Psalm 140:9
New International Version
Those who surround me proudly rear their heads; may the mischief of their lips engulf them.

New Living Translation
Let my enemies be destroyed by the very evil they have planned for me.

English Standard Version
As for the head of those who surround me, let the mischief of their lips overwhelm them!

Berean Standard Bible
May the heads of those who surround me be covered in the trouble their lips have caused.

King James Bible
As for the head of those that compass me about, let the mischief of their own lips cover them.

New King James Version
As for the head of those who surround me, Let the evil of their lips cover them;

New American Standard Bible
“As for the head of those who surround me, May the harm of their lips cover them.

NASB 1995
“As for the head of those who surround me, May the mischief of their lips cover them.

NASB 1977
“As for the head of those who surround me, May the mischief of their lips cover them.

Legacy Standard Bible
“As for the head of those who surround me, May the trouble from their lips cover them.

Amplified Bible
“Those who surround me raise their heads; May the mischief of their own lips come upon them.

Christian Standard Bible
When those who surround me rise up, may the trouble their lips cause overwhelm them.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
When those who surround me rise up, may the trouble their lips cause overwhelm them.

American Standard Version
As for the head of those that compass me about, Let the mischief of their own lips cover them.

Contemporary English Version
They have me surrounded, but make them the victims of their own vicious lies.

English Revised Version
As for the head of those that compass me about, let the mischief of their own lips cover them.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Let the heads of those who surround me be covered with their own threats.

Good News Translation
Don't let my enemies be victorious; make their threats against me fall back on them.

International Standard Version
May those who surround me discover that the trouble they talk about falls on their own head!

Majority Standard Bible
May the heads of those who surround me be covered in the trouble their lips have caused.

NET Bible
As for the heads of those who surround me--may the harm done by their lips overwhelm them!

New Heart English Bible
As for the head of those who surround me, let the mischief of their own lips cover them.

Webster's Bible Translation
As for the head of those that encompass me, let the mischief of their own lips cover them.

World English Bible
As for the head of those who surround me, let the mischief of their own lips cover them.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
The chief of my surrounders, "" The perverseness of their lips covers them.

Young's Literal Translation
The chief of my surrounders, The perverseness of their lips covereth them.

Smith's Literal Translation
The head of those surrounding me, the labor of their lips shall cover them.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
The head of them compassing me about: the labour of their lips shall overwhelm them.

Catholic Public Domain Version
The head of those who encompass me, the labor of their lips, will overwhelm them.

New American Bible
Those who surround me raise their heads; may the mischief they threaten overwhelm them.

New Revised Standard Version
Those who surround me lift up their heads; let the mischief of their lips overwhelm them!
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Let the mischief of their own lips cover them.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
The evil of their lips will cover them.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
As for the head of those that compass me about, Let the mischief of their own lips cover them.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
As for the head of them that compass me, the mischief of their lips shall cover them.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Rescue Me, O LORD, From Evil Men
8Grant not, O LORD, the desires of the wicked; do not promote their evil plans, lest they be exalted. Selah 9May the heads of those who surround me be covered in the trouble their lips have caused. 10May burning coals fall on them; may they be thrown into the fire, into the miry pits, never to rise again.…

Cross References
Proverbs 26:27
He who digs a pit will fall into it, and he who rolls a stone will have it roll back on him.

Psalm 7:15-16
He has dug a hole and hollowed it out; he has fallen into a pit of his own making. / His trouble recoils on himself, and his violence falls on his own head.

Psalm 35:8
May ruin befall them by surprise; may the net they hid ensnare them; may they fall into the hazard they created.

Psalm 57:6
They spread a net for my feet; my soul was despondent. They dug a pit before me, but they themselves have fallen into it! Selah

Psalm 141:10
Let the wicked fall into their own nets, while I pass by in safety.

Proverbs 11:6
The righteousness of the upright delivers them, but the faithless are trapped by their own desires.

Proverbs 28:10
He who leads the upright along the path of evil will fall into his own pit, but the blameless will inherit what is good.

Esther 7:10
So they hanged Haman on the gallows he had prepared for Mordecai. Then the fury of the king subsided.

Daniel 6:24
At the command of the king, the men who had falsely accused Daniel were brought and thrown into the den of lions—they and their children and wives. And before they had reached the bottom of the den, the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.

Matthew 7:2
For with the same judgment you pronounce, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

Matthew 26:52
“Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him. “For all who draw the sword will die by the sword.

Galatians 6:7
Do not be deceived: God is not to be mocked. Whatever a man sows, he will reap in return.

Revelation 13:10
“If anyone is destined for captivity, into captivity he will go; if anyone is to die by the sword, by the sword he must be killed.” Here is a call for the perseverance and faith of the saints.

Romans 2:1
You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on another. For on whatever grounds you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.

Romans 12:19
Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but leave room for God’s wrath. For it is written: “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, says the Lord.”


Treasury of Scripture

As for the head of those that compass me about, let the mischief of their own lips cover them.

let the mischief

Psalm 7:16
His mischief shall return upon his own head, and his violent dealing shall come down upon his own pate.

Psalm 64:8
So they shall make their own tongue to fall upon themselves: all that see them shall flee away.

Psalm 94:23
And he shall bring upon them their own iniquity, and shall cut them off in their own wickedness; yea, the LORD our God shall cut them off.

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Caused Chief Compass Cover Covered Covereth Encompass Evil Head Heads Lips Mischief Overwhelm Perverseness Round Surround Surrounders Trouble
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Caused Chief Compass Cover Covered Covereth Encompass Evil Head Heads Lips Mischief Overwhelm Perverseness Round Surround Surrounders Trouble
Psalm 140
1. David prays to be delivered from Saul and Doeg
8. He prays against them
12. He comforts himself by confidence in God














May the heads of those who surround me
This phrase begins with a plea for divine justice against those who encircle the psalmist with malicious intent. The Hebrew word for "heads" (רֹאשׁ, rosh) often symbolizes leadership or authority. In this context, it suggests that the psalmist is asking for God's intervention against the leaders or instigators of the opposition. Historically, the imagery of being surrounded evokes a sense of siege or entrapment, common in ancient warfare, where enemies would encircle a city or individual to cut off escape and resources. The psalmist's cry is not just for personal relief but for a dismantling of the power structures that perpetuate evil.

be covered
The phrase "be covered" (יְכַסּוּ, yekhasu) implies a desire for the enemies' plans to be thwarted or concealed. In the Hebrew Bible, covering can denote protection or, conversely, shame and defeat. Here, it suggests a reversal of fortune, where those who sought to harm the psalmist are themselves overwhelmed. This reflects a common biblical theme where God turns the schemes of the wicked back upon them, ensuring that justice prevails.

with the trouble
The word "trouble" (עָמָל, amal) in Hebrew conveys a sense of toil, mischief, or hardship. It is often associated with the consequences of sin or the burdens of life. The psalmist's request is that the very mischief or hardship intended for him would instead befall his adversaries. This is a call for divine retribution, where the moral order is restored by God ensuring that evil deeds do not go unpunished.

their lips have caused
The phrase "their lips have caused" (שְׂפָתֵימוֹ, sefateimo) highlights the power of words to incite harm. In biblical literature, the tongue is frequently depicted as a potent force capable of both blessing and cursing. The psalmist identifies the source of his distress as the malicious words of his enemies, which have stirred up trouble. This underscores the biblical principle that words are not trivial; they carry weight and can lead to significant consequences. The psalmist's appeal is for God to hold these individuals accountable for the chaos their speech has wrought, aligning with the broader scriptural theme of divine justice against falsehood and slander.

(9) Head.--Ewald, who keeps to the text, takes rosh in the sense of poison (see Psalm 69:22, Note):--

"The poison of those encircling me,

Let them be covered with the perdition of their lips.

This brings Psalm 140:8-9 into harmony with Psalm 140:4. But the emendation given above is better.

Verse 9 - As for the head of those that compass me about. The "head" of David's enemies is put in contrast with his own "head" (see ver. 7). While God shields and protects his head, theirs has no protection, but the mischief of their own lips which covers them, but with confusion, rather than with defense or safety.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
May the heads
רֹ֥אשׁ (rōš)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 7218: The head

of those who surround me
מְסִבָּ֑י (mə·sib·bāy)
Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine plural construct | first person common singular
Strong's 4524: That which surrounds or is round

be covered
יְכַסֵּֽמוֹ׃‪‬ (yə·ḵas·sê·mōw)
Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine plural
Strong's 3680: To plump, fill up hollows, to cover

in the trouble
עֲמַ֖ל (‘ă·mal)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 5999: Toil, wearing effort, worry, wheth, of body, mind

their lips have caused.
שְׂפָתֵ֣ימוֹ (śə·p̄ā·ṯê·mōw)
Noun - fdc | third person masculine plural
Strong's 8193: The lip, language, a margin


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OT Poetry: Psalm 140:9 As for the head of those who (Psalm Ps Psa.)
Psalm 140:8
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