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Psalm 141:3-5
New English Translation
Psalm 141:3-5
New English Translation
3 O Lord, place a guard on my mouth.
Protect the opening[a] of my lips.[b]
4 Do not let me have evil desires,[c]
or participate in sinful activities
with men who behave wickedly.[d]
I will not eat their delicacies.[e]
5 May the godly strike me in love and correct me.
May my head not refuse[f] choice oil.[g]
Indeed, my prayer is a witness against their evil deeds.[h]
Footnotes
- Psalm 141:3 tn Heb “door.” The Hebrew word occurs only here in the OT.
- Psalm 141:3 sn My mouth…my lips. The psalmist asks God to protect him from speaking inappropriately or sinfully.
- Psalm 141:4 tn Heb “do not turn my heart toward an evil thing.”
- Psalm 141:4 tn Heb “to act sinfully in practices in wickedness with men, doers of evil.”
- Psalm 141:4 sn Their delicacies. This probably refers to the enjoyment that a sinful lifestyle appears to offer.
- Psalm 141:5 tn The form יָנִי (yani) appears to be derived from the verbal root נוּא (nuʾ). Another option is to emend the form to יְנָא (yenaʾ), a Piel from נָאָה (naʾah), and translate “may choice oil not adorn my head” (see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 [WBC], 271). In this case, choice oil, like delicacies in v. 4, symbolize the pleasures of sin.
- Psalm 141:5 sn May my head not refuse choice oil. The psalmist compares the constructive criticism of the godly (see the previous line) to having refreshing olive oil poured over one’s head.
- Psalm 141:5 tc Heb “for still, and my prayer [is] against their evil deeds.” The syntax of the Hebrew text is difficult; the sequence -כִּי־עוֹד וּ (ki ʿod u-, “for still and”) occurs only here. The translation assumes an emendation to כִּי עֵד תְּפִלָּתִי (ki ʿed tefillati, “indeed a witness [is] my prayer”). The psalmist’s lament about the evil actions of sinful men (see v. 4) testifies against the wicked in the divine court.
New English Translation (NET)
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