Psalm 141

December 27, 2015

Yahweh is my refuge (Ps 141:8-141:10)

“But my eyes are turned toward you!

Yahweh!

O God!

In you I seek refuge.

Leave me not defenseless!

Keep me from the trap

That they have laid for me!

Keep me from the snares of evildoers!

Let the wicked together fall into their own nets

While I will escape.”

This psalm ends with an assertion of God, Yahweh, the Lord, as the refuge of David. His eyes were turned toward Yahweh. He did not want to be without any defenses. He wanted to keep away from their traps that were set for him. He wanted to escape all the snares of these evildoers. Rather he hoped that they would fall into their own trap nets, while he would escape.

December 27, 2015

Destruction for the wicked (Ps 141:5-141:7)

“Let the righteous strike me!

Let the faithful correct me!

Never let the oil of the wicked anoint my head!

My prayer is continually against their wicked deeds.

When they are given over to those who shall condemn them,

Then they shall learn that my words were pleasant.

Like a rock that one breaks apart,

Like a rock that shatters on the land,

So shall their bones be strewn

At the mouth of Sheol.”

David said that the righteous and faithful ones should strike and correct him. However, he would never let the wicked ones anoint his head with oil or praise him in any way. In fact, he prayed continually to avoid wicked deeds. The results for the wicked were condemnation and unpleasant words. David wanted their bones to be like rocks breaking apart and being shattered all over the land so that they would end up at the mouth of the deadly underworld of Sheol.

December 27, 2015

Keep me from wicked deeds (Ps 141:3-141:4)

“Set a guard over my mouth!

Yahweh!

Keep watch over the door of my lips!

Do not turn my heart to any evil!

Do not let me busy myself

With wicked deeds

In company

With those who work iniquity!

Do not let me eat of their delicacies!”

David wanted Yahweh to guard his mouth and his lips so that he would not speak evil. He wanted Yahweh to keep his heart from evil. David did not want to busy himself with wicked deeds among those who were iniquitous. He did not want to eat of the delicacies of iniquity.

December 27, 2015

A prayer to Yahweh (Ps 141:1-141:2)

A psalm of David

“I call upon you!

Yahweh!

Come quickly to me!

Give ear to my voice

When I call to you!

Let my prayer be counted as incense before you!

I lift up my hands as an evening sacrifice!”

Psalm 141 is a psalm of David as indicated in the title. Once again this is a direct appeal to Yahweh, asking for help to defeat his enemies. David called upon Yahweh to hurry up and hear his voice. He wanted his prayer to be like that of incense at the evening prayer with his lifted hands. This thus assumes a fixed liturgical worship service.