Psalm 141 is the 141st
psalm
The Book of Psalms ( or ; he, תְּהִלִּים, , lit. "praises"), also known as the Psalms, or the Psalter, is the first book of the ("Writings"), the third section of the Tanakh, and a book of the Old Testament. The title is derived ...
from the
Book of Psalms
The Book of Psalms ( or ; he, תְּהִלִּים, , lit. "praises"), also known as the Psalms, or the Psalter, is the first book of the ("Writings"), the third section of the Tanakh, and a book of the Old Testament. The title is derived f ...
. It is attributed to
David
David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...
, a plea to God not only for protection from the psalmist's enemies, but also from temptation to sin.
In the slightly different numbering system used in the Greek
Septuagint
The Greek Old Testament, or Septuagint (, ; from the la, septuaginta, lit=seventy; often abbreviated ''70''; in Roman numerals, LXX), is the earliest extant Greek translation of books from the Hebrew Bible. It includes several books beyond th ...
version of the Bible, and in the
Vulgate
The Vulgate (; also called (Bible in common tongue), ) is a late-4th-century Latin translation of the Bible.
The Vulgate is largely the work of Jerome who, in 382, had been commissioned by Pope Damasus I to revise the Gospels u ...
, this psalm is Psalm 140.
This psalm contains a prayer for deliverance from 'the enticements and the oppression of the wicked', and seeks 'divine support to live a sinless life', probably a prayer of an ordinary worshipper, although it has some indications for being a "king's psalm" offered during 'a military campaign far away from Jerusalem' (such as that he cannot offer
sacrifice
Sacrifice is the offering of material possessions or the lives of animals or humans to a deity as an act of propitiation or worship. Evidence of ritual animal sacrifice has been seen at least since ancient Hebrews and Greeks, and possibly exi ...
in the temple in verse 2 and laments over battle losses in verses 7).
Text
Analysis
Verses 6-7 ("When their judges are overthrown in stony places...." in the KJV, or "thrown down from the cliffs" in the
New International Version
The New International Version (NIV) is an English translation of the Bible first published in 1978 by Biblica (formerly the International Bible Society). The ''NIV'' was created as a modern translation, by Bible scholars using the earliest an ...
) are likely corrupt, and scholars call their translation a best guess.
Verses 8–10 express a plea for help against persecutors, in terms similar to
Psalm 140
Psalm 140 is the 140th psalm of the biblical Book of Psalms. It is part of the final Davidic collection of psalms, comprising Psalms 138 to 145, which are specifically attributed to David in their opening verses. It describes putting one's tr ...
(cf.
Psalm 35:8), and a wisdom teaching to be kept away from bad company (verse 4) is similar to
Psalm 1
Psalm 1 is the first psalm of the Book of Psalms, beginning in the English King James Version: "Blessed is the man", and forming "an appropriate prologue" to the whole collection.Kirkpatrick, A. F. (1906)Cambridge Bible for Schools and Collegeson ...
.
[ C. S. Rodd suggests that there are two sets of petitions in prayer, verses 5-7 and verses 8-10, although verse 5 might be read as belonging to the second petition.][Kirkpatrick, A.]
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
on Psalm 141, accessed 29 June 2022
The ''gins
Gin () is a distilled alcoholic drink that derives its flavour from juniper berries (''Juniperus communis'').
Gin originated as a medicinal liquor made by monks and alchemists across Europe, particularly in southern Italy, Flanders and the Ne ...
'' (viz. ''engines'') in the KJV text of verse 9 translates מקשות, rendered "traps" in more recent translations (NRSV, NASB).
Liturgy
As verse 2 compares prayer to an evening sacrifice, this psalm became part of Christian liturgy from an early time.
John Chrysostom
John Chrysostom (; gr, Ἰωάννης ὁ Χρυσόστομος; 14 September 407) was an important Early Church Father who served as archbishop of Constantinople. He is known for his homilies, preaching and public speaking, his denunciat ...
indicates that it was sung every day. As part of the liturgy practiced at Constantinople
la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه
, alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya (Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis (" ...
, it is preserved in the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts
The Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts is a Byzantine Rite liturgical service which is performed on the weekdays of Great Lent wherein communion is received from Gifts (the Body and Blood of Christ) that are sanctified (consecrated) in advance, h ...
.
As part of the liturgy, it also has numerous musical adaptations, including Russian compositions (Да исправится молитва моя)
by Dmitry Bortniansky
Dmitry Stepanovich Bortniansky ; ; alternative transcriptions of names are ''Dmitri Bortnianskii'', and ''Bortnyansky'', group=n (28 October 1751 – ) was a Russian Imperial composer of Ukrainian Cossack origin. He was a composer, harpsichord ...
, Mikhail Glinka
Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka ( rus, link=no, Михаил Иванович Глинка, Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka., mʲɪxɐˈil ɪˈvanəvʲɪdʑ ˈɡlʲinkə, Ru-Mikhail-Ivanovich-Glinka.ogg; ) was the first Russian composer to gain wide recogni ...
, Aleksandr Grechaninov
Alexander Tikhonovich GretchaninovAlso commonly transliterated as ''Aleksandr/Alexandre'' ''Grechaninov/Gretchaninoff/Gretschaninow'' ( rus, Алекса́ндр Ти́хонович Гречани́нов, p=ɐlʲɪˈksandr ɡrʲɪtɕɐˈnʲin ...
and Pavel Chesnokov
Pavel Grigorievich Chesnokov (Russian: Пáвел Григóрьевич Чеснокóв) (24 October 1877, Voskresensk, Zvenigorodsky Uyezd, Moscow Governorate – 14 March 1944, Moscow, also transliterated ''Tschesnokoff'', ''Tchesnokov'', ...
.
The Latin text (''Dirigatur oratio mea'') is adapted in a gradual by Johann Michael Haydn (MH 520) and in a motet by Orlande de Lassus
Orlande de Lassus ( various other names; probably – 14 June 1594) was a composer of the late Renaissance. The chief representative of the mature polyphonic style in the Franco-Flemish school, Lassus stands with Giovanni Pierluigi da Palest ...
.
The Lutheran Service Book
''Lutheran Service Book'' (''LSB'') is the newest official hymnal of the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS) and the Lutheran Church–Canada (LCC). It was prepared by the LCMS Commission on Worship and published by Concordia Publishing Hou ...
and Evangelical Lutheran Worship
''Evangelical Lutheran Worship'' (''ELW'') is the current primary liturgical and worship guidebook and hymnal for use in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, replacing its predecessor, the ...
feature the psalm prominently in their Evening Prayer services.
References
External links
* in Hebrew and English - Mechon-mamre
* King James Bible - Wikisource
{{Psalms
141
Works attributed to David