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
LORD, I have called on you. Come to me quickly! Listen to my voice when I call to you. ​
2
Let my prayer be set before you like incense; the lifting up of my hands like the evening sacrifice. ​

Guarding the Mouth and Heart

3
Set a watch, LORD, before my mouth. Keep the door of my lips. ​
4
Don’t incline my heart to any evil thing, to practice deeds of wickedness with men who work iniquity. Don’t let me eat of their delicacies.

The Value of Righteous Rebuke

5
Let the righteous strike me, it is kindness; let him reprove me, it is like oil on the head; don’t let my head refuse it; Yet my prayer is always against evil deeds. ​
6
Their judges are thrown down by the sides of the rock. They will hear my words, for they are well spoken.
7
“As when one plows and breaks up the earth, our bones are scattered at the mouth of Sheol.” ​

A Plea for Final Deliverance

8
For my eyes are on you, LORD, the Lord. In you, I take refuge. Don’t leave my soul destitute. ​
9
Keep me from the snare which they have laid for me, from the traps of the workers of iniquity.
10
Let the wicked fall together into their own nets, while I pass by. ​

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.

Use ← → arrow keys to navigate
Settings

Reading Style

Typeface

Font Size 19px

Reading Width 45 chars

Options