Psalms 141

Prayer for Preservation from Evil

¹LORD, I have called on you. Come to me quickly! Listen to my voice when I call to you.

²Let my prayer be set before you like incense; the lifting up of my hands like the evening sacrifice.

³Set a watch, LORD, before my mouth. Keep the door of my lips.

⁴Don’t incline my heart to any evil thing, to practice deeds of wickedness with men who work iniquity. Don’t let me eat of their delicacies.

⁵Let the righteous strike me, it is kindness; let him reprove me, it is like oil on the head; don’t let my head refuse it; Yet my prayer is always against evil deeds.

⁶Their judges are thrown down by the sides of the rock. They will hear my words, for they are well spoken.

⁷“As when one plows and breaks up the earth, our bones are scattered at the mouth of Sheol.”

⁸For my eyes are on you, LORD, the Lord. I take refuge in you. Don’t leave my soul destitute.

⁹Keep me from the snare which they have laid for me, from the traps of the workers of iniquity.

¹⁰Let the wicked fall together into their own nets while I pass by.

Previous Psalms 140

Next Psalms 142

Psalm 141 is an urgent prayer for divine protection from evil influences and moral corruption. David pleads for God's immediate help, asking for guard over his speech and heart to prevent him from joining the wicked in their deeds. The psalm combines requests for personal righteousness with confidence that God will ultimately judge the wicked while preserving the faithful.

Context

This individual lament continues the pattern of urgent prayers for deliverance found throughout the latter portion of the Psalter, particularly echoing themes from Psalms 139-140.

Key Themes

Outline

1-2
Urgent Appeal for God's Attention David calls for immediate divine response, comparing his prayer to incense and evening sacrifice.
3-5
Prayer for Personal Righteousness Request for God to guard his speech and heart from evil, welcoming righteous correction.
6-7
Judgment on the Wicked Prophetic declaration of coming judgment on corrupt leaders and evildoers.
8-10
Trust in Divine Protection Confident appeal for refuge and deliverance from the snares of the wicked.

Prayer for Preservation from Evil

141:1–141:10

poetry prayer urgent

A prayer for divine protection from evil influences and wicked companions, asking God to guard the psalmist's words and heart from corruption. The psalmist seeks refuge in God while requesting that the wicked fall into their own traps.

theme_rarity

David's metaphor of God as a doorkeeper guarding his lips (v. 3) uniquely parallels ancient temple gatekeepers who controlled access to sacred spaces, suggesting speech requires the same ritual purity as worship.

Insight Rare Theme