Psalms 141:1-6

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.

Psalms 141:1-6 Meaning and Commentary

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.

Footnotes 3

  • [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.
Scripture quotations marked (LEB) are from the Lexham English Bible. Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software.