Psalms141

David earnestly cries to the Lord, seeking swift hearing and acceptance of his prayer as a sacrifice. He asks for divine guardianship over his speech and heart, lest he be drawn to evil or partake in the ways of the wicked. Trusting in God, he seeks deliverance from their snares, praying that the wicked themselves fall into their own traps while he escapes.
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Invocation and Prayer as Sacrifice

1
I call upon You, O LORD; come quickly to me. Hear my voice when I call to You. ​
2
May my prayer be set before You like incense, my uplifted hands like the evening offering. ​

Guarding the Mouth and Heart

3
Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; keep watch at the door of my lips. ​
4
Do not let my heart be drawn to any evil thing or take part in works of wickedness with men who do iniquity; let me not feast on their delicacies.

The Value of Righteous Rebuke

5
Let the righteous man strike me; let his rebuke be an act of loving devotion. It is oil for my head; let me not refuse it. For my prayer is ever against the deeds of the wicked. ​
6
When their rulers are thrown down from the cliffs, the people will listen to my words, for they are pleasant.
7
As when one plows and breaks up the soil, so our bones have been scattered at the mouth of Sheol. ​

A Plea for Final Deliverance

8
But my eyes are fixed on You, O GOD the Lord. In You I seek refuge; do not leave my soul defenseless. ​
9
Keep me from the snares they have laid for me, and from the lures of evildoers.
10
Let the wicked fall into their own nets, while I pass by in safety. ​

Study Notes for Psalms 141

Verse 1

David begins with an urgent cry for divine intervention, reflecting a deep distress that requires immediate attention from the LORD. This psalm is David's prayer when he was fleeing Saul.

Verse 2

David compares his personal, fervent prayer and the lifting of his hands to the consecrated temple rituals of the morning incense offering and the evening sacrifice. This signifies that personal devotion is accepted by God as a holy offering.

Verse 3

The psalmist recognizes that the battle against sin begins with controlling speech. He asks God to set a guard over his lips, acknowledging that ethical purity requires divine assistance.

Verse 5

David expresses a willingness to accept painful, corrective criticism from the righteous, preferring it as a soothing 'excellent oil' rather than the destructive flattery or evil companionship of the wicked.

Verse 7

This verse presents a vivid, hyperbolic image of extreme despair and devastation, suggesting the widespread suffering or death inflicted by enemies, where the bodies are scattered and dismembered.

Verse 8

In a sudden theological turn, the psalmist shifts from describing despair (v. 7) to absolute dependence on God, reaffirming his trust and petitioning the LORD not to leave him vulnerable or 'destitute' (Hebrew: *‘arar*).

Verse 10

The psalm concludes with a petition for poetic justice: that the wicked should fall into the very traps they meticulously prepared for the righteous, ensuring David’s ultimate escape.

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