Bible/Psalms/140

Psalms 140:4

140:3 They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; adders' poison is under their lips. Selah.
Keep me, O LORD, from the hands of the wicked; preserve me from the violent man; who have purposed to overthrow my goings.

KJV

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Yahweh, keep me from the hands of the wicked. Preserve me from the violent men who have determined to trip my feet.

Keep me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked; preserve me from the violent man; who have purposed to overthrow my goings.

Keep me, O LORD, from the hands of the wicked; preserve me from the violent man; who have purposed to overthrow my goings.

140:5 The proud have hid a snare for me, and cords; they have spread a net by the wayside; they have set gins for me. Selah.

What does Psalms 140:4 mean?

Psalms 140:4 is a verse in the book of Psalms, in the Old Testament. In the original Hebrew, key words include שָׁמַר (shâmar), יְהֹוָה (Yᵉhôvâh), יָד (yâd).

Hebrew interlinear

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Keepשָׁמַרshâmar/shaw-mar'/H8104properly, to hedge about (as with thorns), i.e. guard; generally, to protect, attend to, etc.
me,
O
LORD,יְהֹוָהYᵉhôvâh/yeh-ho-vaw'/H3068Jehovah, Jewish national name of God
from
the
handsיָדyâd/yawd/H3027a hand (the open one (indicating power, means, direction, etc.),
of
the
wicked;רָשָׁעrâshâʻ/raw-shaw'/H7563morally wrong; concretely, an (actively) bad person
preserveנָצַרnâtsar/naw-tsar'/H5341to guard, in a good sense (to protect, maintain, obey, etc.) or a bad one (to conceal, etc.)
me
from
the
violentחָמָסchâmâç/khaw-mawce'/H2555violence; by implication, wrong; by meton. unjust gain
man;אִישׁʼîysh/eesh/H376a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation)
who
have
purposedחָשַׁבchâshab/khaw-shab'/H2803properly, to plait or interpenetrate, i.e. (literally) to weave or (generally) to fabricate; figuratively, to plot or contrive (usually in a malicious sense); hence (from the mental effort) to think, regard, value, compute
to
overthrowדָּחָהdâchâh/daw-khaw'/H1760to push down
my
goings.פַּעַםpaʻam/pah'-am/H6471a stroke, literally or figuratively (in various applications, as follow)

Topics

Malice

Verses like this

Other verses that share key original-language words with Psalms 140:4.

Exodus 23:1

Thou shalt not raise a false report: put not thine hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness. raise: or, receive

Genesis 2:15

And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. the man: or, Adam

Genesis 24:22

And it came to pass, as the camels had done drinking, that the man took a golden earring of half a shekel weight, and two bracelets for her hands of ten shekels weight of gold; earring: or, jewel for the forehead

Genesis 24:30

And it came to pass, when he saw the earring and bracelets upon his sister's hands, and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying, Thus spake the man unto me; that he came unto the man; and, behold, he stood by the camels at the well.

Genesis 3:22

And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:

Genesis 31:29

It is in the power of my hand to do you hurt: but the God of your father spake unto me yesternight, saying, Take thou heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.

Genesis 4:1

And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD. Cain: that is, Gotten, or, Acquired

Genesis 4:9

And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper?

Frequently asked questions

What does Psalms 140:4 say?

Psalms 140:4 (King James Version) reads: "Keep me, O LORD, from the hands of the wicked; preserve me from the violent man; who have purposed to overthrow my goings."

Is Psalms 140:4 in the Old or New Testament?

Psalms 140:4 is in the Old Testament of the Bible, in the book of Psalms.

Reflect

As you read Psalms 140:4, what is one truth here you can carry into today?

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