Psalm 140:9

Translations

Modern

May the heads of those who surround me be covered in the trouble their lips have caused.

Traditional

As for the head of those that compass me about, let the mischief of their own lips cover them.

Literal

…the poison of those surrounding me, the trouble of their lips, let it cover them!

Latin

Caput circuitus eorum: labor labiorum ipsorum operiet eos.

Original

Hebrew

English

May the heads of those who surround me be covered in the trouble their lips have caused.

Notes

Psalms 140:9–11

The psalmist prays for God’s judgment on the wicked.

Psalms 140:1–13

In this personal lament, the psalmist describes God's enemies and their evil plans. He prays for the Lord's protection and rescue, trusting in God's strength and justice. He predicts that fire will judge the evil (Psalm 140:9–11) and that he will be proven right and live in the Lord's presence (140:13).

Psalms 138:1–145:21

In this final group of psalms of David, psalms of praise and wisdom (Psalms 138–139, 145) form a frame around five psalms of lament (Psalms 140–144).

Theme notes and profiles

David

Related verses

Psalm 7:16
His trouble recoils on himself, and his violence falls on his own head.
Proverbs 18:7
A fool’s mouth is his ruin, and his lips are a snare to his soul.
Psalm 94:23
He will bring upon them their own iniquity and destroy them for their wickedness. The LORD our God will destroy them.
Proverbs 12:13
An evil man is trapped by his rebellious speech, but a righteous man escapes from trouble.
Proverbs 10:11
The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.
Esther 7:10
So they hanged Haman on the gallows he had prepared for Mordecai. Then the fury of the king subsided.
Psalm 64:8
They will be made to stumble, their own tongues turned against them. All who see will shake their heads.
Proverbs 10:6
Blessings are on the head of the righteous, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.
Matthew 27:25
All the people answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!”
Esther 5:14
His wife Zeresh and all his friends told him, “Have them build a gallows fifty cubits high, and ask the king in the morning to have Mordecai hanged on it. Then go to the banquet with the king and enjoy yourself.” The advice pleased Haman, and he had the gallows constructed.

Glossary

Head Imprecatory Psalms Music Persecution Psalms, Book of

Topics

Afflictions and Adversities: Prayer In Prayer: Imprecatory

Psalm 140:9

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