Psalms 141:4

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.
• English Standard Version (ESV)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!
• 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

2May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice. 3Set a guard over my mouth, Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips. 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. 5Let a righteous man strike me—that is a kindness; let him rebuke me—that is oil on my head. My head will not refuse it, for my prayer will still be against the deeds of evildoers. 6Their rulers will be thrown down from the cliffs, and the wicked will learn that my words were well spoken.

Psalms 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 119:36Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain.
• Deuteronomy 2:30But Sihon king of Heshbon refused to let us pass through. For the Lord your God had made his spirit stubborn and his heart obstinate in order to give him into your hands, as he has now done.
• Deuteronomy 29:4But to this day the Lord has not given you a mind that understands or eyes that see or ears that hear.
• 1 Kings 8:58May he turn our hearts to him, to walk in obedience to him and keep the commands, decrees and laws he gave our ancestors.
• 1 Kings 22:22“ ‘By what means?’ the Lord asked. “ ‘I will go out and be a deceiving spirit in the mouths of all his prophets,’ he said. “ ‘You will succeed in enticing him,’ said the Lord. ‘Go and do it.’
• Isaiah 63:17Why, Lord, do you make us wander from your ways and harden our hearts so we do not revere you? Return for the sake of your servants, the tribes that are your inheritance.
• Matthew 6:13And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. ’
• James 1:13When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone;
• 1 Corinthians 15:33Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.”
• 2 Corinthians 6:17Therefore, “Come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.”
• Revelation 18:4Then I heard another voice from heaven say: “ ‘Come out of her, my people,’ so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues;
• Numbers 25:2who invited them to the sacrifices to their gods. The people ate the sacrificial meal and bowed down before these gods.
• Proverbs 23:1When you sit to dine with a ruler, note well what is before you,
• Daniel 1:5The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine from the king’s table. They were to be trained for three years, and after that they were to enter the king’s service.
• Acts 10:13Then a voice told him, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.”
• 1 Corinthians 10:27If an unbeliever invites you to a meal and you want to go, eat whatever is put before you without raising questions 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

• Afflictions and Adversities
• Company

In the dictionaries

• Evil Thing
• Manasseh
• Dainties; Dainty (meats)
• 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