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Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

Psalms 141:2

Let my prayer be set forth before thee - Margin, “directed.” The Hebrew word means to fit; to establish; to make firm. The psalmist desires that his prayer should not be like that which is feeble, languishing, easily dissipated, but that it should be like that which is firm and secure.

As incense - See the notes and illustrations at Luke 1:9. Let my prayer come before thee in such a manner as incense does when it is offered in worship; in a manner of which the ascending of incense is a suitable emblem. See the notes at Revelation 5:8; notes at Revelation 8:3.

And the lifting up of my hands - In prayer; a natural posture in that act of worship.

As the evening sacrifice - The sacrifice offered on the altar at evening. Let my prayer be as acceptable as that is when it is offered in a proper manner.

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See also Psalms 141:2 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Psalms 141:2. AS _INCENSE_] Incense was offered every morning and evening before the Lord, on the golden altar, before the veil of the sanctuary. Exodus 29:39, and Numbers 28:4. AS the e

  • 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

    INCENSE. Compare Exodus 30:7; Revelation 8:3; Revelation 8:4. SACRIFICE. gift offering. App-43....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    Introductory appeal for a favourable hearing....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _Let my prayer be set forth_ Lit. _be prepared, set in order_. The same word is used of the service of the Temple in 2 Chronicles 29:35; 2Ch 35:10; 2 Chronicles 35:16. Or, _be presented, avail_. _ince...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    LET MY PRAYER, &C.— This shews the writer at a distance from the tabernacle; where all their solemn prayers, together with their daily sacrifices, were offered up; and therefore, with his face probabl...

  • 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

    Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice. LET MY PRAYER BE SET FORTH ('be directed,' the Septuagint, Chaldaic, Vulgate, Ethiopic....

  • 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....

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    BE SET FORTH] lit. 'raise itself,' like the smoke of incense....

  • 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

    SET FORTH... — See margin; but more literally, _be erected,_ suggesting the pillar of smoke (comp. Tennyson’s “Azure pillars of the hearth”) continually rising to heaven. Some think the _incense_ refe...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    תִּכֹּ֤ון תְּפִלָּתִ֣י קְטֹ֣רֶת לְ פָנֶ֑יךָ מַֽשְׂאַ֥ת...

  • 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

    Let my prayer be set forth before thee [as] incense; [and] the (b) lifting up of my hands [as] the evening sacrifice. (b) He means his earnest zeal and gesture, which he used in prayer: alluding to t...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    That the writer of this Psalm was offering up these cries and prayers in the faith of a Redeemer, is most evident from what he here saith of the incense in the evening sacrifice. The Lamb of the morni...

  • James Nisbet's Church Pulpit Commentary

    _INCENSE AND OFFERING_ ‘Let my prayer be set forth before Thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.’ Psalms 141:2 I. THIS PSALM IS FOR THE MORNING.—As the incense ri...

  • John Calvin's Bible Commentary

    In the second verse the allusion is evidently to the legal ceremonies. (235) At that time the prayers of God’s people were according to his own appointment sanctified through the offering up of incens...

  • 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

    LET MY PRAYER BE SET FORTH BEFORE THEE [AS] INCENSE,.... Which was offered every morning on the altar of incense, at which time the people were praying, Exodus 30:1; and was an emblem of it, even of p...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    Let my prayer be set forth before thee [as] incense; [and] the lifting up of my hands [as] the evening sacrifice. Ver. 2. _Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense_] Faithful prayer is αναβα...

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

    _Let my prayer be set forth before thee_ Hebrews תכון לפניךְ, _be directed to thy face, person, or presence._ Let it not be lost, but let it come unto thee and find audience; _as incense_ Let it be ow...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    Let my prayer be set forth before Thee as incense, like the clouds of burning incense which rose up before the face of Jehovah in the Temple, as the officiating priest offered it at the golden altar i...

  • 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....

  • 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

    BE SET FORTH BEFORE THEE, Heb. _be directed to thy face_. Let it not be lost, but let it come unto thee and find audience. AS INCENSE; owned and accepted by thee no less than the increase, which by th...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Psalms 141:2 prayer H8605 set H3559 (H8735) before H6440 incense H7004 up H4864 hands H3709 evening H6153 sacrifice

  • 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

    _Let my prayer be. .. as incense._ THE INCENSE OF PRAYER Throughout the Old Testament you find side by side these two trends of thought--a scrupulous carefulness for the observance of all the requir...

  • 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 ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    PSALM PSALM—NOTE ON PSALMS 141:1. This is an individual lament, a prayer that God will protect the faithful person against all insincerity and compromise....

  • 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

    1 Kings 18:36; 1 Timothy 2:8; Acts 3:1; Daniel 9:21; Exodus 29:39;...

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