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The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

Psalms 141:3-5

PSALM—NOTE ON Psalms 141:3 The singer may be tempted to avoid danger by joining the men who work iniquity; he asks God to help him avoid all such temptation. This prayer reveals great insight into how a person in such circumstances would actually feel.

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See also Psalms 141:3-5 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Psalms 141:3. _SET A WATCH, O LORD, BEFORE MY MOUTH_] While there are so many spies on my actions and words, I have need to be doubly guarded, that my enemies may have no advantage against me....

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    SET A WATCH, O LORD, BEFORE MY MOUTH - That I may not say anything rashly, unadvisedly, improperly. Compare Psalms 39:1. The prayer here is, that God would guard him from the temptation to say somethi...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    PSALM 140-142 These three Psalms are Psalms of David. The third one in this series, 142 is another Maschil, the last Maschil Psalm, being a prayer when David was in the cave. In these Psalms the distr...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    CXLI. FOR LOYALTY TO GOD AND HIS SAINTS. Psalms 141:1 f. The Psalmist begs Yahweh to hear his prayer. He utters this prayer in his house, and in true prophetic spirit hopes that it will be as acceptab...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    SET. WATCH. Set. guard. Hebrew. _shamrah._ Same word as "keep", Psalms 141:9 Occurs only here. KEEP. keep in safety. Not the same word as in Psalms 141:9....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    Cp. Psalms 34:13; Psalms 39:1; Proverbs 13:3; Proverbs 21:23. The special point of the prayer is that he may be guarded from adopting the profane langu

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    Prayer for grace to resist the temptation to sin in word and thought and deed....

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    SET A WATCH, O LORD, &C.— Mr. Peters paraphrases these two verses thus: "I am now going to seek a retreat from the persecutions of my master Saul, amidst a race of idolaters, who will be curious to ob...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    PSALMS 141 DESCRIPTIVE TITLE A Temptation to Conspiracy Shunned. ANALYSIS Stanza I., Psalms 141:1-3, Prayer for Guarded Speech. Stanza II., Psalms 141:4-5, Danger from Proffered Hospitalities. St

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips. SET A WATCH, O LORD, BEFORE MY MOUTH ... INCLINE NOT MY HEART TO ANY EVIL THING, TO PRACTICE WICKED WORKS - (cf. .) God, in judicial...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    An evening prayer in time of trouble. The Psalmist prays that he may be strengthened to resist temptation, and so escape the fate of evil men....

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    Psalms 107:150 _GORDON CHURCHYARD_ AN EVENING *PRAYER PSALMS 141 Jesus said, "What will a man have if he buys the whole world but loses his own soul?" ...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    WATCH. — The image drawn from the guard set at city gates at night seems to indicate the evening as the time of composition of the psalm. DOOR OF MY LIPS. — Comp. “doors of thy mouth” (Micah 7:5), and...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    שִׁיתָ֣ה יְ֭הוָה שָׁמְרָ֣ה לְ פִ֑י נִ֝צְּרָ֗ה...

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    Psalms 141:1 PART of this psalm is hopelessly obscure, and the connection is difficult throughout. It is a prayer of a harassed soul, tempted to slacken its hold on God, and therefore betaking itself...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

      HUMILITY Psalms 141:1-10 This is an evening psalm. Acceptable prayer is as the smoke of incense rising in the still air, Revelation 5:8; Revelation 8:3-4. Each day we should ask to be delivered f...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    In this song the influence of the external troubles upon the inner life of the singer is revealed. Throughout it breathes the spirit of fear lest the soul should be seduced from the attitude of whole-...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; (c) keep the door of my lips. (c) He desires God to keep his thoughts and ways either from thinking or executing vengeance....

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _Pour out. Explaining all the sentiments of my heart, Psalm lxi. 9. (Calmet) --- This is never perfectly done with earthly friends, 1 Peter v. 7. (Berthier)_...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    How earnest is a child of God, that he should act and live as becometh a child of God. He knows full well, that unless the Lord keep the heart, the lips will utter foolishness. And when the Lord dispo...

  • John Calvin's Bible Commentary

    3._Set a watch, O Jehovah! upon my mouth_. As David was liable to be hurt at the unbridled and unprincipled rage of his enemies, so as to be tempted to act in a manner that might not be justifiable, h...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    THE FOLLOWING COMMENTARY COVERS PSALMS 140 THROUGH 144. The five following psalms go over ground which we have trodden over in detail: only they apply to a restored Israel, still in conflict, and not...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    SET A WATCH, O LORD, BEFORE MY MOUTH,.... While praying, as Jarchi and Kimchi; that he might not utter any rash, unguarded, and unbecoming word; but take and use the words which God gives, even the ta...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips. Ver. 3. _Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth_] _Orat pro patientia,_ saith one, here he prayeth for patience; lest by giving himself l...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _Set a watch before my mouth_ That I may not, through mine own infirmity, and the great provocation of mine enemies, break forth into any unadvised speeches, or any expressions of impatience, distrust...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    EVENING PSALM IN THE MIDST OF TRIALS. A psalm of David, a prayer for deliverance from afflictions and from the enemies who cause them....

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth, to keep it from expressing sinful thoughts; KEEP THE DOOR OF MY LIPS, guarding them from uttering complaints which would be equivalent to accusations against the...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    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 wil...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    That I may not through mine own infirmity, and the great provocations of mine enemies, break forth into any unadvised speeches, or any expressions of impatience, or distrust, or envy, or malice, &c. M...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Psalms 141:3 Set H7896 (H8798) guard H8108 LORD H3068 mouth H6310 watch H5341 (H8798) door H1817 lips...

  • Spurgeon's Bible Commentary

    Psalms 141:1. _LORD, I cry unto thee: make haste unto me; give ear unto my voice, when I cry unto thee._ You see how a child of God prays when he is in trouble. David says, «I cry unto thee,» and the...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Prayer for God's favorable acceptance and powerful assistance. CHARACTERS: God, David. CONCLUSION: Though the snares be placed by the enemy with ever so much subtlety, God can, and will, s...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    This psalm, like the last, is generally supposed to have been composed by David during his persecution by Saul, probably when he fled to Achish. The late Rev. Mr. Peters, a Cornish clergyman, has favo...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips._ THE REGULATION OF THE TONGUE I. Importance of the subject. The use of speech is seldom considered morally. Unless on some very partic...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _Lord, I cry unto Thee._ AN INVOCATION FOR THE TRULY DESIRABLE IN HUMAN LIFE: - I. Divine attention to human aspirations (verses 1, 2). 1. For immediate attention. 2. For favourable attention. II...

  • The children's great texts of the Bible by James Hastings

    THE DOOR OF OUR LIPS Set a watch, O Lord, before ray mouth; Keep the door of my lips. Psalms 141:3. I WANT to speak to you about a door which we all own. It is a red folding door with two halves wh...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    INTRODUCTION “This Psalm presents,” says Perowne, “some peculiar difficulties of Interpretation, which, however, are due neither to the words employed nor to the grammatical construction, but to the e...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION ALMOST wholly a psalm of supplication. David is again in danger, and needs a prompt deliverance (Psalms 141:1). This time the danger seems to be that he may fall away, and be absorbed into...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Psa 140:1-13, another psalm of David. Deliver me, O LORD, from the evil man: preserve me from the violent man; Which imagine mischiefs in their heart; continually are they gathered together for war. T...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    James 1:26; James 3:2; Micah 7:5; Psalms 17:3; Psalms 39:1;...

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