Psalms 141 · Verse 2

Psalms 141:2

Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.
Psalms 141:2, King James Version

Psalms 141:2 in other translations

BSBMay my prayer be set before You like incense, my uplifted hands like the evening offering.
WEBLet my prayer be set before you like incense; the lifting up of my hands like the evening sacrifice.
ASVLet my prayer be set forth as incense before thee; The lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.
YLTMy prayer is prepared--incense before Thee, The lifting up of my hands--the evening present.
DARBYLet my prayer be set forth before thee as incense, the lifting up of my hands as the evening oblation.
BBELet my prayer be ordered before you like a sweet smell; and let the lifting up of my hands be like the evening offering.
WebsterLet my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.

What does Psalms 141:2 mean?

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 2 As incense - Incense was offered every morning and evening before the Lord, on the golden altar, before the veil of the sanctuary. Exo 29:39, and Num 28:4. As the evening sacrifice - This was a burnt-offering, accompanied with flour and salt. But it does not appear that David refers to any sacrifice, for he uses not זבח zebach, which is almost universally used for a slaughtered animal; but מנחה minchah, which is generally taken for a gratitude-offering or unbloody sacrifice. The literal translation of the passage is, "Let my prayer be established for incense before thy faces; and the lifting up of my hands for the evening oblation." The psalmist appears to have been at this time at a distance from the sanctuary, and therefore could not perform the Divine worship in the way prescribed by the law. What could he do? Why, as he could not worship according to the letter of the law, he will worship God according to the spirit; then prayer is accepted in the place of incense; and the lifting up of his hands, in gratitude and self-dedication to God, is accepted in the place of the evening minchah or oblation. Who can deplore the necessity that obliged the psalmist to worship God in this way?

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Psalms 141:1-4

Make haste unto me. Those that know how to value God's gracious presence, will be the more fervent in their prayers. When presented through the sacrifice and intercession of the Saviour, they will be as acceptable to God as the daily sacrifices and burnings of incense were of old. Prayer is a spiritual sacrifice, it is the offering up the soul and its best affections. Good men know the evil of tongue sins. When…

Read the full comment on Psalms 141:1-4 →

Psalms 141:2 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

תִּכּ֤וֹןti.Konmay it be establishedH3559
תְּפִלָּתִ֣יte.fi.la.Tiprayer myH8605
קְטֹ֣רֶתke.To.retincenseH7004
לְפָנֶ֑יךָle.fa.Nei.kha<to> before youH6440
מַֽשְׂאַ֥תmas.'At[the] raising ofH4864
כַּ֝פַּ֗יka.Paihands myH3709
מִנְחַת\־min.chat-an offering ofH4503
עָֽרֶב\׃'A.reveveningH6153

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Psalms 141:2

  • Revelation 8:3-4

    And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand.

  • Revelation 5:8

    And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.

  • 1 Timothy 2:8

    I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.

  • Daniel 9:21

    Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation.

  • Malachi 1:11

    For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the Lord of hosts.

  • Proverbs 15:8

    The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord: but the prayer of the upright is his delight.

  • Psalms 63:4

    Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name.

  • Luke 1:9-10

    According to the custom of the priest’s office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense.

  • Exodus 30:7-9

    And Aaron shall burn thereon sweet incense every morning: when he dresseth the lamps, he shall burn incense upon it. And when Aaron lighteth the lamps at even, he shall burn incense upon it, a perpetual incense before the Lord throughout your generations. Ye shall offer no strange incense thereon, nor burnt sacrifice, nor meat offering; neither shall ye pour drink offering thereon.

  • Psalms 134:2

    Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the Lord.

  • Exodus 30:34-38

    And the Lord said unto Moses, Take unto thee sweet spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum; these sweet spices with pure frankincense: of each shall there be a like weight: And thou shalt make it a perfume, a confection after the art of the apothecary, tempered together, pure and holy: And thou shalt beat some of it very small, and put of it before the testimony in the tabernacle of the congregation, where I will meet with thee: it shall be unto you most holy. And as for the perfume which thou shalt make, ye shall not make to yourselves according to the composition thereof: it shall be unto thee holy for the Lord. …

  • Psalms 28:2

    Hear the voice of my supplications, when I cry unto thee, when I lift up my hands toward thy holy oracle.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Let my prayer.David, who was now driven from Judea, and far from the sanctuary, here prays that the devotion of his heart, and the elevation of his hands, might be accepted; that the one might ascend to heaven fragrant and well pleasing as the cloud of incense, and the other, in conjunction with it, be prevalent as the {minchah,} or evening oblation.
Pr 15:8
set forth. Heb. directed.
5:3
as incense.
Ex 30:7-9,34-38; Le 10:1,2; 16:11-13; Nu 16:35,46-48; Mal 1:11
Lu 1:9,10; Re 5:8; 8:3,4
the lifting.
28:2; 63:4; 134:2; 1Ti 2:8
the evening.
Ex 29:39,42; 1Ki 18:36; Ezr 9:4; Da 9:21; Ac 3:1

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Psalms 141:1

    A Psalm of David. Lord, I cry unto thee: make haste unto me; give ear unto my voice, when I cry unto thee.

  • Psalms 141:2

    Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.

  • Psalms 141:3

    Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.

Read all of Psalms 141

Psalms 141:2 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Sea enderezada mi oración delante de ti como un perfume, el don de mis manos como la ofrenda de la tarde.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Que ma prière vienne devant toi comme l’encens, l’élévation de mes mains comme l’offrande du soir!
German
Elberfelder 1871		Laß als Räucherwerk vor dir bestehen mein Gebet, die Erhebung meiner Hände als Abendopfer!
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Voce mea ad Dominum clamavi, voce mea ad Dominum deprecatus sum.