Logos Bible Study

Psalm 141:title–10

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A psalm of David.

141:1O Lord, I cry out to you. Come quickly to me!

Pay attention to me when I cry out to you!

141:2May you accept my prayer like incense,

my uplifted hands like the evening offering!1

141:3O Lord, place a guard on my mouth!

Protect the opening2 of my lips!3

141:4Do not let me have evil desires,4

or participate in sinful activities

with men who behave wickedly.5

I will not eat their delicacies.6

141:5May the godly strike me in love and correct me!

May my head not refuse7 choice oil!8

Indeed, my prayer is a witness against their evil deeds.9

141:6They will be thrown down the side of a cliff by their judges.10

They11 will listen to my words, for they are pleasant.

141:7As when one plows and breaks up the soil,12

so our bones are scattered at the mouth of Sheol.

141:8Surely I am looking to you,13 O sovereign Lord.

In you I take shelter.

Do not expose me to danger!14

141:9Protect me from the snare they have laid for me,

and the traps the evildoers have set.15

141:10Let the wicked fall16 into their17 own nets,

while I escape.18

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Heb “may my prayer be established [like] incense before you, the uplifting of my hands [like] an evening offering.”
  2. 2 Heb “door.” The Hebrew word occurs only here in the OT.
  3. 3 My mouth … my lips. The psalmist asks God to protect him from speaking inappropriately or sinfully.
  4. 4 Heb “do not turn my heart toward an evil thing.”
  5. 5 Heb “to act sinfully in practices in wickedness with men, doers of evil.”
  6. 6 Their delicacies. This probably refers to the enjoyment that a sinful lifestyle appears to offer.
  7. 7 The form יָנִי (yaniy) appears to be derived from the verbal root נוּא (nu’). Another option is to emend the form to יְנָא (yéna’), a Piel from נָאָה (na’ah), and translate “may choice oil not adorn my head” (see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101–150 [], ). In this case, choice oil, like delicacies in v. 4, symbolize the pleasures of sin.
  8. 8 May my head not refuse choice oil. The psalmist compares the constructive criticism of the godly (see the previous line) to having refreshing olive oil poured over one’s head.
  9. 9 Heb “for still, and my prayer [is] against their evil deeds.” The syntax of the Hebrew text is difficult; the sequence -כִּי־עוֹד וּ (kiy-’od u-, “for still and”) occurs only here. The translation assumes an emendation to כִּי עֵד תְפלָּתִי (“indeed a witness [is] my prayer”). The psalmist’s lament about the evil actions of sinful men (see v. 4) testifies against the wicked in the divine court.
  10. 10 Heb “they are thrown down by the hands of a cliff, their judges.” The syntax of the Hebrew text is difficult and the meaning uncertain. The perfect verbal form is understood as rhetorical; the psalmist describes the anticipated downfall of the wicked as if it had already occurred. “Their judges” could be taken as the subject of the verb, but this makes little, if any, sense. The translation assumes the judges are the agents and that the wicked, mentioned earlier in the psalm, are the subjects of the verb.
  11. 11 It is unclear how this statement relates to the preceding sentence. Perhaps the judges are the referent of the pronominal subject (“they”) of the verb “will listen,” and “my words” are the referent of the pronominal subject (“they”) of the phrase “are pleasant.” The psalmist may be affirming here his confidence that he will be vindicated when he presents his case before the judges, while the wicked will be punished.
  12. 12 Heb “like splitting and breaking open in the earth.” The meaning of the statement and the point of the comparison are not entirely clear. Perhaps the psalmist is suggesting that he and other godly individuals are as good as dead; their bones are scattered about like dirt that is dug up and tossed aside.
  13. 13 Heb “my eyes [are] toward you.”
  14. 14 Heb “do not lay bare my life.” Only here is the Piel form of the verb collocated with the term נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, “life”). In Isa 53:12 the Lord’s servant “lays bare (the Hiphil form of the verb is used) his life to death.”
  15. 15 Heb “and the traps of the doers of evil.”
  16. 16 The prefixed verbal form is understood as a jussive of prayer. Another option is to translate, “the wicked will fall.”
  17. 17 Heb “his.”
  18. 18 Heb “at the same [that] I, until I pass by.” Another option is to take יַחַד (yakhad) with the preceding line, “let the wicked fall together into their own nets.”

The NET Bible First Edition, Copyright 1996-2005 by Biblical Studies Press

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

A Psalm of David.

O Lord, I call upon you; hasten to me!

Give ear to my voice when I call to you!

Let my prayer be counted as incense before you,

and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice!

Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth;

keep watch over the door of my lips!

Do not let my heart incline to any evil,

to busy myself with wicked deeds

in company with men who work iniquity,

and let me not eat of their delicacies!

Let a righteous man strike me—it is a kindness;

let him rebuke me—it is oil for my head;

let my head not refuse it.

Yet my prayer is continually against their evil deeds.

When their judges are thrown over the cliff,

then they shall hear my words, for they are pleasant.

As when one plows and breaks up the earth,

so shall our bones be scattered at the mouth of Sheol.

But my eyes are toward you, O God, my Lord;

in you I seek refuge; leave me not defenseless!

Keep me from the trap that they have laid for me

and from the snares of evildoers!

Let the wicked fall into their own nets,

while I pass by safely.

Copyright 2001 Crossway Bibles

NIVNew International Version (2011)

A psalm of David.

I call to you, Lord, come quickly to me;

hear me when I call to you.

May my prayer be set before you like incense;

may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.

Set a guard over my mouth, Lord;

keep watch over the door of my lips.

Do not let my heart be drawn to what is evil

so that I take part in wicked deeds

along with those who are evildoers;

do not let me eat their delicacies.

Let a righteous man strike me—that is a kindness;

let him rebuke me—that is oil on my head.

My head will not refuse it,

for my prayer will still be against the deeds of evildoers.

Their rulers will be thrown down from the cliffs,

and the wicked will learn that my words were well spoken.

They will say, “As one plows and breaks up the earth,

so our bones have been scattered at the mouth of the grave.”

But my eyes are fixed on you, Sovereign Lord;

in you I take refuge—do not give me over to death.

Keep me safe from the traps set by evildoers,

from the snares they have laid for me.

Let the wicked fall into their own nets,

while I pass by in safety.

Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 Biblica, Inc.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

A psalm of David.

Lord, I call on you; hurry to help me.

Listen to my voice when I call on you.

May my prayer be set before you as incense,

the raising of my hands as the evening offering.

Lord, set up a guard for my mouth;

keep watch at the door of my lips.

Do not let my heart turn to any evil thing

or perform wicked acts with evildoers.

Do not let me feast on their delicacies.

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 not refuse it.

Even now my prayer is against

the evil acts of the wicked.

When their rulers will be thrown off

the sides of a cliff,

the people will listen to my words,

for they are pleasing.

As when one plows and breaks up the soil,

turning up rocks,

so our bones have been scattered

at the mouth of Sheol.

But my eyes look to you, Lord, my Lord.

I seek refuge in you; do not let me die.

Protect me from the trap they have set for me,

and from the snares of evildoers.

Let the wicked fall into their own nets,

while I pass by safely.

Copyright 2017 Holman Bible Publishers

NLTNew Living Translation

A psalm of David.

O Lord, I am calling to you. Please hurry!

Listen when I cry to you for help!

Accept my prayer as incense offered to you,

and my upraised hands as an evening offering.

Take control of what I say, O Lord,

and guard my lips.

Don’t let me drift toward evil

or take part in acts of wickedness.

Don’t let me share in the delicacies

of those who do wrong.

Let the godly strike me!

It will be a kindness!

If they correct me, it is soothing medicine.

Don’t let me refuse it.

But I pray constantly

against the wicked and their deeds.

When their leaders are thrown down from a cliff,

the wicked will listen to my words and find them true.

Like rocks brought up by a plow,

the bones of the wicked will lie scattered without burial.

I look to you for help, O Sovereign Lord.

You are my refuge; don’t let them kill me.

Keep me from the traps they have set for me,

from the snares of those who do wrong.

Let the wicked fall into their own nets,

but let me escape.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

A psalm of David.

I call on you, O Yahweh; hasten to me.

Listen to my voice when I call to you.

Let my prayer be set before you as incense,

the lifting up of my palms as the evening offering.

Set a guard, O Yahweh, over my mouth;

keep watch over the door of my lips.

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.

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.

When their judges are thrown down the sides of a cliff,

then they will understand that my words were pleasant.

As when one plows and breaks up the earth,

so our bones are scattered at the mouth of Sheol.

But my eyes are toward you, O Yahweh, my Lord;

I have taken refuge in you. Do not lay bare my soul.

Protect me from the grasp of the trap they have laid for me,

and from the snares of evildoers.

Let the wicked fall into their nets,

while I escape altogether.

Copyright 2012 Lexham Press

KJV 1900King James Version

A Psalm of David.

Lord, I cry unto thee: Make haste unto me;

Give ear unto my voice, when I cry unto thee.

Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense;

And the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.

Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth;

Keep the door of my lips.

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.

Let the righteous smite me; it shall be a kindness:

And let him reprove me; it shall be an excellent oil,

Which shall not break my head:

For yet my prayer also shall be in their calamities.

When their judges are overthrown in stony places,

They shall hear my words; for they are sweet.

Our bones are scattered at the grave’s mouth,

As when one cutteth and cleaveth wood upon the earth.

But mine eyes are unto thee, O God the Lord:

In thee is my trust; leave not my soul destitute.

Keep me from the snares which they have laid for me,

And the gins of the workers of iniquity.

Let the wicked fall into their own nets,

Whilst that I withal escape.

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