Psalms 141:2

Psalms 141:2 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.
• New International Version (NIV)May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Let my prayer be counted as incense before you, and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice!
• New King James Version (NKJV)Let my prayer be set before You as incense, The lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.

Context of Psalms 141:2

1Lord, I am calling to you for help. Come to me quickly! Please listen to what I am saying. I offer my prayer to you like incense. Please accept it when I raise my hands to you. Accept it like a gift that I offer to you in the evening. 3Lord, keep my mouth safe, so that I do not speak bad things. 4Do not let my mind want evil things. Do not let me join with wicked people, to do the same bad things that they do. I do not even want to eat their good food.

Psalms 141:2 word by word

תִּכּ֤וֹן תְּפִלָּתִ֣י קְטֹ֣רֶת לְפָנֶ֑יךָ מַֽשְׂאַ֥ת כַּ֝פַּ֗י מִנְחַת־עָֽרֶב׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Let my prayerתְּפִלָּהtephillâh · prayerH8605
• be set forthכּוּןkûn · to establish: makeH3559
• beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
• incenseקְטֹ֫רֶתqeţôreth · incenseH7004
• the lifting upמַשְׂאֵתmaώ'êth · tributeH4864
• of my handsכַּףkaph · palmH3709
• the eveningעֶ֫רֶב‛ereb · eveningH6153
• sacrificeמִנְחָהminchâh · offeringH4503

Cross-references for Psalms 141:2

• Proverbs 15:8When wicked people offer sacrifices to the Lord, he hates it. But he is pleased when good people pray to him.
• Psalms 5:3Lord, every morning you listen to my voice. At sunrise I will turn to you for help, and I will wait for you to answer.
• Exodus 30:7Every morning, Aaron must burn sweet incense on this altar. He must do this when he goes in to take care of the lamps.
• Leviticus 10:1Nadab and Abihu were sons of Aaron. They put hot material in the pots that they used to burn incense. They threw incense over the hot material. They offered the incense to the Lord. This was a wrong thing to do. The Lord had not told them that they should do it. So it was wrong.
• Leviticus 16:11‘Aaron must bring the bull and he must kill it. It is his atonement for his family's sins.
• Numbers 16:35Then the Lord sent fire down. It killed the 250 men who were offering the incense to God.
• Malachi 1:11‘People in every nation of the whole world will respect my name. People everywhere will offer incense and pure sacrifices to worship me. They will all know that I am great.’ That is what the Lord Almighty says.
• Luke 1:9The priests chose one of their group to go into the holy place in the temple. This time they chose Zechariah. His job was to burn incense there.
• Revelation 5:8When he had taken the book, the four beings and the 24 leaders fell down to the ground in front of the Lamb. They worshipped him. Each leader had a harp to make music. They were also holding gold bowls which were full of incense. That nice smell shows what it is like when God's people pray to him.
• Revelation 8:3Then another angel came. He stood at the altar where people offered gifts to God. He had a gold bowl to put incense in. He received a lot of incense and he burned it as a gift to God. It made a nice smell and it mixed with the prayers of God's people. The angel offered the incense and the prayers on the gold altar that was in front of God's throne.
• Psalms 28:2Hear me when I call to you for help. Please be kind to me. I am lifting up my hands towards your Most Holy Place.
• Psalms 63:4Yes, I will thank you for as long as I live. I will lift up my hands and I will pray to you.
• Psalms 134:2Lift up your hands towards his Holy Place, and praise him.
• 1 Timothy 2:8So then, in every place where you meet together, I want the men to pray. The men who lift up their hands and pray must be those who live good lives. They must not be people who are angry or who quarrel with others.
• Exodus 29:39Offer one lamb in the morning and the other lamb in the evening.
• 1 Kings 18:36The time came for the evening offering. Then God's prophet Elijah came to the front of the altar. He prayed, ‘Lord, you are the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel. Show people clearly today that you are the God who rules over Israel. Show that I am your servant. Show that I have done all these things because you commanded me to do them.

Commentaries on Psalms 141:2

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2Let 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 1:9-10. Let my prayer come before thee in such a manner as incense does when it is offered in worship; in a manner of…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-2The psalmist urgently prays for rescue. He does not have incense or an evening offering (Exodus 29:38–39), but his prayers and devotion represent those elements (see Isaiah 1:13; Revelation 5:8). uplifted hands: This is a posture of prayer (Psalms 28:2; 88:9; 143:6; Exodus 9:29; 1 Timothy 2:8).Read the comment
• Rashi on Tanakh · v. 2the lifting of my hands What I lift up my hands to You.Read the comment

Topics related to Psalms 141:2

• Afflictions and Adversities
• Incense
• Prayer

In the dictionaries

• Altar
• Frankincense
• Incense
• Manasseh
• Gesture
• Psalms, Book of

Commentaries on Psalms 141

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• The Treasury of David
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings