What does “let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense” mean?

When David asks that his prayer be like incense, he is using a picture from worship in Israel. Incense was burned before God and its smoke rose up with a sweet smell. In the same way, David wants his prayer to rise before God and be pleasing to him. He is not just saying words; he wants his heart and his request to be like a holy offering. The “lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice” shows the same idea: prayer given to God with respect and faith.

Why does David ask God to set a watch before his mouth?

David is in trouble and knows how easy it is to say wrong things when under stress or attack. He asks God to “set a watch” before his mouth and to keep the door of his lips, meaning he wants God to guard what he says. He does not want to answer evil with harsh words, threats, or complaints. This shows that he sees his tongue as weak and in need of God’s help, and that he cares about staying clean from sin even while he is being hurt.

What does “incline not my heart to any evil thing” teach about temptation?

When David prays, “Incline not my heart to any evil thing,” he is admitting that his heart can be pulled toward sin. He asks God not to let him join in “wicked works with men that work iniquity” or be drawn by their “dainties,” meaning their pleasant offers and comfortable life. This shows that temptation is not only about outside pressure, but also about the heart wanting what is wrong. David knows he needs God to keep his desires from drifting toward the ways of the wicked.

Why does David say, “Let the righteous smite me; it shall be a kindness”?

David says that if a righteous person rebukes him, it is like a kindness and like good oil on his head. He would rather be corrected by a godly friend than be flattered by wicked people. This shows a humble heart that welcomes honest warning instead of getting angry at it. He sees loving rebuke as something that helps and heals, not as harm. At the same time, he keeps praying for those who fall into calamity, so his heart stays soft even toward people in trouble.

What is happening when David says, “Our bones are scattered at the grave’s mouth”?

The line about bones scattered at the grave’s mouth shows how close to death David and his people feel. It is like saying they have been cut down and left as if already at the edge of the grave, like wood chopped and spread on the ground. This picture fits times of heavy persecution or constant danger. Even in that place of fear and weakness, David does not turn to revenge or to the ways of the wicked. Instead, he keeps looking to God alone for help and rescue.

What does this passage teach about God’s protection from traps and snares?

Near the end, David asks, “Keep me from the snares which they have laid for me, and the gins of the workers of iniquity.” He believes that wicked people set hidden traps, but that God sees them clearly. He prays that the wicked will fall into their own nets while he escapes. This shows trust that God can turn evil plans back on the ones who made them. It is not a call for personal revenge, but a request that God’s justice will stand and that he will keep his servant from being caught.

How can this passage guide how I respond to people who wrong me?

David is hurt and in danger, yet his first concern is not to speak sinfully or join the wicked. He prays for guarded lips, a steady heart, and a willingness to listen to godly correction. Instead of plotting revenge, he leaves judgment to God and asks to be kept from evil paths and from traps. This can guide you to bring your pain to God honestly, watch your words when angry or afraid, avoid copying the sins of those who hurt you, and trust God to deal with wrong in his time.

Why does David say the words of the righteous are like excellent oil?

When David speaks of reproof as “an excellent oil,” he is saying that faithful correction is like a healing or refreshing ointment. Oil in that setting was used to refresh, to honor, and sometimes to heal. So when a righteous person points out his sin or warns him, he sees it as something that helps him, not as an attack. It does not “break his head,” meaning it does not crush him, but instead builds him up. This shows how highly he values honest, loving words that point him back to God.

Ps.141.1

Psalm 141:1

KJV

Lord, I cry unto thee: make haste unto me; give ear unto my voice, when I cry unto thee.

Come Quickly to Me

A Psalm of David.

1 Lord, I cry unto thee: make haste unto me; give ear unto my voice, when I cry unto thee.

2 Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.

3 Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.

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 Let the righteous smite me; it shall be a kindness: 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, they shall hear my words; for they are sweet.

7 Our bones are scattered at the grave’s mouth, as when one cutteth and cleaveth wood upon the earth.

8 But mine eyes 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.

Cross References

No cross references available for this verse.