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.

Invocation and Prayer as Sacrifice

1
A psalm of David: ADONAI, I have called you; come to me quickly! Listen to my plea when I call to you. ​
2
Let my prayer be like incense set before you, my uplifted hands like an evening sacrifice. ​

Guarding the Mouth and Heart

3
Set a guard, ADONAI, over my mouth; keep watch at the door of my lips. ​
4
Don't let my heart turn to anything evil or allow me to act wickedly with men who are evildoers; keep me from eating their delicacies.

The Value of Righteous Rebuke

5
Let the righteous strike me, let him correct me; it will be an act of love. Let my head not refuse such choice oil, for I will keep on praying about their wickedness. ​
6
When their rulers are thrown down from the cliff, [the wicked] will hear that my words were fitting.
7
As when one plows and breaks the ground into clods, our bones are strewn at the mouth of Sh'ol. ​

A Plea for Final Deliverance

8
For my eyes, ADONAI, Adonai, are on you; in you I take refuge; don't pour out my life. ​
9
Keep me from the trap they have set for me, from the snares 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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