Psalms 140:11
in Psalms 140May no slanderer be established in the land; may calamity hunt down the man of violence.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
An evil speaker shall not be established in the earth: Evil shall hunt the violent man to overthrow him.
KJV
Let not an evil speaker be established in the earth: evil shall hunt the violent man to overthrow him.
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This verse in Psalms 140
Commentary
8 notes on this verseLet not an evil speaker be established in the earth,.... One that sets his mouth against the heavens, and speaks evil of God; of his being, perfections, purposes, and providences: whose tongue walks through the earth, and speaks evil of all men, even of dignities; and especially of the saints of the most High, and of the Gospel and ways of Christ.
This site's exposition
May the heads of those who surround me
on Psalms 140:9-11
The requests are plain. Let the trouble their lips caused come down on their heads, let burning coals and fire and the miry pits take them with no rising, and let calamity hunt down the man of violence. Deuteronomy 19:19 sets the same measure for a false witness, that what he intended be done to him.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
"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?
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Let not such men as Doeg think to reign long, for his doom will be theirs, Ps. ii. A lying tongue is but for a moment, but the lip of truth shall be established for ever. [2.] Evil doers must expect to be destroyed: Evil shall hunt the violent man, as the blood-hound hunts the murderer to discover him, as the lion hunts his prey to tear it to pieces.
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
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.
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.
Let not an evil speaker be established - איש לשון ish lashon, “a man of tongue.” There is much force in the rendering of this clause in the Chaldee גבר דמשתעי לישן תליתי gebar demishtai lishan telithai, “The man of detraction, or inflammation, with the three-forked tongue.” He whose tongue is set on fire from hell; the tale-bearer, slanderer, and dealer in scandal: with the three-forked tongue; wounding three at once: his neiphbour whom he slanders; the person who receives the slander; and himself who deals in it. What a just description of a character which God, angels, and good men must detest! Let not such a one be established in the land; let him be unmasked; let no person trust him; and let all join together to hoot him out of society. “He shall be hunted by the angel of death, and thrust into hell.” - Chaldee.
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Let not an evil speaker - literally, “A man of tongue.” That is, a man whom the tongue rules; a man of an unbridled tongue; a man who does not control his tongue. See the notes at Jas 3:2-12. Be established in the earth - Be successful or prosperous; let him not carry out his designs. It is not desirable that a man should prosper in such purposes; and therefore, this is not a prayer of malignity, but of benevolence. Evil shall hunt the violent man ... - More literally, “A man of violence - a bad man - they shall hunt him down speedily;” or, “let him be hunted down speedily. Let him who forms a project of violence and wrong - a bad man - be hunted as the beasts of prey are, and let his destruction come quickly.” Margin, “Let him be hunted to his overthrow.” But the explanation now given suits the connection, and is a literal expression of the sense of the original.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
descend May the coals descend on them. Let them lie upon them until they sink and become extinguished by themselves. The body will thus disintegrate and disappear.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
The numbers of those who surround me Armies of the number of the troops of Esau who plan to surround me, may the lies of their lips cover them. (I found.)
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 4 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
10 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| אִ֥ישׁ | ʾish | a person of | H376 → | 1663 times |
| לָשׁוֹן֮ | lashon | tongue | H3956 → | 117 times |
| בַּל־ | bal- | not | H1077 → | 73 times |
| יִכּ֪וֹן | yikon | let him be established | H3559 → | 217 times |
| בָּ֫אָ֥רֶץ | baaretz | in the land | H776 → | 2504 times |
| אִישׁ־ | ʾish- | a person of | H376 → | 1663 times |
| חָמָ֥ס | chamas | violence | H2555 → | 60 times |
| רָ֑ע | ra' | trouble | H7451 → | 662 times |
| יְ֝צוּדֶ֗נּוּ | yetzudenu | let it hunt him | H6679 → | |
| לְמַדְחֵפֹֽת׃ | lemadchefot | for blows | H4073 → |
אִ֥ישׁa person of
ʾishH376 →1663 times
לָשׁוֹן֮tongue
lashonH3956 →117 times
בַּל־not
bal-H1077 →73 times
יִכּ֪וֹןlet him be established
yikonH3559 →217 times
בָּ֫אָ֥רֶץin the land
baaretzH776 →2504 times
אִישׁ־a person of
ʾish-H376 →1663 times
חָמָ֥סviolence
chamasH2555 →60 times
רָ֑עtrouble
ra'H7451 →662 times
יְ֝צוּדֶ֗נּוּlet it hunt him
yetzudenuH6679 →
לְמַדְחֵפֹֽת׃for blows
lemadchefotH4073 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Proverbs 18:21Life and death are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.
it leads to
- Ephesians 4:29
Let no unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building up the one in need and bringing grace to those who listen.
- Matthew 12:35–37
The good man brings good things out of his good store of treasure, and the evil man brings evil things out of his evil store of treasure.
- Colossians 4:6
Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
- Proverbs 10:19–21
When words are many, sin is unavoidable, but he who restrains his lips is wise.
- James 3:6–9
The 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…
- Ephesians 4:29
Through
Proverbs 13:21Disaster pursues sinners, but prosperity is the reward of the righteous.
it leads to
- Psalms 32:10
Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but loving devotion surrounds him who trusts in the LORD.
- Isaiah 3:10–11
Tell the righteous it will be well with them, for they will enjoy the fruit of their labor.
- Psalms 32:10
Through
Isaiah 3:11Woe to the wicked; disaster is upon them! For they will be repaid with what their hands have done.
it leads to
- Ecclesiastes 8:13
Yet because the wicked do not fear God, it will not go well with them, and their days will not lengthen like a shadow.
- Ecclesiastes 8:13
About Psalms

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Book of Psalms; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Augustine of Hippo, Exposition on Psalm 140; Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David, Vol. 7; Jamieson, Fausset and Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
