For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. Rescue me, O LORD, from evil men. Protect me from men of violence,
Parallel translations
- WEB For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David. Deliver me, Yahweh, from the evil man. Preserve me from the violent man;
- KJV Deliver me, O LORD, from the evil man: preserve me from the violent man;
- NKJV Deliver me, O Lord, from evil men; Preserve me from violent men,
- NASB Rescue me, Lord, from evil people; Protect me from violent men
- NLT O Lord, rescue me from evil people. Protect me from those who are violent,
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
David prays for deliverance from evil and violent men. It opens a psalm of trust amid hostile, dangerous opposition.
Overview
This Davidic psalm cries out for rescue from those who plot harm, setting the tone for a prayer that moves from danger to confident hope in God. David models taking persecution directly to the Lord rather than retaliating. The righteous Sufferer Jesus likewise entrusted Himself to the One who judges justly (1 Peter 2:23).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- Ps 18:48who delivers me from my enemies. You exalt me above my foes; You rescue me from violent men.
- Ps 71:4Deliver me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of the unjust and ruthless.
- Ps 140:4Guard me, O LORD, from the hands of the wicked. Keep me safe from men of violence who scheme to make me stumble.
- Hab 1:2–3How long, O LORD, must I call for help but You do not hear, or cry out to You, “Violence!” but You do not save?
- Ps 140:11May no slanderer be established in the land; may calamity hunt down the man of violence.
- Ps 17:13Arise, O LORD, confront them! Bring them to their knees; deliver me from the wicked by Your sword,
- Ps 43:1Vindicate me, O God, and plead my case against an ungodly nation; deliver me from deceitful and unjust men.
- Ps 59:1–3For the choirmaster. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” A Miktam of David, when Saul sent men to watch David’s house in order to kill him. Deliver me from my enemies, O my God; protect me from those who rise against me.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
The Psalms are Christ's own prayer book and a gallery of his portraits — the suffering one of Psalm 22, the risen Lord of Psalm 16, the priest-king of Psalm 110, the Son to whom the nations are given.
How Psalms 140:1 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.