Psalms 141 - Printer Friendly

David hopes that his prayer will be pleasing to the Lord. In fact, David hopes that his sincere worship will please God as much as offerings of incense or sacrifice (Psalm 141:1–2).

As part of his devotion, David asks for God's help in avoiding sin and temptation (Psalm 143:1–2). Unwise words (James 3:2), internal temptation (James 1:14), the influence of ungodly people (Proverbs 13:20), and the lures of worldly pleasure (Proverbs 6:24–25; 23:6–7; 1 John 2:16) are moral threats. In humility, David asks the Lord for protection against those things, but also against himself (1 Corinthians 10:13), so that he will not fall to such temptations (Psalm 141:3–4).

David recognizes that the Lord's help comes in many ways, including suggestions from godly advisors (Proverbs 12:1; 13:18). Being corrected by a wise person (Proverbs 1:7) is a blessing. Rather than following the natural urge to ignore discipline (Hebrews 12:11), David wants to be open to the Lord's instructions (Psalm 141:5).

Verses 6 and 7 contain Hebrew phrasing which scholars find extremely difficult to translate. The literal words are plain. What's difficult is knowing if David is speaking about a future event, a common occurrence, or a past incident. Likewise, it's difficult to tell if some of the words are spoken by these "judges" or someone else. Most interpretations include the general idea of vindication. That is, that David expects that time will prove his message and faith to be accurate (Psalm 141:6–7).

Despite what may happen, David is confident. In faith, he asks to be spared from the schemes and traps of his enemies. Further, David hopes that those who conspire against him will suffer directly from their own sinful choices (Psalm 141:8–10).

Psalm 141:1–2 presents David's request that his prayer would be effective. As do other Scriptures (Revelation 5:8), these verses compare prayers to incense. The metaphor involves something which rises and brings a pleasant sensation to God. Similarly, David hopes that his humble and earnest prayer will gain a response from the Lord just as much as a physical sacrifice.

Psalm 141:3–4 shows David's commitment to holiness. He knows that he is prone to sin, as are all people (Psalm 51:5; 143:1–2; Romans 3:10). So, he prays for protection from moral failure. This includes help in regulating his words (James 3:2), resisting temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13), avoiding sinful people (Proverbs 13:20), and not being lured by ungodly pleasures (Proverbs 6:24–25; 23:6–7).

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.