Psalm 140 Mar. 19 For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David.  1Deliver me, Yahweh, from the evil man. Preserve me from the violent man 2and those who devise mischief in their hearts. They continually gather themselves together for war, 3they have sharpened their tongues like a serpent. Viper’s poison is under their lips. Selah. 4Yahweh, keep me from the hands of the wicked. Preserve me from the violent men who have determined to trip my feet. 5The proud have hidden a snare for me, they have spread the cords of a net by the path, they have set traps for me. Selah. 6I said to Yahweh, You are my God. Listen to the cry of my petitions, Yahweh. 7Yahweh, the Lord, the strength of my salvation, You have covered my head in the day of battle. 8Yahweh, don’t grant the desires of the wicked. Don’t let their evil plans succeed, or they will become proud. Selah. 9As for the heads of those who surround me, let the mischief of their own lips cover them. 10Let burning coals fall upon them! Let them be cast into fire, into miry pits, no more to rise. 11An evil tongue won’t be established in the land; evil will hunt the violent man to overthrow him. 12I know that Yahweh will maintain the cause of the afflicted, and justice for the needy. 13Surely the righteous will give thanks to Your name. The upright will dwell in Your presence.   

Commentary

140:11 An evil tongue- The reference is not to the small piece of flesh within our mouths, but to an evil speaking person, paralleled with “the violent man”. But the tongue is put for the person because our words really are a reflection of who we are, in that our words ultimately reflect our hearts (Lk. 6:45) despite our best efforts to insist there’s a distance between our real self and our words. Ultimately there isn’t, for all our occasional posturing and hypocrisy. How we really think comes out in our words in the end, and so we are our tongue.