They make their tongue sharp as a serpent’s, and under their lips is the venom of asps. Selah
English Standard Version (ESV)
What's easily missed here is the active preparation described. The enemies aren't just speaking venomously; they are "sharpening" their tongues, like a tool being made ready, and the "poison" isn't just there, it's actively "under their lips," poised to strike. This imagery highlights a deliberate, almost craftsman-like malice behind their words, not just casual cruelty.
They make their tongue sharp as a serpent’s, and under their lips is the venom of asps. Selah
English Standard Version (ESV)
David is crying out to God because he's being threatened by wicked and violent people who are plotting against him. They're not just physically attacking him, but also spreading malicious lies and deceitful words, like a venomous snake ready to strike. He's pleading for God's protection against their schemes and their sharp, poisonous words that aim to trip him up.
Ever felt like someone's words were designed to hurt you, not just inform you? This verse paints a vivid, disturbing picture of just that.
The psalmist uses a powerful image: tongues sharpened like a serpent's. This isn't just about being critical; it's about malicious intent.
The Art of the Wound
Think about how a serpent strikes. It's precise, targeted, and deadly. The commentators highlight that this 'sharpening' isn't accidental. It's a deliberate crafting of lies, calumnies, and slanders meant to pierce and destroy.
Hidden Danger
'Adders' poison is under their lips.' This points to the insidious nature of such speech. The poison isn't obvious until it's too late. It lies hidden, ready to be injected with every utterance. This speaks to the deep-seated malice that fuels hurtful words, aiming to cause unseen, lasting damage.
The serpent is often associated with cunning deception. How does this ancient imagery speak to the way words can twist truth and ensnare us?
The comparison to a serpent's tongue and the 'poison of asps' goes beyond just sharp words; it suggests a calculated, poisonous intent, much like the serpent that deceived Eve.
Crafting Calumny
Commentators note that the serpent "sharpens" its tongue, implying a deliberate preparation for biting. This isn't a careless outburst but a well-honed weapon. It's the art of slander, the skillful weaving of lies designed to inflict maximum damage.
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Latent Malignity
The 'adder's poison under their lips' speaks to a deep, hidden corruption. It suggests that the malice isn't just on the surface; it's a core part of their being, ready to be unleashed. This speaks to the destructive potential of deceitful communication, which can subtly poison relationships and reputations.
Understand the original words
lashon · Hebrew Noun
The primary organ of speech, used in Scripture to manifest the inner state of a person. It is frequently associated with the power to either bless or curse, heal or destroy, reflecting the righteousness or wickedness of the speaker.
This passage directly echoes the imagery of the psalm, calling the tongue a 'restless evil, full of deadly poison' and a source of destructive power.
Romans 3:13This New Testament passage quotes and applies the very language of Psalm 140, using it to illustrate the pervasive corruption and deceit inherent in human speech and intent.
Proverbs 26:24-26These verses paint a picture of someone who conceals their malice with smooth words, revealing the hidden 'evil' within their speech, much like the 'venom under their lips' in the psalm.
Matthew 12:34Jesus connects the abundance of the heart to what the mouth speaks, suggesting that malicious speech, like that described in the psalm, originates from a deeply flawed inner state.
clarkePsalms 140:3: "They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; adders' poison is under their lips. Selah."
They have sharpened their tongues - They employ their time in forging lies and calumnies against me; and those of the most virulent nature.
gillPsalms 140:3: "They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; adders' poison is under their lips. Selah."
They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent,.... Which Kimchi says it does before it bites. Aristotle (i) observes, that the tip or extreme point of a serpent's tongue is as small as a hair, and so exceeding sharp and piercing. Arama interprets this of the sharpness and cunning of the serpent; and particularly the serpent that deceived Eve, and spake cunningly to her. "For God knowe…
What's easily missed here is the active preparation described. The enemies aren't just speaking venomously; they are "sharpening" their tongues, like a tool being made ready, and the "poison" isn't just there, it's actively "under their lips," poised to strike. This imagery highlights a deliberate, almost craftsman-like malice behind their words, not just casual cruelty.
David is crying out to God because he's being threatened by wicked and violent people who are plotting against him. They're not just physically attacking him, but also spreading malicious lies and deceitful words, like a venomous snake ready to strike. He's pleading for God's protection against their schemes and their sharp, poisonous words that aim to trip him up.
David is crying out to God because he's being threatened by wicked and violent people who are plotting against him. They're not just physically attacking him, but also spreading malicious lies and deceitful words, like a venomous snake ready to strike. He's pleading for God's protection against their schemes and their sharp, poisonous words that aim to trip him up.
"They make their tongue sharp as a serpent’s, and under their lips is the venom of asps. Selah" — What's easily missed here is the active preparation described. The enemies aren't just speaking venomously; they are "sharpening" their tongues, like a tool being made ready, and the "poison" isn't…
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Last reviewed October 2026