TRV
Translation
King James Version
Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.
Complete Jewish Bible
Let my prayer be like incense set before you, my uplifted hands like an evening sacrifice.
Berean Standard Bible
May my prayer be set before You like incense, my uplifted hands like the evening offering.
American Standard Version
Let my prayer be set forth as incense before thee; The lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.
World English Bible Messianic
Let my prayer be set before you like incense; the lifting up of my hands like the evening sacrifice.
Geneva Bible (1599)
Let my prayer be directed in thy sight as incense, and the lifting vp of mine hands as an euening sacrifice.
Young's Literal Translation
My prayer is prepared--incense before Thee, The lifting up of my hands--the evening present.
In the KJVVerse 16,279 of 31,102
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Commentary on Psalms 141 verses 1–4
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.
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.
Mercy to accept what we do well, and grace to keep us from doing ill, are the two things which we are here taught by David's example to pray to God for.
I. David loved prayer, and he begs of God that his prayers might be heard and answered, Psa 141:1, Psa 141:2. David cried unto God. His crying denotes fervency in prayer; he prayed as one in earnest. His crying to God denotes faith and fixedness in prayer. And what did he desire as the success of his prayer? 1. That God would take cognizance of it: "Give ear to my voice; let me have a gracious audience." Those that cry in prayer may hope to be heard in prayer, not for their loudness, but their liveliness. 2. That he would visit him upon it: Make haste unto me. Those that know how to value God's gracious presence will be importunate for it and humbly impatient of delays. He that believes does not make haste, but he that prays may be earnest with God to make haste. 3. That he would be well pleased with him in it, well pleased with his praying and the lifting up of his hands in prayer, which denotes both the elevation and enlargement of his desire and the out-goings of his hope and expectation, the lifting up of the hand signifying the lifting up of the heart, and being used instead of lifting up the sacrifices which were heaved and waved before the Lord. Prayer is a spiritual sacrifice; it is the offering up of the soul, and its best affections, to God. Now he prays that this may be set forth and directed before God as the incense which was daily burnt upon the golden altar, and as the evening sacrifice, which he mentions rather than the morning sacrifice, perhaps because this was an evening prayer, or with an eye to Christ, who, in the evening of the world and in the evening of the day, was to offer up himself a sacrifice of atonement, and establish the spiritual sacrifices of acknowledgement, having abolished all the carnal ordinances of the law. Those that pray in faith may expect it will please God better than an ox or bullock. David was now banished from God's court, and could not attend the sacrifice and incense, and therefore begs that his prayer might be instead of them. Note, Prayer is of a sweet-smelling savour to God, as incense, which yet has no savour without fire; nor has prayer without the fire of holy love and fervour.
II. David was in fear of sin, and he begs of God that he might be kept from sin, knowing that his prayers would not be accepted unless he took care to watch against sin. We must be as earnest for God's grace in us as for his favour towards us. 1. He prays that he might not be surprised into any sinful words (Psa 141:3): "Set a watch, O Lord! before my mouth, and, nature having made my lips to be a door to my words, let grace keep that door, that no word may be suffered to go out which may in any way tend to the dishonour of God or the hurt of others." Good men know the evil of tongue-sins, and how prone they are to them (when enemies are provoking we are in danger of carrying our resentment too far, and of speaking unadvisedly, as Moses did, though the meekest of men), and therefore they are earnest with God to prevent their speaking amiss, as knowing that no watchfulness or resolution of their own is sufficient for the governing of their tongues, much less of their hearts, without the special grace of God. We must keep our mouths as with a bridle; but that will not serve: we must pray to God to keep them. Nehemiah prayed to the Lord when he set a watch, and so must we, for without him the watchman walketh but in vain. 2. That he might not be inclined to any sinful practices (Psa 141:4): "Incline not my heart to any evil thing; whatever inclination there is in me to sin, let it be not only restrained, but mortified, by divine grace." The example of those about us, and the provocations of those against us, are apt to stir up and draw out corrupt inclinations. We are ready to do as others do, and to think that if we have received injuries we may return them; and therefore we have need to pray that we may never be left to ourselves to practise any wicked work, either in confederacy with or in opposition to the men that work iniquity. While we live in such an evil world, and carry about with us such evil hearts, we have need to pray that we may neither be drawn in by any allurement nor driven on by any provocation to do any sinful thing. 3. That he might not be ensnared by any sinful pleasures: "Let me not eat of their dainties. Let me not join with them in their feasts and sports, lest thereby I be inveigled into their sins." Better is a dinner of herbs, out of the way of temptation, than a stalled ox in it. Sinners pretend to find dainties in sin. Stolen waters are sweet; forbidden fruit is pleasant to the eye. But those that consider how soon the dainties of sin will turn into wormwood and gall, how certainly it will, at last, bite like a serpent and sting like an adder, will dread those dainties, and pray to God by his providence to take them out of their sight, and by his grace to turn them against them. Good men will pray even against the sweets of sin.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 1–4. Public domain.
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Origen of AlexandriaAD 253
ON PRAYER 12:2
And he prays “constantly” (deeds of virtue or fulfilling the commandments are included as part of prayer) who unites prayer with the deeds required and right deeds with prayer. For the only way we can accept the command to “pray constantly” as referring to a real possibility is by saying that the entire life of the saint taken as a whole is a single great prayer. What is customarily called prayer is, then, a part of this prayer. Now prayer in the ordinary sense ought to be made no less than three times each day. This is evident from the story of Daniel, who prayed three times a day when such great peril had been devised for him. And Peter went up to the housetop about the sixth hour to pray; that is when he saw the sheet descending from heaven let down by four corners. He was offering the middle prayer of the three, the one referred to before him by David, “In the morning may you hear my prayer, in the morning I will offer to you and I will watch.” And the last time of prayer is indicated by “the lifting up of my hands is an evening sacrifice.” Indeed, we do not even complete the nighttime properly without that prayer of which David speaks when he says, “At midnight I rise to praise you because of your righteous ordinances.” And Paul, as it says in the Acts of the Apostles, prayed “about midnight” with Silas in Philippi and sang a hymn to God so that even the prisoners heard them.
CyprianAD 258
Epistle LXII.16
Does any one perchance flatter himself with this notion, that although in the morning, water alone is seen to be offered, yet when we come to supper we offer the mingled cup? But when we sup, we cannot call the people together to our banquet, so as to celebrate the truth of the sacrament in the presence of all the brotherhood. But still it was not in the morning, but after supper, that the Lord offered the mingled cup. Ought we then to celebrate the Lord's cup after supper, that so by continual repetition of the Lord's supper we may offer the mingled cup? It behoved Christ to offer about the evening of the day, that the very hour of sacrifice might show the setting and the evening of the world; as it is written in Exodus, "And all the people of the synagogue of the children of Israel shall kill it in the evening." And again in the Psalms, "Let the lifting up of my hands be an evening sacrifice." But we celebrate the resurrection of the Lord in the morning.
Augustine of HippoAD 430
Exposition on Psalm 141
"Let my prayer be set forth in Your sight as incense, and the lifting up of my hands an evening sacrifice" [Psalm 141:2]. That this is wont to be understood of the Head Himself, every Christian acknowledges. For when the day was now sinking towards evening, the Lord upon the Cross "laid down His life to take it again," [John 10:17] did not lose it against His will. Still we too are figured there. For what of Him hung upon the tree, save what He took of us? And how can it be that the Father should leave and abandon His only begotten Son, especially when He is one God with Him? Yet, fixing our weakness upon the Cross, where, as the Apostle says, "our old man is crucified with Him," [Romans 6:6] He cried out in the voice of that our "old man," "Why have You forsaken Me?" That then is the "evening sacrifice," the Passion of the Lord, the Cross of the Lord, the offering of a salutary Victim, the whole burnt offering acceptable to God. That "evening sacrifice" produced, in His Resurrection, a morning offering. Prayer then, purely directed from a faithful heart, rises like incense from a hallowed altar. Nought is more delightful than the odour of the Lord: such odour let all have who believe.
Augustine of HippoAD 430
SERMON 342:1
A sermon has to be preached about the evening sacrifice. We prayed after all as we sang, and we sang as we prayed, “May my prayer rise straight up like incense in your presence; the lifting up of my hands an evening sacrifice.” In the prayer we observe the person, in the extension of the hands we recognize the cross. So this is the sign that we carry on our foreheads, the sign by which we have been saved. A sign that was mocked, in order to be honored; despised in order to be glorified. God appears in visible form, so that as man he may intercede; he remains hidden so that as man he may die. “For if they had known, they would never have crucified the Lord of glory.” So this sacrifice, in which the priest is also the victim, has redeemed us by the shedding of the Creator’s blood.
John CassianAD 435
INSTITUTES 3:3
But what should be said concerning the evening sacrifices, since even in the Old Testament, by the law of Moses, these are ordered to be offered continually? We can show that the morning whole-burnt offerings and evening sacrifices were offered every day continually in the temple, although with figurative offerings. This is seen from what is sung by David: “Let my prayer be set forth in your sight as the incense, and let the lifting up of my hands be an evening sacrifice.” We can understand in a still more spiritual sense that the true evening sacrifice is what was given by the Lord our Savior in the evening to the apostles at the Supper, when he instituted the holy mysteries of the church, and what he himself, on the following day at the end of the ages, offered up to the Father by the lifting up of his hands for the salvation of the whole world. The spreading forth of his hands on the Cross is quite correctly called a “lifting up.” For when we were all lying in Hades, he raised us to heaven, according to the word of his own promise, when he says: “When I have been lifted up from the earth, I will draw all people to myself.”
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
Psalms 141:2 is a profound prayer from David, expressing a deep yearning for his personal supplication and worship to be as acceptable and pleasing to God as the divinely ordained sacrificial and incense offerings of the Tabernacle and Temple. Through vivid imagery, the psalmist elevates the intimate acts of prayer and the lifting of hands to the solemnity and spiritual efficacy of the most sacred rituals of Israelite worship, underscoring a desire for divine reception and favor amidst personal distress and temptation.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Psalms 141:2 is rich in Simile, directly comparing David's prayer to "incense" and the lifting of his hands to the "evening sacrifice" using the explicit "as." This creates vivid imagery that draws upon the familiar sensory experiences and spiritual significance of temple worship. The verse also employs profound Symbolism: incense symbolizes ascending prayers and divine acceptance, while the evening sacrifice represents dedication, atonement, and the ongoing covenant relationship. Together, these symbols elevate the personal acts of prayer and supplication to the level of sacred, divinely ordained offerings. Furthermore, the verse exhibits Parallelism, specifically synonymous parallelism, where the second clause ("the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice") reiterates and reinforces the sentiment of the first ("Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense"). Both clauses convey the psalmist's desire for his worship to be pleasing and acceptable to God, using distinct but complementary images from the liturgical life of Israel.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
This verse beautifully bridges the gap between ritualistic worship and the spiritual essence of prayer, articulating a timeless truth that God desires not merely outward performance but heartfelt devotion. David's plea for his prayer to be like incense and his uplifted hands like the evening sacrifice reveals a profound understanding that true worship is an offering of self, a spiritual act that ascends to God's presence. It underscores the biblical principle that access to God, while once mediated through specific rituals and sacrifices, is ultimately about a posture of the heart that seeks to honor and commune with the Divine. The verse anticipates the New Covenant reality where believers, through Christ, offer spiritual sacrifices of praise and lives consecrated to God.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Psalms 141:2 serves as a powerful reminder that our personal prayers are not trivial utterances but sacred offerings, capable of ascending to the very throne of God. It challenges us to approach prayer with intentionality, reverence, and a profound sense of its spiritual significance. Just as the ancient Israelites faithfully presented their daily sacrifices and incense, we are called to present our lives as "a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service" (Romans 12:1), with prayer being an indispensable part of that ongoing spiritual offering. This verse encourages us to cultivate a consistent and heartfelt prayer life, knowing that our sincere petitions and expressions of devotion are a "pleasing aroma" to our heavenly Father, received and honored by Him. It transforms our understanding of prayer from a mere duty or a means to an end into an act of profound worship and communion.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why is prayer compared to incense in this verse?
Answer: The comparison of prayer to incense draws on the ancient Israelite practice of burning fragrant incense on the golden altar in the Tabernacle and Temple. As the smoke of the incense ascended, it symbolized the prayers of God's people rising to His presence. This imagery signifies that prayer is a pleasing aroma to God, an acceptable and holy offering that reaches His throne. It suggests that sincere, heartfelt prayer is received with favor and delight by the Lord, much like the divinely prescribed incense offering. This powerful symbolism is echoed in the New Testament, where the prayers of the saints are depicted as "golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints" (Revelation 5:8) and "much incense" offered with the prayers of all saints (Revelation 8:3).
What is the significance of "lifting up of my hands" in the context of this verse?
Answer: The "lifting up of my hands" was a common and deeply significant posture of prayer and worship in ancient Israel, symbolizing supplication, surrender, blessing, and earnest appeal to God. It expressed a posture of dependence, humility, and expectation before the Almighty. By comparing this physical act of devotion to the "evening sacrifice," David elevates it to the status of a consecrated offering. It suggests that the entirety of one's being, including physical expressions of worship, can be presented to God as a holy and acceptable act, just as the daily sacrifices were a foundational part of communal worship and dedication to the Lord (Exodus 29:39). This posture continues to be a meaningful expression of worship for believers today (1 Timothy 2:8).
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Psalms 141:2, with its longing for prayer and worship to be an acceptable offering, finds its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ. In the Old Covenant, access to God and the efficacy of offerings were mediated through priests and sacrificial systems. However, Christ is the perfect High Priest (Hebrews 4:14) and the ultimate, once-for-all sacrifice (Hebrews 10:10), whose shed blood opened a new and living way into the very presence of God (Hebrews 10:19). The ascending smoke of incense symbolized prayers rising to God; now, our prayers ascend through Christ, who ever lives to make intercession for us (Hebrews 7:25). The evening sacrifice pointed to atonement and dedication; Christ's sacrifice on the cross was the perfect atonement, making us holy and acceptable to God. Believers are now empowered by the Holy Spirit to offer "spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 2:5), which include our prayers, praise (Hebrews 13:15), and our very lives presented as a "living sacrifice" (Romans 12:1). Thus, David's ancient yearning for acceptable worship is fully realized in the believer's access to God and offering of self, made possible and pleasing through the finished work of Christ.