English Standard Version
Psalms 141:4
4Do not let my heart incline to any evil, to busy myself with wicked deeds in company with men who work iniquity, and let me not eat of their delicacies!
Psalms 141:4 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practise wicked works with men that work iniquity: and let me not eat of their dainties.
- New International Version (NIV)Do not let my heart be drawn to what is evil so that I take part in wicked deeds along with those who are evildoers; do not let me eat their delicacies.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Do not incline my heart to any evil thing, To practice wicked works With men who work iniquity; And do not let me eat of their delicacies.
- New Living Translation (NLT)Don’t let me drift toward evil or take part in acts of wickedness. Don’t let me share in the delicacies of those who do wrong.
Context of Psalms 141:4
2Let my prayer be counted as incense before you, and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice! 3Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips! Do not let my heart incline to any evil, to busy myself with wicked deeds in company with men who work iniquity, and let me not eat of their delicacies! 5Let a righteous man strike me—it is a kindness; let him rebuke me—it is oil for my head; let my head not refuse it. Yet my prayer is continually against their evil deeds. 6When their judges are thrown over the cliff, then they shall hear my words, for they are pleasant.
Read all of Psalms 141Psalms 141:4 word by word
אַל־תַּט־לִבִּ֨י לְדָבָ֪ר׀ רָ֡ע לְהִתְע֘וֹלֵ֤ל עֲלִל֨וֹת׀ בְּרֶ֗שַׁע אֶת־אִישִׁ֥ים פֹּֽעֲלֵי־אָ֑וֶן וּבַל־אֶ֝לְחַ֗ם בְּמַנְעַמֵּיהֶֽם׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Inclineנָטָהnâţâh · to stretchH5186
- not my heartלֵבlêb · heartH3820
- evilרַעra‛ râ‛âh · bad: evilH7451
- thingדָּבָרdâbâr · word: becauseH1697
- to practiseעָלַל‛âlal · to abuseH5953
- wickedרֶ֫שַׁעresha‛ · wickednessH7562
- worksעֲלִילָה‛ălîylâh ‛ălilâh · wantonnessH5949
- with menאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
- that workפָּעַלpâ‛al · to workH6466
- iniquityאָ֫וֶן'âven · evil: wickednessH205
- and let me not eatלָחַםlâcham · to feed onH3898
- of their daintiesמַנְעַמִּיםman‛am · delicacyH4516
Cross-references for Psalms 141:4
- Psalms 119:36Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain!
- Deuteronomy 2:30But Sihon the king of Heshbon would not let us pass by him, for the Lord your God hardened his spirit and made his heart obstinate, that he might give him into your hand, as he is this day.
- Deuteronomy 29:4But to this day the Lord has not given you a heart to understand or eyes to see or ears to hear.
- 1 Kings 8:58that he may incline our hearts to him, to walk in all his ways and to keep his commandments, his statutes, and his rules, which he commanded our fathers.
- 1 Kings 22:22And the Lord said to him, 'By what means?' And he said, 'I will go out, and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.' And he said, 'You are to entice him, and you shall succeed; go out and do so.'
- Isaiah 63:17O Lord, why do you make us wander from your ways and harden our heart, so that we fear you not? Return for the sake of your servants, the tribes of your heritage.
- Matthew 6:13And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
- James 1:13Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God," for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.
- 1 Corinthians 15:33Do not be deceived: "Bad company ruins good morals."
- 2 Corinthians 6:17Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you,
- Revelation 18:4Then I heard another voice from heaven saying, "Come out of her, my people, lest you take part in her sins, lest you share in her plagues;
- Numbers 25:2These invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods.
- Proverbs 23:1When you sit down to eat with a ruler, observe carefully what is before you,
- Daniel 1:5The king assigned them a daily portion of the food that the king ate, and of the wine that he drank. They were to be educated for three years, and at the end of that time they were to stand before the king.
- Acts 10:13And there came a voice to him: "Rise, Peter; kill and eat."
- 1 Corinthians 10:27If one of the unbelievers invites you to dinner and you are disposed to go, eat whatever is set before you without raising any question on the ground of conscience.
Commentaries on Psalms 141:4
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4Incline not my heart to any evil thing - Hebrew, to a word that is evil; that is, wrong. The connection seems to demand that the term should be thus explained. The expression “Incline not” is not designed to mean that God exerts any “positive” influence in leading the heart to that which is wrong; but it may mean “Do not place me in circumstances where I may be tempted; do not leave me to myself; do not allow any improper influence to come over me by…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3-5Wisdom sometimes requires protection from oneself. People might say or think things that lead to a harmful path (Proverbs 13:3; 21:23). Wisdom accepts correction from godly people (see Proverbs 3:11; 9:8; 15:31; 19:25).Read the comment
- Rashi on Tanakh · v. 4Do not incline my heart May my heart not be inclined toward evil.Read the comment
Topics related to Psalms 141:4
In the dictionaries
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
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