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Psalm 140:8

LORD, don’t grant the desires of the wicked. Don’t let their evil plans succeed, or they will become proud. Selah.

6I said to the LORD, “You are my God.” Listen to the cry of my petitions, LORD.
7LORD, the Lord, the strength of my salvation, you have covered my head in the day of battle.
8LORD, don’t grant the desires of the wicked. Don’t let their evil plans succeed, or they will become proud. Selah.
9As for the head of those who surround me, let the mischief of their own lips cover them.
10Let burning coals fall on them. Let them be thrown into the fire, into miry pits, from where they never rise.
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← Psalm 140:7Psalm 140:9 →
Notice

Evil plans that succeed can feed pride, and this plea names the fear of seeing those who threaten others grow proud through success.

Questions to write on. Each one opens a new entry with this verse already attached.

What harm do you want God to prevent by denying someone's plans success?

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How does the warning about pride shape your prayer when wrongdoing seems to succeed?

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Connect

Where else Scripture says this

8 passages readers most often link with this verse, and the thread each one shares with it.

This verse's connections, by chapterThe Bible's strongest chapter linksHover or tap a book to trace it
Psalm 33:10The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing. He makes the thoughts of the peoples to be of no effect.Psalm 140 asks the LORD to thwart evil plans; Psalm 33 declares that he brings the counsel of nations to nothing.
Psalm 10:2–3In arrogance, the wicked hunt down the weak. They are caught in the schemes that they devise.Both passages link wicked schemes with pride, with Psalm 10 describing the arrogant pursuit of the weak.
Deuteronomy 32:27were it not that I feared the provocation of the enemy, lest their adversaries should judge wrongly, lest they should say, ‘Our hand is exalted; the LORD has …Both passages express concern about adversaries becoming proud, with Deuteronomy describing enemies who credit their own hand instead of the LORD.
Psalm 27:12Don’t deliver me over to the desire of my adversaries, for false witnesses have risen up against me, such as breathe out cruelty.Both prayers ask God to deny adversaries their desires, with Psalm 27 naming false witnesses and cruelty.
2 Samuel 15:31Someone told David, saying, “Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.” David said, “LORD, please turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.”David's prayer against Ahithophel's counsel shares Psalm 140's plea that the LORD prevent hostile plans from succeeding.
Job 5:12–13He frustrates the plans of the crafty, so that their hands can’t perform their enterprise.Psalm 140 asks God to prevent evil plans from succeeding; the passage in Job describes him frustrating the plans of the crafty.
Psalm 30:1A Psalm. A Song for the Dedication of the Temple. By David. I will extol you, LORD, for you have raised me up, and have not made my foes to rejoice over me.Both passages turn to the LORD concerning enemies' triumph, one asking him to prevent success and the other thanking him for deliverance.
Lamentations 1:9Her filthiness was in her skirts. She didn’t remember her latter end. Therefore she has come down astoundingly. She has no comforter. “See, LORD, my …Both prayers address the LORD about an enemy's pride, with Lamentations crying out from affliction while the enemy magnifies himself.
Where this verse fits

Injustice and anger. fear for the future.

What the Bible says about anger →What the Bible says about fear →
One step

Something small to carry out of this verse

Ask God to stop one specific harm

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Encouragement

Asking God to stop evil is a fitting prayer when harm threatens; the plea addresses YHWH as the one who can deny wicked plans success.

Now put it in your words.

Start an entry on Psalm 140:8. Write what it stirs. Psalmlog sets your words beside Scripture and gives you one next step. Your first entry is free, no account needed.

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Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY). Scripture from the World English Bible (public domain). Arc diagram after Chris Harrison and Christoph Römhild (2007).