Psalms 141 Study Notes: A Prayer to Be Kept From Evil
David asks that his prayer rise to God like incense and that God guard his speech and keep his heart from the ways of evildoers. He welcomes correction from the righteous, looks to the Lord for refuge, and asks to escape the traps his enemies have set.
General
How does Psalm 141 end, in verses 8-10?
Answer: David looks to the Lord for refuge and asks that the wicked be caught in their own traps
David looks ahead to a day when the leaders of the wicked are hurled from rocky heights, and then the people will heed what he says and find it pleasant (141:6). He pictures great danger as bones strewn at the edge of Sheol, the realm of the dead, like earth broken up by a plow (141:7). Then David turns his eyes to the Lord and takes refuge in Him (141:8). He asks God to keep him from the snares and lures that evildoers have set, and to let the wicked be caught in the very traps they set while he escapes unharmed (141:9-10). David does not set traps for his enemies himself; he hands the matter to God. Scripture often shows the wicked caught by their own schemes: the evildoer falls into the pit he dug (Psalm 7:15-16), and David's pursuers fall into the pit they prepared for him (Psalm 57:6). Paul likewise tells believers to leave vengeance to God (Romans 12:19).
- Psalm 141:8-10 (BSB)“But my eyes are fixed on You, O GOD the Lord. In You I seek refuge; do not leave my soul defenseless. Keep me from the snares they have laid for me, and from the lures of evildoers. Let the wicked fall into their own nets, while I pass by in safety.”David fixes his gaze on the Lord, seeks refuge in Him, and asks to be kept from the traps set for him.
- Psalm 7:15-16 (BSB)“He has dug a hole and hollowed it out; he has fallen into a pit of his own making. His trouble recoils on himself, and his violence falls on his own head.”Another psalm of David describes the wicked man falling into the pit he dug, so his own trouble comes back on him.
- Psalm 57:6 (BSB)“They spread a net for my feet; my soul was despondent. They dug a pit before me, but they themselves have fallen into it! Selah”In a psalm set in the cave, David's enemies spread a net and dug a pit, yet fell into it themselves.
- Romans 12:19 (BSB)“Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but leave room for God’s wrath. For it is written: “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, says the Lord.””Paul tells believers to leave vengeance to God, as David does by asking God to deal with his enemies.
Theological
What does David do and ask for at the close of the psalm (141:8-10)?
Answer: David looks to the Lord for refuge and asks that the wicked be caught in their own traps
After anticipating the overthrow of the wicked rulers, when the people will heed his pleasant words (141:6), and after picturing deadly danger as bones strewn at the edge of Sheol like plowed ground (141:7), David fixes his eyes on the Lord GOD, takes refuge in Him, and asks to be kept from the snares and lures of evildoers, praying that the wicked be caught in their own traps while he escapes unharmed (141:8-10). He entrusts retribution to God rather than taking it into his own hands. The pattern of the wicked ensnared by their own devices recurs in Psalm 7:15-16 and Psalm 57:6, and Paul's instruction to leave vengeance to God (Romans 12:19) expresses the same principle.
- Psalm 141:8-10 (BSB)“But my eyes are fixed on You, O GOD the Lord. In You I seek refuge; do not leave my soul defenseless. Keep me from the snares they have laid for me, and from the lures of evildoers. Let the wicked fall into their own nets, while I pass by in safety.”David fixes his gaze on the Lord, seeks refuge in Him, and asks to be kept from the traps set for him.
- Psalm 7:15-16 (BSB)“He has dug a hole and hollowed it out; he has fallen into a pit of his own making. His trouble recoils on himself, and his violence falls on his own head.”Another psalm of David describes the wicked man falling into the pit he dug, so his own trouble comes back on him.
- Psalm 57:6 (BSB)“They spread a net for my feet; my soul was despondent. They dug a pit before me, but they themselves have fallen into it! Selah”In a psalm set in the cave, David's enemies spread a net and dug a pit, yet fell into it themselves.
- Romans 12:19 (BSB)“Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but leave room for God’s wrath. For it is written: “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, says the Lord.””Paul tells believers to leave vengeance to God, as David does by asking God to deal with his enemies.
General
According to 141:3-4, what does David ask God to keep him from?
Answer: Careless words and being drawn into what evildoers do and enjoy
In 141:3-4 David asks God to post a guard over his mouth and a watchman over his lips, and to keep his heart from leaning toward evil. He does not want to join wicked men in their deeds or share the choice food they enjoy. David knows that his speech and desires need God's protection, not just his own effort. James says that everyone stumbles, and whoever never slips in his speech would be perfect (James 3:2). Proverbs teaches that keeping watch over one's words preserves one's life (Proverbs 13:3), and Psalm 1 calls blessed the person who will not walk with the wicked (Psalm 1:1). Later in the psalm David actually welcomes rebuke from the righteous (141:5), so he is not trying to avoid them.
- Psalm 141:3-4 (BSB)“Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; keep watch at the door of my lips. Do not let my heart be drawn to any evil thing or take part in works of wickedness with men who do iniquity; let me not feast on their delicacies.”David asks God to guard his speech and keep his heart from being drawn into the deeds and pleasures of evildoers.
- James 3:2 (BSB)“We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to control his whole body.”James says everyone stumbles, and anyone who never slips in speech is a perfect man, which is why David needs God to guard his mouth.
- Proverbs 13:3 (BSB)“He who guards his mouth protects his life, but the one who opens his lips invites his own ruin.”Proverbs links guarding the mouth with protecting one's life, the same concern as David's plea.
- Psalm 1:1 (BSB)“Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, or set foot on the path of sinners, or sit in the seat of mockers.”The first psalm calls blessed the person who refuses to keep company with the wicked and sinners.
Theological
From what two dangers does David ask God to keep him in 141:3-4?
Answer: Careless words and being drawn into what evildoers do and enjoy
David asks God to set a guard over his mouth and lips and to keep his heart from inclining to evil, so that he does not share in the works of evildoers or partake of their delicacies (141:3-4). The prayer confesses that both speech and desire require God's keeping grace, not merely self-discipline. James 3:2 grounds the point: all stumble, and control of the tongue would mark a perfect man. Proverbs 13:3 connects guarding the mouth with preserving life, and Psalm 1:1 pronounces blessed the one who keeps away from the wicked. The next verse shows that David welcomes the rebuke of the righteous (141:5).
- Psalm 141:3-4 (BSB)“Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; keep watch at the door of my lips. Do not let my heart be drawn to any evil thing or take part in works of wickedness with men who do iniquity; let me not feast on their delicacies.”David asks God to guard his speech and keep his heart from being drawn into the deeds and pleasures of evildoers.
- James 3:2 (BSB)“We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to control his whole body.”James says everyone stumbles, and anyone who never slips in speech is a perfect man, which is why David needs God to guard his mouth.
- Proverbs 13:3 (BSB)“He who guards his mouth protects his life, but the one who opens his lips invites his own ruin.”Proverbs links guarding the mouth with protecting one's life, the same concern as David's plea.
- Psalm 1:1 (BSB)“Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, or set foot on the path of sinners, or sit in the seat of mockers.”The first psalm calls blessed the person who refuses to keep company with the wicked and sinners.
General
In 141:1-2, what does David ask God to do with his prayer and his lifted hands?
Answer: Receive them as He receives the incense and the evening sacrifice
Psalm 141 is a prayer of David that opens with an urgent request for the LORD to hurry to him and listen (141:1). He then asks that his prayer rise before God like incense and that his raised hands be welcome like the offering made each evening (141:2). In Israel's worship, the priest burned fragrant incense before the LORD every morning and at twilight (Exodus 30:7-8), and a lamb was offered at twilight as an aroma that pleased Him (Exodus 29:41). David borrows those daily acts of worship to picture his own prayer as something offered to God and gladly received. He is not asking to replace the sacrifices; he is asking that his words be as acceptable as they are. The same pairing appears in Revelation, where bowls of incense stand for the prayers of God's people (Revelation 5:8).
- Psalm 141:1-2 (BSB)“A Psalm of David. I call upon You, O LORD; come quickly to me. Hear my voice when I call to You. May my prayer be set before You like incense; my uplifted hands, like the evening offering.”David calls on the LORD to hurry to him and asks that his prayer and raised hands be received like the incense and the evening sacrifice.
- Exodus 30:7-8 (BSB)“And Aaron is to burn fragrant incense on it every morning when he tends the lamps. When Aaron sets up the lamps at twilight, he must burn the incense perpetually before the LORD for the generations to come.”Aaron was to burn fragrant incense before the LORD every morning and again at twilight, the setting David's picture draws on.
- Exodus 29:41 (BSB)“And offer the second lamb at twilight with the same grain offering and drink offering as in the morning, as a pleasing aroma, a food offering to the LORD.”A lamb was offered at twilight each day as a pleasing aroma to the LORD, the evening offering David mentions.
- Revelation 5:8 (BSB)“When He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp, and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.”In John's vision the golden bowls of incense are identified as the prayers of the saints, the same pairing of prayer and incense.
Theological
What does David request concerning his prayer and uplifted hands in 141:2?
Answer: Receive them as He receives the incense and the evening sacrifice
After an urgent plea for the LORD to hasten to him (141:1), David asks that his prayer rise before God as incense and the lifting of his hands as the evening offering (141:2). The imagery draws on the tabernacle's daily rhythm: incense burned morning and twilight (Exodus 30:7-8) and the twilight lamb whose aroma pleased Him (Exodus 29:41). David is not substituting prayer for the sacrifices but asking that his petition be received with the same acceptance as the appointed worship. Revelation 5:8 carries the same association forward, identifying the bowls of incense with the prayers of God's holy people.
- Psalm 141:1-2 (BSB)“A Psalm of David. I call upon You, O LORD; come quickly to me. Hear my voice when I call to You. May my prayer be set before You like incense; my uplifted hands, like the evening offering.”David calls on the LORD to hurry to him and asks that his prayer and raised hands be received like the incense and the evening sacrifice.
- Exodus 30:7-8 (BSB)“And Aaron is to burn fragrant incense on it every morning when he tends the lamps. When Aaron sets up the lamps at twilight, he must burn the incense perpetually before the LORD for the generations to come.”Aaron was to burn fragrant incense before the LORD every morning and again at twilight, the setting David's picture draws on.
- Exodus 29:41 (BSB)“And offer the second lamb at twilight with the same grain offering and drink offering as in the morning, as a pleasing aroma, a food offering to the LORD.”A lamb was offered at twilight each day as a pleasing aroma to the LORD, the evening offering David mentions.
- Revelation 5:8 (BSB)“When He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp, and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.”In John's vision the golden bowls of incense are identified as the prayers of the saints, the same pairing of prayer and incense.
General
True or False: In 141:5 David says he would welcome being corrected by a righteous man and would count it as an act of kindness.
Answer: True
This is true. In 141:5 David says that if a righteous man strikes him, meaning corrects or rebukes him, he will count it as loving devotion, a loyal kindness. He compares it to oil for his head, something to be received rather than pushed away, and he asks that he never refuse it. He adds that he keeps praying against what the wicked do (141:5). David contrasts the tempting delicacies of the wicked (141:4) with the painful but healthy correction of the righteous. Proverbs teaches the same: a friend's wounds are faithful (Proverbs 27:6), a wise man loves the one who rebukes him (Proverbs 9:8), and whoever heeds correction that leads to life belongs among the wise (Proverbs 15:31).
- Psalm 141:5 (BSB)“Let the righteous man strike me; let his rebuke be an act of loving devotion. It is oil for my head; let me not refuse it. For my prayer is ever against the deeds of the wicked.”David welcomes correction from a righteous person and counts it as kindness.
- Proverbs 27:6 (BSB)“The wounds of a friend are faithful, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.”Proverbs says the wounds a friend gives are faithful, which is exactly how David regards a righteous rebuke.
- Proverbs 9:8 (BSB)“Do not rebuke a mocker, or he will hate you; rebuke a wise man, and he will love you.”A wise man loves the one who rebukes him, the attitude David shows here.
- Proverbs 15:31 (BSB)“He who listens to life-giving reproof will dwell among the wise.”Listening to reproof that gives life places a person among the wise.
Theological
True or False: David regards a righteous man's rebuke in 141:5 as an expression of loving devotion to be received, not refused.
Answer: True
This is true. David asks that a righteous man strike him and that the rebuke be counted as loving devotion, comparing it to oil on the head that he will not refuse, while his own prayers remain set against what evildoers do (141:5). The verse sets the wholesome correction of the righteous over against the tempting delicacies of evildoers (141:4). Wisdom literature affirms the same disposition: faithful are a friend's wounds (Proverbs 27:6), the wise love their reprover (Proverbs 9:8), and receptiveness to correction that leads to life marks the wise (Proverbs 15:31).
- Psalm 141:5 (BSB)“Let the righteous man strike me; let his rebuke be an act of loving devotion. It is oil for my head; let me not refuse it. For my prayer is ever against the deeds of the wicked.”David welcomes correction from a righteous person and counts it as kindness.
- Proverbs 27:6 (BSB)“The wounds of a friend are faithful, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.”Proverbs says the wounds a friend gives are faithful, which is exactly how David regards a righteous rebuke.
- Proverbs 9:8 (BSB)“Do not rebuke a mocker, or he will hate you; rebuke a wise man, and he will love you.”A wise man loves the one who rebukes him, the attitude David shows here.
- Proverbs 15:31 (BSB)“He who listens to life-giving reproof will dwell among the wise.”Listening to reproof that gives life places a person among the wise.