Psalms 140:11 Commentary: God’s Justice Against the Slanderer and Violent

David composed this psalm during a period of intense persecution by slanderous and violent enemies, probably the years under Saul or during Absalom’s revolt. Ancient Israel lived in a world where speech carried enormous social and legal weight. A slanderer could destroy a reputation, ruin a family, even bring bloodshed. The Hebrew phrase behind “evil speaker” is literally “a man of tongue” (ish lashon), a person whom the tongue rules rather than the heart (Barnes). The Chaldee paraphrase calls him “the man of detraction with the three-forked tongue,” wounding the slandered, the listener, and himself (Clarke).

In the surrounding verses, David cries out for protection (vv. 7, 8) and then shifts to imprecation, that the mischief of his enemies’ lips fall back on their own heads (v. 9), that they be thrown into fire and pits (v. 10). This is not raw rage but a plea that the justice system of Israel’s covenant God operate the way the law prescribed: false witness recoils on the false witness (Deuteronomy 19:18, 19). The “evil” that hunts the violent man (v. 11) is the natural consequence of his own actions, as Proverbs 12:13 puts it: “An evil man is trapped by sinfulness of lips.”

Psalm 140 closes not with a thirst for blood but with confidence: “I know that Yahweh will maintain the cause of the afflicted, and justice for the needy” (v. 12). The imprecations are bracketed by trust in God’s just rule.

The supplied critical sources do not note any significant textual variants for Psalm 140:11. The differences between translations arise from interpretive decisions about the Hebrew verb forms and the phrase “overthrow him” (margin: “to impulsions” per Gill; “thrust upon thrust” per Cambridge Bible). The Masoretic Text is stable.

This verse has been used across Jewish and Christian traditions as a warning against slander and as an expression of hope that God will not let evil triumph. The Targum (Jewish Aramaic paraphrase) interprets the “hunter” as the angel of death driving the violent to hell, a reading that later Christian commentators like Clarke and Gill cite with approval, though they soften its application. Matthew Henry treats the verse as both a prayer and a prophecy, stressing that the destruction of persecutors is “the believing foresight” of a man who trusts God’s justice. In Reformation-era preaching, the verse was often quoted to assure the afflicted that God would vindicate them, while also urging believers to examine their own tongues. Modern usage frequently focuses on the power of words and the certainty that slander will ultimately fail.

Three-point outline

1. The weapon of words. An “evil speaker” is not merely a gossip; he is a person whose tongue becomes a weapon of destruction. Barnes calls him one whom the tongue rules, he has lost self-control. In a world of social media and public accusation, the power of a slanderous tongue has not diminished.
2. The certainty of consequence. The verse promises that such a person “won’t be established in the earth.” Not a wish, but a prophecy (Gill). Evil hunts the violent man like a beast of prey. What you sow, you reap, a truth both Old Testament and New (Galatians 6:7) affirm.
3. Leaving room for God’s justice. David does not take the hunt into his own hands. He prays, and he trusts. The imprecation is a cry for divine justice, not personal revenge. This frees us from the burden of settling scores ourselves.

Five-point outline

1. The character of the wicked: a “man of tongue” (slanderer) and a “man of violence.”
2. The destiny of the wicked: not established in the land, hunted by evil.
3. The certainty of this destiny: the language of prayer is also prophetic (Gill, Barnes).
4. The place for such prayers: they belong in the context of trusting God’s justice, not personal hatred.
5. The hope for God’s afflicted people: the righteous will dwell in God’s presence (v. 13).

Illustration hooks

• Office gossip: A team member spreads a half-truth about a coworker. The rumor grows. Eventually the liar’s credibility erodes, and the truth comes out. The slanderer does not thrive in the end.
• Bullying: A child habitually mocks and threatens others. Teachers and parents intervene. The bully’s behavior isolates him; his own meanness hunts him down by costing him friendships.
• Historical example: In the days of the early church, false accusations against Christians often backfired, the accusers’ malice revealed their own character, and the church grew.

Questions your congregation is asking

• Is it wrong to pray for bad things to happen to people who hurt me?
• Does God really punish slander? What about when it seems like liars get ahead?
• How do I handle the anger I feel when I’ve been slandered or wronged?

Read Psalm 140:11 in at least two translations. Notice that the verse can be read as a prayer (“Let not…”) or as a statement of certainty (“An evil speaker won’t be established…”). Both readings appear in the supplied versions (compare KJV with WEB). Use this as a door to talk about imprecatory psalms, why they are in the Bible, and how Christians can pray them today.

Discussion questions

1. What do you think the phrase “evil speaker” means in your daily context? How is that different from a normal conversation?
2. David prays that the slanderer not be “established in the earth.” What does it mean to be “established”, financially, socially, in family lines?
3. The second half says “evil will hunt the violent man to overthrow him.” Who or what does the hunting? (Compare with Proverbs 13:21; Psalm 34:21.)
4. Some readers see this as a prayer for vengeance. Others see it as a prophecy of what God will do. Which view do you find more helpful, and why? Can both be true at once?
5. How does knowing that God will ultimately expose slander and violence affect the way you handle being wronged today?
6. If someone in your group has experienced slander, how can this psalm help them without encouraging bitterness?
7. How does the final verse of the chapter (v. 13, “the upright will dwell in your presence”) reframe the whole psalm?