The Meaning of Psalms 140:3 Explained

Psalms 140:3

KJV: They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; adders' poison is under their lips. Selah.

YLT: They sharpened their tongue as a serpent, Poison of an adder is under their lips. Selah.

Darby: They sharpen their tongues like a serpent; adders' poison is under their lips. Selah.

ASV: They have sharpened their tongue like a serpent; Adders poison is under their lips. Selah

KJV Reverse Interlinear

They have sharpened  their tongues  like a serpent;  adders'  poison  [is] under their lips.  Selah. 

What does Psalms 140:3 Mean?

Context Summary

Psalms 140:1-13 - Confidence In God's Protection
Here is a picture of a man who is beset by foes. Around are slander and hatred; at his feet stratagems and traps. There is no help save in Him who alone can cover the head in the day of battle. Similar experiences befall God's people still. Some are hunted by earthly enemies; others are stung by the fiery darts of the wicked. In Psalms 140:1-5 life is like a path through a forest, where adders hide and where gins are laid. At any moment the foe may break from his ambush. In Psalms 140:6-7 faith discovers God, at such a time, as strength, salvation, and protection.
There follows, in Psalms 140:8-12, a terrible outburst. Instead of the let of the imperative, many read the shall of prediction. We belong to the kingdom of Christ, the teachings of which are given in Matthew 5:1-48. The only coals of fire that we can deal with are those of love and mercy, which we heap on the heads of our enemies. The least in the kingdom of love stands on a higher plane than the greatest in the kingdom of law. But let the wicked remember Romans 2:5. The psalm ends in a gladder strain, Psalms 140:13. There is an inner sanctuary where we shall be safe! [source]

Chapter Summary: Psalms 140

1  David prays to be delivered from Saul and Doeg
8  He prays against them
12  He comforts himself by confidence in God

What do the individual words in Psalms 140:3 mean?

They sharpen their tongues like a serpent the poison of asps [is] under their lips Selah
שָֽׁנֲנ֣וּ לְשׁוֹנָם֮ כְּֽמוֹ־ נָ֫חָ֥שׁ חֲמַ֥ת עַכְשׁ֑וּב תַּ֖חַת שְׂפָתֵ֣ימוֹ סֶֽלָה

שָֽׁנֲנ֣וּ  They  sharpen 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: שָׁנַן 
Sense: to sharpen, whet.
לְשׁוֹנָם֮  their  tongues 
Parse: Noun, common singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: לָשֹׁון  
Sense: tongue.
כְּֽמוֹ־  like 
Parse: Preposition
Root: כְּמֹו  
Sense: like, as, the like of which conj.
נָ֫חָ֥שׁ  a  serpent 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: נָחָשׁ  
Sense: serpent, snake.
חֲמַ֥ת  the  poison 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: חֵמָא 
Sense: heat, rage, hot displeasure, indignation, anger, wrath, poison, bottles.
עַכְשׁ֑וּב  of  asps 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַכְשׁוּב  
Sense: asp, viper.
תַּ֖חַת  [is]  under 
Parse: Preposition
Root: מִתְחָה 
Sense: the under part, beneath, instead of, as, for, for the sake of, flat, unto, where, whereas.
שְׂפָתֵ֣ימוֹ  their  lips 
Parse: Noun, fdc, third person masculine plural
Root: שָׂפָה  
Sense: lip, language, speech, shore, bank, brink, brim, side, edge, border, binding.
סֶֽלָה  Selah 
Parse: Interjection
Root: סֶלָה  
Sense: to lift up, exalt.