Psalm 141:1-12
A Prayer for Preservation from Evil
1411 O Lord , I call upon You; hasten to me! Give ear to my voice when I call to You! 2 May my prayer be counted as incense before You; The lifting up of my hands as the evening offering . 3 Set a guard , O Lord , over my mouth ; Keep watch over the door of my lips . 4 Do not incline my heart to any evil thing , To practice deeds of wickedness With men who do iniquity ; And do not let me eat of their delicacies .
5 Let the righteous smite me in kindness and reprove me; It is oil upon the head ; Do not let my head refuse it, For still my prayer is against their wicked deeds . 6 Their judges are thrown down by the sides of the rock , And they hear my words , for they are pleasant . 7 As when one plows and breaks open the earth , Our bones have been scattered at the mouth of Sheol . 8 For my eyes are toward You, O GOD , the Lord ; In You I take refuge ; do not leave me defenseless e . 9 Keep me from the jaws of the trap which they have set for me, And from the snares of those who do iniquity . 10 Let the wicked fall into their own nets , While I pass by safely .
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Psalm 141:1-12
Commentary on Psalm 141:1-4
(Read Psalm 141:1-4)
Make haste unto me. Those that know how to value God's gracious presence, will be the more fervent in their prayers. When presented through the sacrifice and intercession of the Saviour, they will be as acceptable to God as the daily sacrifices and burnings of incense were of old. Prayer is a spiritual sacrifice, it is the offering up the soul and its best affections. Good men know the evil of tongue sins. When enemies are provoking, we are in danger of speaking unadvisedly. While we live in an evil world, and have such evil hearts, we have need to pray that we may neither be drawn nor driven to do any thing sinful. Sinners pretend to find dainties in sin; but those that consider how soon sin will turn into bitterness, will dread such dainties, and pray to God to take them out of their sight, and by his grace to turn their hearts against them. Good men pray against the sweets of sin.
Commentary on Psalm 141:5-10
(Read Psalm 141:5-10)
We should be ready to welcome the rebuke of our heavenly Father, and also the reproof of our brethren. It shall not break my head, if it may but help to break my heart: we must show that we take it kindly. Those who slighted the word of God before, will be glad of it when in affliction, for that opens the ear to instruction. When the world is bitter, the word is sweet. Let us lift our prayer unto God. Let us entreat him to rescue us from the snares of Satan, and of all the workers of iniquity. In language like this psalm, O Lord, would we entreat that our poor prayers should set forth our only hope, our only dependence on thee. Grant us thy grace, that we may be prepared for this employment, being clothed with thy righteousness, and having all the gifts of thy Spirit planted in our hearts.