Psalms 140:9

American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

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

Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

אַל־תִּתֵּ֣ן יְ֭הוָה מַאֲוַיֵּ֣י רָשָׁ֑ע זְמָמ֥וֹ אַל־תָּ֝פֵ֗ק יָר֥וּמוּ סֶֽלָה׃

Transliteration

ʾal-tittēn YHWH maʾăwayyê rāšāʿ zəmāmô ʾal-tāpēq yārûmû selāh

Grammar Details

*ʾal*: negative particle with jussive - do not
*tittēn*: qal imperfect 2nd person masculine singular jussive - grant/give
*YHWH*: divine name - LORD
*maʾăwayyê*: masculine plural construct noun - desires of
*rāšāʿ*: masculine singular adjective/noun - wicked/evil person
*zəmāmô*: masculine singular noun with 3rd person masculine singular suffix - his device/scheme
*tāpēq*: hifil imperfect 2nd person masculine singular jussive - bring forth/allow to succeed
*yārûmû*: qal imperfect 3rd person plural verb - they will be exalted
*selāh*: musical notation or interlude

Word Meanings

*tittēn*: grant/give/allow
*maʾăwayyê*: desires of/longings of/cravings of
*rāšāʿ*: wicked person/evil one/godless one
*zəmāmô*: his scheme/his plot/his devising
*tāpēq*: bring to success/further/promote
*yārûmû*: they will be exalted/they will lift themselves up
*selāh*: musical interlude/pause/lift up

ℹ️

About this Translation

American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

Formal EquivalenceSource: American Standard VersionBest for: Word studies and original-language research

🎯 Translation Approach

A highly literal, word-for-word translation (ASV, 1901) augmented with Strong's numbering to connect English words to underlying Hebrew and Greek terms for study.

Word-for-word

5/5

Readability

2/5

💎 Distinctive Features

Integrated Strong's numbering: Links English terms to underlying Hebrew and Greek words for deeper lexical study.
Formal equivalence: Prioritizes close alignment with source-language forms and structures.
Divine name rendering: Frequently renders the Tetragrammaton as Jehovah in the Old Testament, following ASV tradition.
Study-focused formatting: Optimized for reference and research rather than casual reading.

✅ Strengths

High fidelity to original languages
Includes Strong's numbers for precise word study
Consistent lexical choices aid exegesis
Stable, longstanding scholarly text

⚠️ Considerations

Archaic language reduces readability
Older textual basis compared to some modern translations
Strong's numbers are a concordance index, not full lexical definitions

👥 Who is this for?

Ideal for

Pastors and teachers
Seminary students
Serious Bible students
Readers conducting word studies
Those referencing Hebrew/Greek tools

Consider alternatives for

Casual readers
Children and early teens
ESL learners seeking simple English
Readers preferring contemporary language

🔄 Compare with

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Additional Resources

Referenced Verses

Ps 7:16 : 16 His mischief shall return upon his own head, And his violence shall come down upon his own pate.
Prov 18:7 : 7 A fool's mouth is his destruction, And his lips are the snare of his soul.
Prov 12:13 : 13 In the transgression of the lips is a snare to the evil man; But the righteous shall come out of trouble.
Matt 27:25 : 25 And all the people answered and said, His blood [be] on us, and on our children.
Esth 5:14 : 14 Then said Zeresh his wife and all his friends unto him, Let a gallows be made fifty cubits high, and in the morning speak thou unto the king that Mordecai may be hanged thereon: then go thou in merrily with the king unto the banquet. And the thing pleased Haman; and he caused the gallows to be made.
Esth 7:10 : 10 So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then was the king's wrath pacified.
Ps 64:8 : 8 So they shall be made to stumble, their own tongue being against them: All that see them shall wag the head.
Ps 94:23 : 23 And he hath brought upon them their own iniquity, And will cut them off in their own wickedness; Jehovah our God will cut them off.
Prov 10:6 : 6 Blessings are upon the head of the righteous; But violence covereth the mouth of the wicked.
Prov 10:11 : 11 The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life; But violence covereth the mouth of the wicked.

Similar Verses (AI)

These verses are found using AI-powered semantic similarity based on meaning and context. Results may occasionally include unexpected connections.

Ps 140:10
81%
10Let burning coals fall upon them: Let them be cast into the fire, Into deep pits, whence they shall not rise.
Ps 59:12
81%
12[ For] the sin of their mouth, [and] the words of their lips, Let them even be taken in their pride, And for cursing and lying which they speak.
Ps 17:9-11
3 verses
78%
9From the wicked that oppress me, My deadly enemies, that compass me about.
10They are inclosed in their own fat: With their mouth they speak proudly.
11They have now compassed us in our steps; They set their eyes to cast [us] down to the earth.
Ps 140:8
78%
8Grant not, O Jehovah, the desires of the wicked; Further not his evil device, [lest] they exalt themselves. {H5542}
Ps 31:18
78%
18Let the lying lips be dumb, Which speak against the righteous insolently, With pride and contempt.
Lam 3:62
77%
62The lips of those that rose up against me, and their device against me all the day.
Ps 109:2-3
2 verses
77%
2For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of deceit have they opened against me: They have spoken unto me with a lying tongue.
3They have compassed me about also with words of hatred, And fought against me without a cause.
Ps 140:2-5
4 verses
77%
2Who devise mischiefs in their heart; Continually do they gather themselves together for war.
3They have sharpened their tongue like a serpent; Adders' poison is under their lips. {H5542}
4Keep me, O Jehovah, from the hands of the wicked; Preserve me from the violent man: Who have purposed to thrust aside my steps.
5The proud have hid a snare for me, and cords; They have spread a net by the wayside; They have set gins for me. {H5542}
Ps 35:8
77%
8Let destruction come upon him unawares; And let his net that he hath hid catch himself: With destruction let him fall therein.
Jer 18:22-23
2 verses
76%
22Let a cry be heard from their houses, when thou shalt bring a troop suddenly upon them; for they have digged a pit to take me, and hid snares for my feet.
23Yet, Jehovah, thou knowest all their counsel against me to slay me; forgive not their iniquity, neither blot out their sin from thy sight; but let them be overthrown before thee; deal thou with them in the time of thine anger.
Ps 7:16
76%
16His mischief shall return upon his own head, And his violence shall come down upon his own pate.
Ps 40:14
76%
14Let them be put to shame and confounded together That seek after my soul to destroy it: Let them be turned backward and brought to dishonor That delight in my hurt.
Ps 5:9-10
2 verses
75%
9For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; Their inward part is very wickedness; Their throat is an open sepulchre; They flatter with their tongue.
10Hold them guilty, O God; Let them fall by their own counsels; Thrust them out in the multitude of their transgressions; For they have rebelled against thee.
Ps 35:25-26
2 verses
75%
25Let them not say in their heart, Aha, so would we have it: Let them not say, We have swallowed him up.
26Let them be put to shame and confounded together that rejoice at my hurt: Let them be clothed with shame and dishonor that magnify themselves against me.
Ps 109:20
75%
20This is the reward of mine adversaries from Jehovah, And of them that speak evil against my soul.
Ps 69:22
75%
22Let their table before them become a snare; And when they are in peace, [let it become] a trap.
Ps 71:13
75%
13Let them be put to shame [and] consumed that are adversaries to my soul; Let them be covered with reproach and dishonor that seek my hurt.
Ps 64:8
74%
8So they shall be made to stumble, their own tongue being against them: All that see them shall wag the head.
Prov 24:2
74%
2For their heart studieth oppression, And their lips talk of mischief.
Ps 70:2
74%
2Let them be put to shame and confounded That seek after my soul: Let them be turned backward and brought to dishonor That delight in my hurt.
Ps 62:4
74%
4They only consult to thrust him down from his dignity; They delight in lies; They bless with their mouth, but they curse inwardly. {H5542}
Ps 141:3
74%
3Set a watch, O Jehovah, before my mouth; Keep the door of my lips.
Ps 28:3
74%
3Draw me not away with the wicked, And with the workers of iniquity; That speak peace with their neighbors, But mischief is in their hearts.
Ps 35:4
74%
4Let them be put to shame and brought to dishonor that seek after my soul: Let them be turned back and confounded that devise my hurt.
Ps 73:9
74%
9They have set their mouth in the heavens, And their tongue walketh through the earth.
Ps 118:11-12
2 verses
74%
11They compassed me about; yea, they compassed me about: In the name of Jehovah I will cut them off.
12They compassed me about like bees; They are quenched as the fire of thorns: In the name of Jehovah I will cut them off.
Ps 109:29
74%
29Let mine adversaries be clothed with dishonor, And let them cover themselves with their own shame as with a robe.
Ps 69:24
74%
24Pour out thine indignation upon them, And let the fierceness of thine anger overtake them.
Jer 17:18
74%
18Let them be put to shame that persecute me, but let not me be put to shame; let them be dismayed, but let not me be dismayed; bring upon them the day of evil, and destroy them with double destruction.
Ps 141:9-10
2 verses
74%
9Keep me from the snare which they have laid for me, And from the gins of the workers of iniquity.
10Let the wicked fall into their own nets, Whilst that I withal escape.
Ps 35:19-20
2 verses
74%
19Let not them that are mine enemies wrongfully rejoice over me; Neither let them wink with the eye that hate me without a cause.
20For they speak not peace; But they devise deceitful words against them that are quiet in the land.
Ps 83:2
74%
2For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult; And they that hate thee have lifted up the head.
Ps 38:12
74%
12They also that seek after my life lay snares [for me]; And they that seek my hurt speak mischievous things, And meditate deceits all the day long.
Ps 71:10
73%
10For mine enemies speak concerning me; And they that watch for my soul take counsel together,
Ps 64:2
73%
2Hide me from the secret counsel of evil-doers, From the tumult of the workers of iniquity;
Job 27:7
73%
7Let mine enemy be as the wicked, And let him that riseth up against me be as the unrighteous.
Ps 69:27
73%
27Add iniquity unto their iniquity; And let them not come into thy righteousness.
Ps 59:7
73%
7Behold, they belch out with their mouth; Swords are in their lips: For who, [say they], doth hear?