Psalm 140:4 NKJV
Keep me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked;
Preserve me from violent men,
Who have purposed to make my steps stumble.
Guarding Your Steps on Slippery Ground
My Notes
Keep me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked; Preserve me from violent men, Who have purposed to make my steps stumble. Psalm 140:4 NKJV
Life has a way of throwing us off balance. There are days when opposition doesn’t feel vague—it feels targeted. David isn’t just dealing with “difficult circumstances”; he’s dealing with people who have “purposed to make [his] steps stumble.” They’ve thought about it, planned for it, even taken aim at his downfall.
So what does David do? He doesn’t pretend it’s “not that bad.” He doesn’t play tough. He prays.
“Keep me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked;
Preserve me from violent men…”
David knows something we often forget:
Falling into God’s hands is safer than being left in man’s hands.
When you feel that kind of pressure, it’s incredibly easy to become paranoid, defensive, or tempted to fight dirty. But look at where David goes first. He doesn’t launch a counter-offensive or try to out-maneuver his enemies in his own strength. Instead, he turns his face toward heaven and prays a very specific, three-layered request: Keep me. Preserve me. Protect my path.
He had once said, when facing judgment, that he would rather fall into the hand of the Lord than into the hand of man (2 Samuel 24:14). Why? Because even when God chastens, He is just, holy, and merciful. But wicked and violent people, driven by malice, envy, hatred, or pride, don’t play by any righteous rules.
David sees how dangerous “the hands of the wicked” really are:
- Their hands can grab, control, or crush.
- Their influence and examples can pull him off course.
- Their flatteries can be as dangerous as their threats.
So he prays not just, “Keep them from hurting me,” but “Keep me”—
Keep my life, my calling, my walk, my integrity, my responses.
God can keep you where people cannot control you.
Our own watchfulness isn’t enough. The loyalty of friends is not enough. We need God Himself as Keeper. He can:
- Keep us out of the wrong hands.
- Preserve us in the midst of hostility.
- Stabilize our steps when others are trying to make us fall.
When you know someone has “purposed” to see you stumble, that’s not the time to pray less—it’s the time to pray more. Matthew Henry notes in his commentary, the more malice appears, the more earnest we should be in prayer. Those whom God preserves are truly safe, even when surrounded.
If your heart is set to walk with God, your very life rebukes wickedness—and that may stir opposition. But it also gives you a powerful argument in prayer:
“Lord, my steps are set to follow You. They are trying to overthrow that. You are the defender of holiness. Keep me steady for Your name’s sake.”
Your job isn’t to outsmart the traps; your job is to keep your eyes fixed on the One who holds your right hand. Let the malice of the world drive you deeper into the secret place of prayer.
Prayer
Abba, You see those who have purposed to make my steps stumble. You know the traps laid out for me, both seen and unseen. When the path feels slippery, hold my feet steady. Steady my heart with a holy serenity that doesn’t panic in the face of human evil. I trust my defense entirely to You today, knowing that if You are for me, no one can successfully stand against me. Guide my goings, and keep my eyes fixed on Jesus. In Jesus powerful name I pray, Amen.
Cross References (NKJV)
- 2 Samuel 24:14 – “And David said to Gad, ‘I am in great distress. Please let us fall into the hand of the Lord, for His mercies are great; but do not let me fall into the hand of man.’”
- Psalm 37:23–24 – “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord… Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; for the Lord upholds him with His hand.”
- Psalm 121:3, 7–8 – “He will not allow your foot to be moved… The Lord shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul. The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in…”
- Psalm 17:5 – “Uphold my steps in Your paths, that my footsteps may not slip.”
- Proverbs 3:25–26 – “Do not be afraid of sudden terror, nor of trouble from the wicked when it comes; for the Lord will be your confidence, and will keep your foot from being caught.”
- John 10:28–29 – “And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father… is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand.”
- 2 Thessalonians 3:3 – “But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one.”
Key Takeaways
- People really do purpose to make God’s people stumble—through pressure, temptation, lies, or hostility—but God sees every plan.
- God’s hand is safer than man’s hands. Even chastening from God is more merciful than being controlled by wicked people.
- We need God to keep us, not just from harm, but from becoming like our enemies in attitude and response.
- Prayer is our wisest response to targeted opposition. The more intense the malice, the more intense our dependence on God should be.
- God not only orders our steps; He upholds them. Even when others try to overthrow our goings, He is able to make us stand.
Things to Think About
- Where do I feel most aware of human opposition, manipulation, or pressure right now?
- In what specific ways do I feel vulnerable to “stumbling” (anger, compromise, fear, people-pleasing, discouragement) because of this opposition?
- When have I seen God “keep” me in the past—from sin, from bad decisions, from destructive people?
- What is my usual first reaction to hostility or injustice—fight, withdraw, defend myself, gossip, shut down? How would it look to make my first reaction a prayer like Psalm 140:4?
- Is there an area where I’m tempted to adjust my convictions just to avoid conflict or criticism? What might it look like to ask God to “uphold my steps” in that area?
Proverb for Today
Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise, And apply your heart to my knowledge; For it is a pleasant thing if you keep them within you; Let them all be fixed upon your lips, So that your trust may be in the Lord; I have instructed you today, even you. Have I not written to you excellent things Of counsels and knowledge, That I may make you know the certainty of the words of truth, That you may answer words of truth To those who send to you? Proverbs 22:17-21 NKJV
Daily Scripture
Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For indeed He does not give aid to angels, but He does give aid to the seed of Abraham. Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted. Hebrews 2:14-18 NKJV
Closing
“The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace.” ’ Numbers 6:24-26 NKJV
Grace be with you. Amen.
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Summary of Commentaries:
These commentaries highlight David’s urgent prayer for divine protection against calculated, malicious human opposition. Human vigilance cannot thwart the enemy’s deliberate traps, flatters, or plots to undermine a believer’s integrity and faith. True security belongs solely to God, who preserves our steps and turns intense worldly malice into a call for earnest prayer.
Commentaries:
Charles Spurgeon
“Keep me, O LORD, from the hands of the wicked.” To fall into their hands would be a calamity indeed. David in his most pitiable plight chose to fall into the hand of a chastising God rather than to be left in the power of men. No creature among the wild beasts of the wood is so terrible an enemy to man as man himself when guided by evil, and impelled by violence. The Lord by providence and grace can keep us out of the power of the wicked. He alone can do this, for neither our own watchfulness nor the faithfulness of friends can secure us against the serpentine assaults of the foe. We have need to be preserved from the smooth as well as the rough hands of the ungodly, for their flatteries may harm us as much as their calumnies. The hands of their example may pollute us, and so do us more harm than the hands of their oppression. Jehovah must be our keeper, or evil hands will do what evil hearts have imagined and evil lips have threatened.
“Preserve me from the violent man.” His intense passion makes him terribly dangerous. He will strike anyhow, use any weapon, smite from any quarter: he is so furious that he is reckless of his own life if he may accomplish his detestable design. Lord, preserve us by thine omnipotence when men attack us with their violence. This prayer is a wise and suitable one.
“Who have purposed to overthrow my goings.” They resolve to turn the good man from his resolve, they would defeat his designs, injure his integrity, and blast his character. Their own goings are wicked, and therefore they hate those of the righteous, seeing they are a standing rebuke to them. This is a forcible argument to use in prayer with God: he is the patron of holiness, and when the pure lives of his people are in danger of overthrow, he may be expected to interpose. Never let the pious forget to pray, for this is a weapon against which the most determined enemy cannot stand.
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Enduring Word
Keep me, O LORD, from the hands of the wicked: In the first portion of this psalm, David acknowledged the presence of wicked and violent men. With such a realistic view, he then requested of God, “Preserve me from violent men.” (Guzik)
i. “Thus David was hunted as a rebel, Christ was crucified as a blasphemer, and the primitive Christians were tortured as guilty of incest and murder.” (Horne)
ii. “The ‘wicked’ may arrogantly desire, plan, and execute; but the Master of the universe cannot tolerate anarchy for long. To this end the plea changes into an imprecatory prayer.” (VanGemeren)
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Albert Barnes
Who have purposed to overthrow my goings – To thrust me down as I go; to defeat my plans; to destroy me. They endeavor to prevent my accomplishing what I had designed to do.
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John Gill
Keep me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked,…. From falling into their hands, and the weight of them; and from their laying hands on him, being men of power and authority;
preserve me from the violent man: or men, everyone of them; See Gill on “Ps 140:1”;
who have purposed to overthrow my goings: to supplant him; to cause him to stumble and fall, to his disgrace and reproach; and that they might take an advantage of him, and an occasion against him. Arama interprets it, to drive me out of the land of Israel; see 1 Samuel 26:1. So Christ’s enemies thought to have supplanted him, and have found something against him, to accuse him of to Caesar, Matthew 22:15.
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Matthew Henry
He prays to God to keep him from them and from being swallowed up by them: “Lord, deliver me, preserve me, keep me (v. 1, 4); let them not prevail to take away my life, my reputation, my interest, my comfort, and to prevent my coming to the throne. Keep me from doing as they do, or as they would have me do, or as they promise themselves I shall do.” Note, The more malice appears in our enemies against us the more earnest we should be in prayer to God to take us under his protection. In him believers may count upon a security, and may enjoy it and themselves with a holy serenity. Those are safe whom God preserves. If he be for us, who can be against us?
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Miscellaneous Comments
“To overthrow my goings.” To take my feet from under me, to destroy the basis of belief, the power of advance in good works, that we may turn back from the way of salvation, or fall upon it, or, at any rate, may go very slowly along it.
—Neale and Littledale.
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