Old Testament Commentary - Psalms 141

by Don R. Hender

Scriptural Text [& Editorial]	Commentary & Explanation	Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
CHAPTER 141 David pleads with the Lord to hear his prayers—The reproof of the righteous is a kindness.
A Psalm of David.
1 LORD, I cry unto thee: make ^ahaste unto me; give ear unto my voice, when I cry unto thee. 2 Let my ^aprayer be set forth before thee as ^bincense; and the lifting up of my hands as the ^cevening sacrifice. 3 Set a watch, O LORD, before my ^amouth; keep the door of my lips. Pray Always We are commanded to pray always. This is in part what is meant by remembering him always in that covenant we have made with him. David takes the concept of man being required to pray always with a twist to the next level, which is to not only expect but to partition the Lord to give 'haste unto David's word', and to 'always' give ear when David cries unto the Lord. We are taught that we are to pray 'aright', meaning to pray for those things that we ought to pray for and not to pray for things that we ought not to pray for. .
4 Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practise wicked works with men that work iniquity: and let me not eat of their dainties. 5 *^aLet the righteous ^bsmite me; it shall be* a ^ckindness^a*: and let him reprove me; it shall be* an excellent oil, which shall not break my head: for yet my prayer also shall be in their calamities. 6 When their judges are overthrown in stony places, ^athey shall hear my words; for they are sweet.	5^a Let the righteous smite me: it shall be a kindness The penalty for adultry was stoneing by the righteous, he that is without sin. And the righteous punishment for murder was death, though a Hitite's death may have been counted less and required stoning also. The Lord stated that David would not be caused to die because of his transgression of sin. But to David's guilt ridden mind, it may have been seen by David to be a kindness to have been stoned for his guilt. It would have seemed kindly and merciful to David to be dead and not the constant victum of his guilt before God and man. And though David had committed or was the cause of two murders already, it would have been most grevious for David to have taken his own life by suiside.
7 Our ^abones are scattered at the grave's mouth, as when one cutteth and cleaveth wood upon the earth. 8 But mine ^aeyes are unto thee, O GOD the Lord: in thee is my trust; leave not my soul destitute. 9 Keep me from the snares which they have laid for me, and the gins of the workers of iniquity. 10 Let the wicked fall into their own nets, whilst that I withal escape.