Psalm 141:6 - Printer Friendly

ESV: When their judges are thrown over the cliff, then they shall hear my words, for they are pleasant.

NIV: Their rulers will be thrown down from the cliffs, and the wicked will learn that my words were well spoken.

NASB: Their judges are thrown down by the sides of the rock, And they hear my words, for they are pleasant.

CSB: When their rulers will be thrown off the sides of a cliff, the people will listen to my words, for they are pleasing.

NLT: When their leaders are thrown down from a cliff, the wicked will listen to my words and find them true.

KJV: When their judges are overthrown in stony places, they shall hear my words; for they are sweet.

NKJV: Their judges are overthrown by the sides of the cliff, And they hear my words, for they are sweet.

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.

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.

This is one of several psalms where David asks the Lord for protection against enemies (Psalm 3; 25; 57). No exact moment is tied to this song. David's strong emphasis here on being kept from sinning notable in the psalms. His attitude echoes the Bible's stance on godly advice (Proverbs 9:8; 19:25; 27:6) and the importance of taking correction from both God and earthly authorities (Psalm 94:12; Proverbs 14:11; Hebrews 12:7).

The book of Psalms is composed of individual songs, hymns, or poems, each of which is a ''Psalm'' in and of itself. These works contain a wide variety of themes. Some Psalms focus on praising and worshipping God. Others cry out in anguish over the pain of life. Still other Psalms look forward to the coming of the Messiah. While some Psalms are related, each has its own historical and biblical context.

Accessed 3/28/2025 5:54:28 AM