God's sovereign ability to turn evil intentions for His glorious good, as articulated in Acts 2:23. Through His glorious resurrection, Christ's "goings"—His path to victory over sin, death, and the grave—were not overthrown but eternally vindicated and glorified. Now, as our ascended Lord, Jesus continues to "keep" and "preserve" His people from the schemes of the evil one and the malice of wicked men. He actively intercedes for us at the right hand of the Father (Romans 8:34), and His indwelling Spirit empowers us to walk in His righteous path, ensuring that our "goings" are secured in Him, leading us ultimately to eternal life and an inheritance that can never perish (John 10:28; 1 Peter 1:4). The final and complete overthrow of all wickedness and violence will occur at His glorious second coming, when every enemy will be decisively put under His feet (1 Corinthians 15:25), thereby fulfilling the psalmist's deepest longing for ultimate and perfect deliverance.

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Commentary on Psalms 140 verses 1–7

In this, as in other things, David was a type of Christ, that he suffered before he reigned, was humbled before he was exalted, and that as there were many who loved and valued him, and sought to do him honour, so there were many who hated and envied him, and sought to do him mischief, as appears by these verses, where,

I. He gives a character of his enemies, and paints them out in their own colours, as dangerous men, whom he had reason to be afraid of, but wicked men, whom he had no reason to think the righteous God would countenance. There was one that seems to have been the ring-leader of them, whom he calls the evil man and the man of violences (Psa 140:1, Psa 140:4), probably he means Saul. The Chaldee paraphrast (Psa 140:9) names both Doeg and Ahithophel; but between them there was a great distance of time. Violent men are evil men. But there were many besides this one who were confederate against David, who are here represented as the genuine offspring and seed of the serpent. For, 1. They are very subtle, crafty to do mischief; they have imagined it (Psa 140:2), have laid the scheme with all the art and cunning imaginable. They have purposed and plotted to overthrow the goings of a good man (Psa 140:4), to draw him into sin and trouble, to ruin him by blasting his reputation, crushing his interest, and taking away his life. For this purpose they have, like mighty hunters, hidden a snare, and spread a net, and set gins (Psa 140:5), that their designs against him, being kept undiscovered, might be the more likely to take effect, and he might fall into their hands ere he was aware. Great persecutors have often been great politicians, which has indeed made them the more formidable; but the Lord preserves the simple without all those arts. 2. They are very spiteful, as full of malice as Satan himself: They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent, that infuses his venom with his tongue; and there is so much malignity in all they say that one would think there was nothing under their lips but adders' poison, Psa 140:3. With their calumnies, and with their counsels, they aimed to destroy David, but secretly, as a man is stung with a serpent, or a snake in the grass. And they endeavoured likewise to infuse their malice into others, and to make them seven times more the children of hell than themselves. A malignant tongue makes men like the old serpent; and poison in the lips is a certain sign of poison in the heart. 3. They are confederate; they are many of them; but they are all gathered together against me for war, Psa 140:2. Those who can agree in nothing else can agree to persecute a good man. Herod and Pilate will unite in this, and in this they resemble Satan, who is not divided against himself, all the devils agreeing in Beelzebub. 4. They are proud (Psa 140:5), conceited of themselves and confident of their success; and herein also they resemble Satan, whose reigning ruining sin was pride. The pride of persecutors, though at present it be the terror, yet may be the encouragement, of the persecuted, for the more haughty they are the faster are they ripening for ruin. Pride goes before destruction.

II. He prays to God to keep him from them and from being swallowed up by them: "Lord, deliver me, preserve me, keep me (Psa 140:1, Psa 140:4); let them not prevail to take away my life, my reputation, my interest, my comfort, and to prevent my coming to the throne. Keep me from doing as they do, or as they would have me do, or as they promise themselves I shall do." Note, The more malice appears in our enemies against us the more earnest we should be in prayer to God to take us under his protection. In him believers may count upon a security, and may enjoy it and themselves with a holy serenity. Those are safe whom God preserves. If he be for us, who can be against us?

III. He triumphs in God, and thereby, in effect, he triumphs over his persecutors, Psa 140:6, Psa 140:7. When his enemies sharpened their tongues against him, did he sharpen his against them? No; adders' poison was under their lips, but grace was poured into his lips, witness what he here said unto the Lord, for to him he looked, to him he directed himself, when he saw himself in so much danger, through the malice of his enemies: and it is well for us that we have a God to go to. He comforted himself, 1. In his interest in God: "I said, Thou art my God; and, if my God, then my shield and mighty protector." In troublous dangerous times it is good to claim relation to God, and by faith to keep hold of him. 2. In his access to God. This comforted him, that he was not only taken into covenant with God, but into communion with him, that he had leave to speak to him, and might expect an answer of peace from him, and could say, with a humble confidence, Hear the voice of my supplications, O Lord! 3. In the assurance he had of help from God and happiness in him: "O God the Lord - Jehovah Adonai! as Jehovah thou art self-existent and self-sufficient, an infinitely perfect being; as Adonai thou art my stay and support, my ruler and governor, and therefore the strength of my salvation, my strong Saviour; nay, not only my Saviour, but my salvation itself, from whom, in whom, my salvation is; not only a strong Saviour, but the very strength of my salvation, on whom the stress of my hope is laid; all in all, to make me happy, and to preserve me to my happiness." 4. In the experience he had had formerly of God's care of him: Thou hast covered my head in the day of battle. As he pleaded with Saul, that, for the service of his country, he many a time jeoparded his life in the high places of the field, so he pleads with God that, in those services, he had wonderfully protected him, and provided him a better helmet for the securing of his head than Goliath's was: "Lord, thou hast kept me in the day of battle with the Philistines, suffer me not to fall by the treacherous intrigues of false-hearted Israelites." God is as able to preserve his people from secret fraud as from open force; and the experience we have had of his power and care, in dangers of one kind, may encourage us to trust in him and depend upon him in dangers of another nature; for nothing can shorten the Lord's right hand.

Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 1–7. Public domain.
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Augustine of HippoAD 430
Exposition on Psalm 140
"Preserve me, O Lord, from the hand of the sinner, from unrighteous men deliver me" [Psalm 140:4]. Here they wear their real colours, they are known; here we have no need to understand, but to act: we have need to pray, not to ask who they are. But how you should pray against such men, he explains in what follows. For many pray unskilfully against wicked men. "Who have imagined," says he, "to trip up my steps." Thus far it may be understood carnally. Every one has enemies, who seek to cheat him in trade, to rob him of money, where they are engaged together in business; every one has some neighbour his enemy, who devises how to bring mischief upon his family, to injure in some way his property and surely he devises this by deceit, by fraud, by devilish devices he endeavours to accomplish this: no one can doubt it. Yet not for these reasons are they to be guarded against, but lest they lay in wait for you and draw you to themselves, that is, separate you from the Body of Christ, and make you of their body. For as Christ is the Head of the good, so is the devil their head. What is, "to trip up my steps"? Not as though you should be deceived in the business you have with him, or he cheat you in a case which you have with him in the law courts. He has "tripped up your steps," if he have hindered you in the way of God; so that what you directed aright may stumble, or fall from the way, or fall in the way, or draw back from the way, or stop on the way, or go back to the place from whence it had come. Whatsoever has done this to you, has tripped you up, has deceived you. Against such snares as these pray thou, lest you lose your heavenly inheritance, lest you lose Christ your Joint-heir, for you are destined to live for ever with Him, who has made you an heir. For you are made an heir, not by one whom you are to succeed after his death, but One together with whom you are to live for ever.
Symeon the New TheologianAD 1022
Does He distinguish and separate anyone out, calling one to Himself as foreknown while sending the other away as not predestined? Never! Therefore, “you should not make excuses for your sins” (Psalm 140:4, LXX), nor should you want to make the Apostle’s words an occasion for your own destruction, but should run, all of you, to the Master Who calls you. For even if someone is a publican, or a fornicator, an adulterer, a murderer, or whatever else, the Master does not turn him away, but takes away the burden of his sins immediately and makes him free. And how does He take away the other’s burden? Just as He once took away that of the paralytic when He said to the latter: “My son, your sins are forgiven” [Matthew 9:2], and the man was immediately relieved of his burden and, in addition, received the cure of his body. - "Second Ethical Discourse"
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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