The subtitle, or superscription, of this psalm reads: "His prayer [David's], when he was in the cave." David is hiding in a cave from the enemies pursuing him and, of course, prays for help. But what matters to us now is not what he asks to be delivered from, but for what purpose. In the language of the Old Testament...
The subtitle, or superscription, of this psalm reads: "His prayer [David's], when he was in the cave." David is hiding in a cave from the enemies pursuing him and, of course, prays for help. But what matters to us now is not what he asks to be delivered from, but for what purpose. In the language of the Old Testament, the soul is the whole earthly, biological, as we would now say, life of a person. During this prayer David experiences his condition as being in darkness, as a likeness of death, since the cave is the main form of burial, and he asks God to bring him out of the "grave," to return him to life. But why? What is he going to do when he comes out into the light? What can he not do while remaining in the cave? David's answer is: praise God. How, can one not praise Him from there? Is God less holy and good if I am in a cave? God can and must be praised, but there is a difference between "praise" and "glorify." Praise is between me and God, while glorifying is before others, for others. In the darkness of the cave, in the "grave," David experiences the strongest loneliness, which hinders the prayer of glorification. "Bring me out, and those before whom I can glorify You will gather around," David says.
140 David prays and hopes for deliverance from his enemies, Psa 140:1-7. Foretells their destruction, Psa 140:8-13. To the chief musician, A psalm of David.
140:9 Mischief - The mischief which they design against me, shall fall upon themselves.
140:10 Coals - Divine vengeance, which is compared to coals of fire.