Psalms 141

Protection from Sin and Sinners

1

A Davidic psalm.

1 Lord, I call on You;^[a] hurry to [help] me. Listen to my voice when I call on You.

2 May my prayer be set before You as incense, the raising of my hands as the evening offering.

3 Lord, set up a guard for my mouth; keep watch at the door of my lips.

4 Do not let my heart turn to any evil thing or wickedly perform reckless acts with men who commit sin.^[b] Do not let me feast on their delicacies.

5 Let the righteous one strike me- it is [an act of] faithful love; let him rebuke me- it is oil for my head; let me^[c] not refuse it. Even now my prayer is against the evil acts of the wicked.^[d]

6 When their rulers^[e] will be thrown off the sides of a cliff,^[f] the people^[g] will listen to my words, for they are pleasing.

7 As when one plows and breaks up the soil, [turning up rocks], so our^[h] bones have been scattered at the mouth of Sheol.

8 But my eyes [look] to You, Lord God . I seek refuge in You;^[i] do not let me die.^[j]

9 Protect me from^[k] the trap they have set for me, and from the snares of evildoers.

10 Let the wicked fall into their own nets, while I pass [safely] by.

Psalms 141 Commentary

Chapter 141

David prays for God's acceptance and assistance. (1-4) That God would appear for his rescue. (5-10)

Verses 1-4 Make haste unto me. Those that know how to value God's gracious presence, will be the more fervent in their prayers. When presented through the sacrifice and intercession of the Saviour, they will be as acceptable to God as the daily sacrifices and burnings of incense were of old. Prayer is a spiritual sacrifice, it is the offering up the soul and its best affections. Good men know the evil of tongue sins. When enemies are provoking, we are in danger of speaking unadvisedly. While we live in an evil world, and have such evil hearts, we have need to pray that we may neither be drawn nor driven to do any thing sinful. Sinners pretend to find dainties in sin; but those that consider how soon sin will turn into bitterness, will dread such dainties, and pray to God to take them out of their sight, and by his grace to turn their hearts against them. Good men pray against the sweets of sin.

Verses 5-10 We should be ready to welcome the rebuke of our heavenly Father, and also the reproof of our brethren. It shall not break my head, if it may but help to break my heart: we must show that we take it kindly. Those who slighted the word of God before, will be glad of it when in affliction, for that opens the ear to instruction. When the world is bitter, the word is sweet. Let us lift our prayer unto God. Let us entreat him to rescue us from the snares of Satan, and of all the workers of iniquity. In language like this psalm, O Lord, would we entreat that our poor prayers should set forth our only hope, our only dependence on thee. Grant us thy grace, that we may be prepared for this employment, being clothed with thy righteousness, and having all the gifts of thy Spirit planted in our hearts.

Footnotes

• [a]. Ps 17:6; 31:17; 88:9
• [b]. Ps 6:8; Jb 34:8-10
• [c]. Lit my head
• [d]. Lit of them
• [e]. Or judges
• [f]. 2 Ch 25:12
• [g]. Lit cliff, and they
• [h]. DSS reads my; some LXX mss, Syr read their
• [i]. Ps 7:1; 57:1; 144:2
• [j]. Or not pour out my life
• [k]. Lit from the hands of

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 141

\\<>\\. This psalm was written about the same time, and upon the same occasion, as that going before and what follows after; even when David was persecuted by Saul, and when he was in great danger of his enemies, and snares were laid for his life.