Psalms

Psalm 140:1–4

¹For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

Rescue me, O LORD, from evil men.

Protect me from men of violence,

²who devise evil in their hearts

and stir up war all day long.

³They sharpen their tongues like snakes;

the venom of vipers is on their lips.^a

Selah

⁴Guard me, O LORD,

from the hands of the wicked.

Keep me safe from men of violence

who scheme to make me stumble.

Footnotes

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
For the choirmaster	לַמְנַצֵּ֗חַ	lam·naṣ·ṣê·aḥ	Preposition-l, Article; Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine singular	H5329 be pre-eminent, enduring
A Psalm	מִזְמ֥וֹר	miz·mō·wr	Noun - masculine singular	H4210 melody
of David	לְדָוִֽד׃	lə·ḏā·wiḏ	Preposition-l; Noun - proper - masculine singular	H1732 David
Rescue me	חַלְּצֵ֣נִי	ḥal·lə·ṣê·nî	Verb - Piel - Imperative - masculine singular; first person common singular	H2502 draw off or out, withdraw
O LORD	יְ֭הוָה	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
from evil	רָ֑ע	rā‘	Adjective - masculine singular	H7451 bad, evil
men	מֵאָדָ֣ם	mê·’ā·ḏām	Preposition-m; Noun - masculine singular	H120 man, mankind
Protect me	תִּנְצְרֵֽנִי׃	tin·ṣə·rê·nî	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular; first person common singular	H5341 watch, guard, keep
from men	מֵאִ֖ישׁ	mê·’îš	Preposition-m; Noun - masculine singular construct	H376 man
of violence	חֲמָסִ֣ים	ḥă·mā·sîm	Noun - masculine plural	H2555 violence, wrong

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
who	אֲשֶׁ֤ר	’ă·šer	Pronoun - relative	H834 particle of relation
devise	חָשְׁב֣וּ	ḥā·šə·ḇū	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural	H2803 think, account
evil	רָע֣וֹת	rā·‘ō·wṯ	Noun - feminine plural	H7451 bad, evil
in their hearts	בְּלֵ֑ב	bə·lêḇ	Preposition-b; Noun - masculine singular	H3820 inner man, mind, will, heart
and stir up	יָג֥וּרוּ	yā·ḡū·rū	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural	H1481 sojourn
war	מִלְחָמֽוֹת׃	mil·ḥā·mō·wṯ	Noun - feminine plural	H4421 battle, war
all	כָּל־	kāl-	Noun - masculine singular construct	H3605 the whole, all
day long	י֝֗וֹם	yō·wm	Noun - masculine singular	H3117 day

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
They sharpen	שָֽׁנֲנ֣וּ	šā·nă·nū	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural	H8150 whet, sharpen
their tongues	לְשׁוֹנָם֮	lə·šō·w·nām	Noun - common singular construct; third person masculine plural	H3956 tongue
like	כְּֽמוֹ־	kə·mōw-	Preposition	H3644 like, as, when
snakes	נָ֫חָ֥שׁ	nā·ḥāš	Noun - masculine singular	H5175 serpent
the venom	חֲמַ֥ת	ḥă·maṯ	Noun - feminine singular construct	H2534 heat, rage
of vipers	עַכְשׁ֑וּב	‘aḵ·šūḇ	Noun - masculine singular	H5919 asp, viper
is on	תַּ֖חַת	ta·ḥaṯ	Preposition	H8478 the under part
their lips	שְׂפָתֵ֣ימוֹ	śə·p̄ā·ṯê·mōw	Noun - feminine dual construct; third person masculine plural	H8193 lip, speech, edge
Selah	סֶֽלָה׃	se·lāh	Interjection	H5542 lift up

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Guard me	שָׁמְרֵ֤נִי	šā·mə·rê·nî	Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular; first person common singular	H8104 keep, watch, preserve
O LORD	יְהוָ֨ה׀	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
from the hands	מִ֘ידֵ֤י	mî·ḏê	Preposition-m; Noun - feminine dual construct	H3027 hand
of the wicked	רָשָׁ֗ע	rā·šā‘	Adjective - masculine singular	H7563 wicked, criminal
Keep me safe	תִּנְצְרֵ֑נִי	tin·ṣə·rê·nî	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular; first person common singular	H5341 watch, guard, keep
from men	מֵאִ֣ישׁ	mê·’îš	Preposition-m; Noun - masculine singular construct	H376 man
of violence	חֲמָסִ֣ים	ḥă·mā·sîm	Noun - masculine plural	H2555 violence, wrong
who	אֲשֶׁ֥ר	’ă·šer	Pronoun - relative	H834 particle of relation
scheme	חָ֝שְׁב֗וּ	ḥā·šə·ḇū	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural	H2803 think, account
to make me stumble	לִדְח֥וֹת	liḏ·ḥō·wṯ	Preposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct	H1760 push, thrust