Psalms 140:3They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent. Viper's poison is under their lips. Selah.
The setting
Ancient Israel, possibly Jerusalem. The psalmist describes enemies whose words cut like snake fangs, their speech poisoning relationships and reputations in what is now Jerusalem, Israel.
The emotion here: wounded by words that cut deeper than swords
The original word
shanan (שָׁנַן) — to whet or sharpen, like preparing a blade for maximum cutting damage
Why it matters
Ancient serpent imagery was associated with deception since Eden, making this a powerful metaphor
Read with care
What most readers miss in Psalms 140:3
The word 'Selah' means pause and think - God wants you to stop and absorb how serious verbal poison is
Common misconceptionPeople think this is just about mean comments, but ancient poison was often fatal - these words are described as potentially life-destroying.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Psalms 140:3
Bible Genome reading
Psalms 140:3 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Psalms 140:3 comes from the book of Psalms, written during the United Kingdom period. These words are attributed to David. The dominant emotion in this verse is anxious, with a comfort power of 20% and a tone that is lamenting. It belongs to the psalm genre of biblical literature. Key themes include poisonous words, serpentine speech. Notable phrases: sharpened their tongues like a serpent. This verse is a prayer.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same anxious
“And no wonder, for even Satan masquerades as an angel of light.”
— 2 Corinthians 11:14
“Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.”
— 2 Timothy 3:12
“The evil spirit answered, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are you?"”
— Acts 19:15
“I fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?'”
— Acts 22:7
“When we had all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is har…”
— Acts 26:14
Your reflection
What does Psalms 140:3 mean to you, today?
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