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
A Psalm of David. LORD, I cry unto thee: make haste unto me; give ear unto my voice, when I cry unto thee. ​
2
Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice. ​

Guarding the Mouth and Heart

3
Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips. ​
4
Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practise wicked works with men that work iniquity: and let me not eat of their dainties.

The Value of Righteous Rebuke

5
Let the righteous smite me; it shall be a kindness: and let him reprove me; it shall be an excellent oil, which shall not break my head: for yet my prayer also shall be in their calamities. ​
6
When their judges are overthrown in stony places, they shall hear my words; for they are sweet.
7
Our bones are scattered at the grave's mouth, as when one cutteth and cleaveth wood upon the earth. ​

A Plea for Final Deliverance

8
But mine eyes are unto thee, O GOD the Lord: in thee is my trust; leave not my soul destitute. ​
9
Keep me from the snares which they have laid for me, and the gins of the workers of iniquity.
10
Let the wicked fall into their own nets, whilst that I withal escape. ​

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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