Psalms 140:11 · Clearspring

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Other translations

WEBBE

An evil speaker won’t be established in the earth. Evil will hunt the violent man to overthrow him.

BSB

May no slanderer be established in the land; may calamity hunt down the man of violence.

KJV

Let not an evil speaker be established in the earth: evil shall hunt the violent man to overthrow him.

ASV

An evil speaker shall not be established in the earth: Evil shall hunt the violent man to overthrow him.

BBE

Let not a man of evil tongue be safe on earth: let destruction overtake the violent man with blow on blow.

Original Hebrew

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אִישׁ 'ish a person of H376 לָשׁוֹן la·shon tongue H3956 בַּל־ bal- not H1077 יִכּוֹן yi·kon let him be established H3559 בָּאָרֶץ ba·'a·retz in the land H776 אִישׁ־ 'ish- a person of H376 חָמָס cha·mas violence H2555 רָע ra' trouble H7451 יְצוּדֶנּוּ ye·tzu·de·nu let it hunt him H6679 לְמַדְחֵפֹת le·mad·che·fot for blows H4073

The early church

"A man full of words shall not be guided upon earth" [Psalm 140:11]. "A man full of words" loves lies. For what pleasure has he, save in speaking? He cares not what he speaks, so long as he speaks. It cannot be that he will be guided. What then ought the servant of God to do, who is kindled with these "coals," and himself made a coal of salvation, what should he do? He should wish rather to hear than to speak; as it is written, "Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak." [James 1:19] And if it may be so, let him desire this, not to be obliged to speak and talk and teach....I can quickly tell you wherein each one may prove himself, not by never speaking, but by requiring a case where it is his duty to speak; let him be glad to be silent, in will, let him speak to teach, when he must. For when must thou needs speak and teach? When you meet with one ignorant, when you meet with one unlearned. If it delight you always to teach, you wish always to have some ignorant one to teach...."Evil shall hunt the unrighteous man to destruction." Evils come, and he stands not; therefore said he, "they shall hunt him to destruction." For many good men, many righteous men evils have befallen, evils have, as it were, found them. Therefore when the evil pursued the good, that is, our martyrs, when they seized them, they "hunted" them, but not "to destruction." For the flesh was pressed down, the spirit was crowned; the spirit was cast out from the body, yet was nought done to the flesh which might hinder it for the future. Let the flesh be burned, scourged, mangled; is it therefore withdrawn from its Creator, because it is given into the hands of its persecutor? Will not He who created it from nothing, remake it better than it was?

Augustine of Hippo · d. 430Expositions on the Psalms

Commentary

Matthew Henry · Verses 8–13

Believers may pray that God would not grant the desires of the wicked, nor further their evil devices. False accusers will bring mischief upon themselves, even the burning coals of Divine vengeance. And surely the righteous shall dwell in God's presence, and give him thanks for evermore. This is true thanksgiving, even thanks-living: this use we should make of all our deliverances, we should serve God the more closely and cheerfully. Those who, though evil spoken of and ill-used by men, are righteous in the sight of God, being justified by the righteousness of Christ, which is imputed to them, and received by faith, as the effect of which, they live soberly and righteously; these give thanks to the Lord, for the righteousness whereby they are made righteous, and for every blessing of grace, and mercy of life.

Read Matthew Henry on Psalm 140 →

Spurgeon · Verse 11

Let not an evil speaker be established in the earth. For that would be an established plague, a perpetual curse. Men of false and cruel tongues are of most use when they go to fatten the soil in which they rot as carcases: while they are alive they are the terror of the good, and the torment of the poor. God will not allow the specious orators of falsehood to retain the power they temporarily obtain by their deceitful speaking. They may become prominent, but they cannot become permanent. They shall be disendowed and disestablished in spite of all that they can say to the contrary. All evil bears the element of decay within itself; for what is it but corruption? Hence the utmost powers of oratory are insufficient to settle upon a sure foundation the cause which bears a lie within it. Evil shall hunt the violent man to overthrow him. He hunted the good, and now his own evil shall hunt him. He tried to overthrow the goings of the righteous, and now his own unrighteousness shall prove his overthrow. As he was violent, so shall he be violently assaulted and hunted down. Sin is its own punishment; a violent man will need no direr doom than to reap what he has sown. It is horrible for a huntsman to be devoured by Iris own hounds; yet this is the sure fate of the persecutor.

Read Spurgeon on Psalm 140 →

Cross-references

10

Topics

Speaking