Psalms 141

Psalm 141

1

A psalm of David.

1 I cry out to you, LORD: Come to me—quickly! Listen to my voice when I cry out to you!

2 Let my prayer stand before you like incense; let my uplifted hands be like the evening offering.

3 Set a guard over my mouth, LORD; keep close watch over the door that is my lips.

4 Don't let my heart turn aside to evil things so that I don't do wicked things with evildoers, so I don't taste their delicacies.

5 Instead, let the righteous discipline me; let the faithful correct me! Let my head never reject that kind of fine oil, because my prayers are always against the deeds of the wicked.

6 Their leaders will fall from jagged cliffs, but my words will be heard because they are pleasing.

7 Our bones have been scattered at the mouth of the grave, just like when the ground is broken up and plowed.

8 But my eyes are on you, my LORD God. I take refuge in you; don't let me die!

9 Protect me from the trap they've set for me; protect me from the snares of the evildoers.

10 Let the wicked fall into their own nets—all together!— but let me make it through safely.

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]. Heb uncertain
• [b]. Heb uncertain
• [c]. LXX manuscripts, Syr their bones; DSS (11QPs a) my bones
• [d]. Heb Sheol
• [e]. Heb uncertain

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.