Verse
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Psalm 141:5
ESV 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.
NIV 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.
NASB May the righteous strike me with mercy and discipline me; It is oil for the head; My head shall not refuse it, For my prayer is still against their evil deeds.
CSB 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.
NLT 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.
KJV 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.
NKJV Let the righteous strike me; It shall be a kindness. And let him rebuke me; It shall be as excellent oil; Let my head not refuse it. For still my prayer is against the deeds of the wicked.

What does Psalm 141:5 mean?

Please see our chapter commentary on Psalm 141; verse-level content coming soon!
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Context Summary
Psalm 141:5–7 reinforces the wisdom of taking advice from godly people (Proverbs 13:18). Correction is never pleasant (Hebrews 12:11) and our natural reaction is to resist. But a wise person listens to such guidance (Proverbs 12:1; 19:25; 27:6). The rest of this segment is extremely obscure; commentators struggle to determine precisely what David means when speaking of judges, cliffs, plows, and bones. The general idea seems to be David's assumption that he will be vindicated in the end.
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Chapter Summary
This song calls out to the Lord with two main requests. First, David prays for God's help in avoiding sin and temptation. David is open to godly correction when it comes from a righteous person. But he desperately wants to avoid drifting into sin. David's second request is for protection against the enemies who seek to trap him. He prays that those who plot evil against him will experience those harms, in their own lives.
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