Psalms Chapter 140 |
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Psalms 140
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Psalm 140
TO THE CHIEF MUSICIAN. A PSALM OF DAVID.
S.R. Hirsch translates the L-Menastaech as TO HIM WHO GRANTS VICTORY.
Most translations render it as TO THE CHIEF MUSICIAN. Both versions are possible. The same word in Hebrew has the two meanings.
The Almighty has aspects of both. HE gives victory and the strength to overcome to they who call on HIM. HE also conducts the world like a musical conductor guiding his ensemble, each one in his own time according to what has gone before, what will come after, and what will be playing together alongside each other.
The Psalms can give us strength and insights as to where we fit in and what we can do to enhance our performance before God and man.
[Psalms 140:1] DELIVER ME, O LORD, FROM THE EVIL MAN: PRESERVE ME FROM THE VIOLENT MAN;
We should keep away from evil people and not link up with them or associate ourselves with wrongdoers. We need to also avoid them and seek Divine Guidance as to how not become their victims.
Sometimes even people who are supposed to be on our side such as educators, ministers, accountants, doctors, bureaucrats, etc can give us wrong advice and seem to be deliberately against us. We need Divine Guidance constantly.
On the international scene we should not tolerate terrorists or regimes that prey on others.
VIOLENT MAN. In Hebrew "ish chomasim" from the root "CH-M-S" and in Hebrew and Arabic pronounced just like the name HAMAS whose organization now rules in the region of Gaza.
[Psalms 140:2] WHICH IMAGINE MISCHIEFS IN THEIR HEART; CONTINUALLY ARE THEY GATHERED TOGETHER FOR WAR.
MISCHIEFS. Hebrew "ra-ot" i.e. evil things.
This is what the Arab terror organizations do.
They are supported by most of the non-Israelite nations in the world today and even some of the "Israelite" nations are in effect very lukewarm in their opposition to them.
[Psalms 140:3] THEY HAVE SHARPENED THEIR TONGUES LIKE A SERPENT; ADDERS' POISON IS UNDER THEIR LIPS. SELAH.
They say evil things. They spread lies about the Jews and the State of Israel. They also besmirch the USA and the West in general. They say horrible ridiculously false things. We tend to dismiss them. After all how much can a normal person be expected to relate seriously to the dribbling rantings of fools, imbeciles, and murderers?
Nevertheless all this poison does have an effect and can harm us.
We ask the Almighty for protection.
[Psalms 140:4] KEEP ME, O LORD, FROM THE HANDS OF THE WICKED; PRESERVE ME FROM THE VIOLENT MAN; WHO HAVE PURPOSED TO OVERTHROW MY GOINGS.
David asks God to preserve him from evil people and from violent beings who are planning to unbalance him. David represents all God-fearing beseechers of the Almighty. We are on a path forward trying to be better, to draw closer to the Almighty, to understand HIS ways and to do as well as we can. The actions of evil people are against us even if they do not consciously intend it that way. More often than not however that is exactly what they do intend. They are against us because they resent others trying to live better cleaner lives than they do.
[Psalms 140:5] THE PROUD HAVE HID A SNARE FOR ME, AND CORDS; THEY HAVE SPREAD A NET BY THE WAYSIDE; THEY HAVE SET GINS [i.e. TRAPS] FOR ME. SELAH.
This is true. It is true both in the symbolic sense and literally. Evil people try and lead us to evil by assuming that we are like them and will be drawn towards the same things they want. This is true in the sense that we are all human and share similar weaknesses. Very often good people are inadvertently trapped. You might feel the need for some diversion, to relax, break the tension of everyday demands so you turn on a TV program or put on a DVD movie. You may looking for nothing more than a romantic story consistent with family values or a vicarious action scenario in which a righteous hero overcomes the forces of darkness. There is nothing necessarily wrong in this of itself. It may even be considered praiseworthy and sometimes it may well be what you need. The problem is that nowadays such programs also contain openly or insidiously immoral messages that have been inserted in order to trap and mislead you.
Another example is conspiracy theories. You may be merely looking to understand contemporary affairs a little better and searching for some inside information. A conspiracy screed might give you knowledge that otherwise you would not know of, begin to explain things to you in a way that makes sense and accords with what you had already begun to suspect. Before you know it you are liable to be trapped in a web of deceit and self-delusion that is not to your benefit.
In the literal sense evil people really do set traps for the righteous. They lay in wait to rob, rape or otherwise victimize them. In Israel and other places they plant bombs to blow us up.
[Psalms 140:6] I SAID UNTO THE LORD, THOU ART MY GOD: HEAR THE VOICE OF MY SUPPLICATIONS, O LORD.
The Almighty is our God. HE is what we have. Even if we are unworthy we have the right to request HIM to help us especially since he forbids us to do otherwise.
[Psalms 140:7] O GOD THE LORD, THE STRENGTH OF MY SALVATION, THOU HAST COVERED MY HEAD IN THE DAY OF BATTLE.
In open warfare the head is the most vulnerable part of the body. The Almighty protects us and saves us. HE is our savior.
[Psalms 140:8] GRANT NOT, O LORD, THE DESIRES OF THE WICKED: FURTHER NOT HIS WICKED DEVICE; LEST THEY EXALT THEMSELVES. SELAH.
Even if we for some reason deserve punishment and the wicked have some kind of merit that may allow them to momentarily succeed we ask God not to let them do so.
LEST THEY EXALT THEMSELVES. In Hebrew "YaRooMoo" from the root "RMH" or "RIM" meaning exalt but also sounding similar to Rome. The Sages (Megilla 6) said that did indeed refer to Rome and the 300 principalities of Germany that existed in their time. They said these pertained to Edom and if they ever united would destroy the world. This is what nealry happened. Germany united in 1866-1870. In 1914-18 we had the First World War, then we had the 2nd World War and the Holocaust. Over the horizon we now see the emergence of a United Europe reaching out to absorb the forces of Islam in one great EurAbia that is liable to swallow us all up.
[Another source however (Braeshit Raba 75) says that the offspring of Germania and Barbaria prevent Esau from fulfilling his wicked plans and that the Edomites (i.e. Romans) are in fear of them. The people of Germania at that time were not necessarily the same as the Germans of today. Joseph in one source is also referred as appearing like a Germani. At all events the offspring of Joseph are destined to defeat Edom.
See:
Joseph Defeats Esau
http://www.britam.org/Proof/Joseph/joEdom.html ] .
Korea, Japan, and China are also hankering to harm and possibly enslave the USA. If they ever unite they may make such an attempt.
We are not saying that all of them want this. Most people merely want to live a normal live and get by as well as they can. In the aggregate however nations and international entities take on a life of their own. Those that pertain to non-Israelites strive to harm us.
What can we do?
There is no guaranteed formula.
If the Almighty is with us HE will guide us and our leaders how to act and react. We should do what we can, live in a God-fearing manner as much as we can and do what we can in a positive direction.
