They sharpen their tongues like snakes; the venom of vipers is on their lips. Selah
Parallel translations
- WEB They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent. Viper’s poison is under their lips. Selah.
- KJV They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; adders’ poison is under their lips. Selah.
- NKJV They sharpen their tongues like a serpent; The poison of asps is under their lips. Selah
- NASB They sharpen their tongues like a snake; The venom of a viper is under their lips. Selah
- NLT Their tongues sting like a snake; the venom of a viper drips from their lips. Interlude
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
His enemies sharpen their tongues like a serpent, with viper's poison under their lips. It pictures the deadly destructiveness of slanderous speech.
Overview
David likens malicious words to serpent's venom, capturing how speech can wound and destroy. Paul later cites this verse to describe humanity's universal sinfulness (Romans 3:13). The serpent imagery recalls Eden, reminding us that deceptive words are an ancient weapon of the enemy, defeated finally by Christ (Genesis 3:15).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 16
- Ps 58:4Their venom is like the venom of a snake, like a cobra that shuts its ears,
- Rom 3:13–14“Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.” “The venom of vipers is on their lips.”
- 2 Cor 11:3I am afraid, however, that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may be led astray from your simple and pure devotion to Christ.
- Prov 23:32In the end it bites like a snake and stings like a viper.
- Jas 3:6–8The tongue also is a fire, a world of wickedness among the parts of the body. It pollutes the whole person, sets the course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.
- Isa 59:3–5For your hands are stained with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, and your tongue mutters injustice.
- Matt 12:34You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks.
- Jer 9:3“They bend their tongues like bows; lies prevail over truth in the land. For they proceed from evil to evil, and they do not take Me into account,” declares the LORD.
- Jer 9:5Each one betrays his friend; no one tells the truth. They have taught their tongues to lie; they wear themselves out committing iniquity.
- Ps 57:4My soul is among the lions; I lie down with ravenous beasts—with men whose teeth are spears and arrows, whose tongues are sharp swords.
- Ps 64:3–4who sharpen their tongues like swords and aim their bitter words like arrows,
- Isa 59:13rebelling and denying the LORD, turning away from our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering lies from the heart.
- Ps 52:2–3Your tongue devises destruction like a sharpened razor, O worker of deceit.
- Gen 3:13Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” “The serpent deceived me,” she replied, “and I ate.”
- Prov 12:18Speaking rashly is like a piercing sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
- Ps 59:7See what they spew from their mouths—sharp words from their lips: “For who can hear us?”
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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 140:3 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
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