Psalm 141

Psalm 141 belongs to Book Five of the Psalms (Psalms 107–150) and is one of a group of psalms (Psalms 138–145) whose superscriptions read "A Psalm of David." The preceding Psalm 140 is a cry for deliverance from the wicked. Psalm 141 continues that plea and adds a prayer that the psalmist's own mouth and heart, not only the wicked around him, be kept from inclining toward evil.

Structure

• Verses 1–2 The psalmist cries out to the LORD to come to him quickly. He asks that his prayer be accepted as incense and the lifting up of his hands as the evening sacrifice.
• Verses 3–4 He asks God to set a watch before his mouth and keep the door of his lips. He prays that his heart not incline to any evil thing, so that he does not practice wickedness with evildoers or eat of their dainties (delicacies).
• Verses 5–7 He declares that if the righteous strike and rebuke him, he will receive it as a kindness and as oil upon his head. He then describes the judges of the wicked being thrown down beside the rock and the grim scene of bones scattered at the mouth of Sheol.
• Verses 8–10 He confesses that his eyes are fixed on the Lord and that he takes refuge in Him. He asks to be kept from the snares and traps the wicked have laid, and prays that the wicked fall into their own nets while he himself escapes unharmed.

Key Verses

• Psalm 141:2 "Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense" — This comparison of prayer to an offering is frequently invoked to explain the meaning of prayer.
• Psalm 141:3 "Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth" — A classic example of prayer that entrusts to God the guarding of one's speech.

People and Places

• David — The king of Israel named in the superscription. He does not appear in the text of the psalm itself.
• Sheol — The Hebrew she'ol, rendered eumbu in Korean Bibles, refers to the place where the dead go.

Points for Reflection

• The incense and evening sacrifice of verse 2 reflect the evening offering among the Old Testament sacrifices. Many interpreters understand the psalmist, unable to take part in the sacrifice, as offering his prayer itself in its place. In the New Testament, Revelation 8 (8:3–4) and Revelation 5:8 likewise depict the prayers of the saints as incense.
• The Hebrew text of verses 5–7 is difficult, and translations differ considerably. Comparing the wording of the Korean Revised Version, the New Korean Revised Version, and the New Korean Standard Version can be helpful. Some interpreters associate the psalm with the period when David was fleeing from Saul, but the text itself does not specify the circumstances.
• This psalm is said to have been used in evening prayer since the time of the early church. The Eastern Orthodox Church still sings it with the offering of incense at evening prayer (Vespers). In traditions that follow the Septuagint, this psalm is numbered Psalm 140.
• Interpretations differ regarding the petition in verse 10 that the wicked "fall into their own nets." The prevailing interpretation reads it not as a wish for personal revenge but as a confession that entrusts judgment to God's justice.

In the Korean Church

Verse 3 is often cited alongside James 3 in sermons and devotions on speech and the tongue.