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Wisdom & Poetry · WORLD ENGLISH BIBLE

Psalm 141

Psalm 141 is read especially through the theme of wisdom, within Book V (Psalms 107–150). Its language invites attentive prayer before quick application.

WisdomMercy & ForgivenessTrust & Refuge
Psalms overview
Old Testament

Psalm 141

1A Psalm by David. LORD, I have called on you. Come to me quickly! Listen to my voice when I call to you.

2Let my prayer be set before you like incense; the lifting up of my hands like the evening sacrifice.

3Set a watch, LORD, before my mouth. Keep the door of my lips.

4Don’t incline my heart to any evil thing, to practice deeds of wickedness with men who work iniquity. Don’t let me eat of their delicacies.

5Let the righteous strike me, it is kindness; let him reprove me, it is like oil on the head; don’t let my head refuse it; Yet my prayer is always against evil deeds.

6Their judges are thrown down by the sides of the rock. They will hear my words, for they are well spoken.

7“As when one plows and breaks up the earth, our bones are scattered at the mouth of Sheol.”

8For my eyes are on you, LORD, the Lord. I take refuge in you. Don’t leave my soul destitute.

9Keep me from the snare which they have laid for me, from the traps of the workers of iniquity.

10Let the wicked fall together into their own nets while I pass by.

READ IN CONTEXT

Understanding Psalm 141

Psalm 141 is read especially through the theme of wisdom, within Book V (Psalms 107–150). Its language invites attentive prayer before quick application. Read it within the complete five-book Psalms collection, then compare its prayer language with the types of prayer found across Scripture. Classification is a reading aid rather than a replacement for the Psalm's own movement and tension.

Collection

Book V (Psalms 107–150). The five-book shape of the Psalter helps readers hear individual prayers within a deliberately arranged collection.

Themes detected

Wisdom, Mercy & Forgiveness, Trust & Refuge. Read for these themes while remaining open to tension and secondary movements.

TEXT-DERIVED READING NOTES

What to notice in Psalm 141

Psalm 141 contains 10 verses and about 197 words in this translation. These observations come from the chapter itself; they are prompts for close reading, not claims about its only possible meaning.

The opening movement

Verse 1 begins: “A Psalm by David. LORD, I have called on you. Come to me quickly! Listen to my voice when I call to you.” Ask what situation, voice, image, or argument this opening establishes for everything that follows.

The closing movement

Verse 10 closes: “Let the wicked fall together into their own nets while I pass by.” Compare the ending with the opening and note what changed, resolved, intensified, or remained open.

Vocabulary worth tracing

Recurring or prominent content words include don’t, like, prayer, mouth, keep, evil. Follow where each word appears and whether its meaning shifts with the speaker or setting.

COMMON QUESTIONS

About Psalm 141

Which Bible translation is shown here?+

This page reproduces the World English Bible Protestant edition (WEBP), a modern-English translation dedicated to the public domain.

How should I cite a specific verse?+

Use the book, chapter, and verse—for example, Psalms 141:1—and name the World English Bible if the wording matters. Each verse number above is a direct anchor link.

Does the chapter number define the complete literary unit?+

Not always. Chapter and verse numbers were added for navigation. Check the paragraphs, scenes, poetic stanzas, or argument before and after this chapter.

What kind of Psalm is this?+

Our reading profile emphasizes wisdom, with related themes of Wisdom, Mercy & Forgiveness, Trust & Refuge. Many Psalms blend genres or move between moods, so this label is a guide rather than a rigid classification.

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