Psalms 141

Prayer for God’s Help in Maintaining Integrity

1

A psalm of David.

1 I call on you, O Yahweh; hasten to me. Listen to my voice when I call to you.

2 Let my prayer be set before you [as] incense, the lifting up of my palms [as the] evening offering.

3 Set a guard, O Yahweh, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips.

4 Do not incline my heart to any evil thing, to practice wicked deeds with men [who] do iniquity; and do not let me eat of their delicacies.

5 Let a righteous one strike me in kindness, and let him chasten me. [It is] oil for [my] head; let not my head refuse. For still my prayer [is] against their evil deeds.

6 [When] their judges are thrown down [the] sides of a cliff, then they will understand that my words were pleasant.

7 As [when one] plows and breaks up the earth, [so] our bones are scattered at the mouth of Sheol.

8 But my eyes [are] toward you, O Yahweh, my Lord; I have taken refuge in you. Do not lay bare my soul.

9 Protect me from [the] {grasp} of [the] trap they have laid for me, and [from the] snares of evildoers.

10 Let [the] wicked fall into their nets, while I escape altogether.

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]. The Hebrew Bible counts the superscription as the first verse of the psalm
• [b]. Or "It is choice oil"
• [c]. Or "are dropped into the hands of [the] Rock," that is, Yahweh. The interpretation of vv. 6-7 is uncertain.
• [d]. Or "Because"
• [e]. Or "Do not raze my life"
• [f]. Literally "hand"
• [g]. Hebrew "his"

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.