Psa 141:1-2 | KD | STEP | The four Psalms, , , , and , are interwoven with one another in many ways ( Symbolae , pp. 67f.). The following passages are very similar, viz., ; ; , and Psa 143:1. Just as the poet complains in , “when my spirit veils itself within me,” so too in ; as he prays in Ps 142:8, “Oh bring my soul out of prison,” so in , “bring my soul out of distress,” where צרה takes the place of the metaphorical מסגר. Besides these, compare with ; with ; with , רעות; Ps 140:14 with Ps 142:8; with Psa 143:8. The right understanding of the Psalm depends upon the right understanding of the situation. Since it is inscribed לדוד, it is presumably a situation corresponding to the history of David, out of the midst of which the Psalm is composed, either by David himself or by some one else who desired to give expression in Davidic strains to David’s mood when in this situation. For the gleaning of Davidic Psalms which we find in the last two Books of the Psalter is for the most part derived from historical works in which these Psalms, in some instances only free reproductions of the feelings of David with respect to old Davidic models, adorned the historic narrative. The Psalm before us adorned the history of the time of the persecution by Absalom. At that time David was driven out of Jerusalem, and consequently cut off from the sacrificial worship of God upon Zion; and our Psalm is an evening hymn of one of those troublous days. The ancient church, even prior to the time of Gregory ( Constitutiones Apostolicae , ii. 59), had chosen it for its evening hymn, just as it had chosen for its morning hymn. Just as was called ὁ ὀρθρινός ( ibid . 8:37), so this Psalm, as being the Vesper Psalm, was called ὁ ἐπιλύχνιος (vid., 8:35).

‏ Psalms 141:1-2

Evening Psalm in the Times of Absalom

The four Psalms, Psa 140:1-13, Psa 141:1-10, Psa 142:1-7, and Psa 143:1-12, are interwoven with one another in many ways (Symbolae, pp. 67f.). The following passages are very similar, viz., Psa 140:7; Psa 141:1; Psa 142:2, and Psa 143:1. Just as the poet complains in Psa 142:4, “when my spirit veils itself within me,” so too in Psa 143:4; as he prays in Ps 142:8, “Oh bring my soul out of prison,” so in Psa 143:11, “bring my soul out of distress,” where צרה takes the place of the metaphorical מסגר. Besides these, compare Psa 140:5-6 with Psa 141:9; Psa 142:7 with Psa 143:9; Psa 140:3 with Psa 141:5, רעות; Ps 140:14 with Ps 142:8; Psa 142:4 with Psa 143:8.

The right understanding of the Psalm depends upon the right understanding of the situation. Since it is inscribed לדוד, it is presumably a situation corresponding to the history of David, out of the midst of which the Psalm is composed, either by David himself or by some one else who desired to give expression in Davidic strains to David’s mood when in this situation. For the gleaning of Davidic Psalms which we find in the last two Books of the Psalter is for the most part derived from historical works in which these Psalms, in some instances only free reproductions of the feelings of David with respect to old Davidic models, adorned the historic narrative. The Psalm before us adorned the history of the time of the persecution by Absalom. At that time David was driven out of Jerusalem, and consequently cut off from the sacrificial worship of God upon Zion; and our Psalm is an evening hymn of one of those troublous days. The ancient church, even prior to the time of Gregory (Constitutiones Apostolicae, ii. 59), had chosen it for its evening hymn, just as it had chosen Psa 63:1-11 for its morning hymn. Just as Psa 63:1-11 was called ὁ ὀρθρινός (ibid. 8:37), so this Psalm, as being the Vesper Psalm, was called ὁ ἐπιλύχνιος (vid., 8:35). Psa 141:1-2

The very beginning of Psa 141:1-10 is more after the manner of David than really Davidic; for instead of haste thee to me, David always says, haste thee for my help, Psa 22:20; 38:23; Psa 40:14. The לך that is added to בּקראי (as in Psa 4:2) is to be explained, as in Psa 57:3 : when I call to Thee, i.e., when I call Thee, who art now far from me, to me. The general cry for help is followed in Psa 141:2 by a petition for the answering of his prayer. Luther has given an excellent rendering: Let my prayer avail to Thee as an offering of incense; the lifting up of my hands, as an evening sacrifice (Mein Gebet müsse fur dir tügen wie ein Reuchopffer, Meine Hende auffheben, wie ein Abendopffer). תּכּון is the fut. Niph. of כּוּן, and signifies properly to be set up, and to be established, or reflexive: to place and arrange or prepare one’s self, Amo 4:12; then to continue, e.g., Psa 101:7; therefore, either let it place itself, let it appear, sistat se, or better: let it stand, continue, i.e., let my prayer find acceptance, recognition with Thee קטרת, and the lifting up of my hands מנחת־ערב. Expositors say that this in both instances is the comparatio decurtata, as in Psa 11:1 and elsewhere: as an incense-offering, as an evening mincha. But the poet purposely omits the כּ of the comparison. He wishes that God may be pleased to regard his prayer as sweet-smelling smoke or as incense, just as this was added to the azcara of the meal-offering, and gave it, in its ascending perfume, the direction upward to God, ^{▼▼It is not the priestly קטרת תּמיד, i.e., the daily morning and evening incense-offering upon the golden altar of the holy place, Exo 30:8, that is meant (since it is a non-priest who is speaking, according to Hitzig, of course John Hyrcanus), but rather, as also in Isa 1:13, the incense of the azcara of the meal-offering which the priest burnt (הקטיר) upon the altar; the incense (Isa 66:3) was entirely consumed, and not merely a handful taken from it.} and that He may be pleased to regard the lifting up of his hands (משׂאת, the construct with the reduplication given up, from משּׂאת, or even, after the form מתּנת, from משּׂאה, here not oblatio, but according to the phrase נשׂא כפּים ידים, elevatio, Jdg 20:38, Jdg 20:40, cf. Psa 28:2, and frequently) as an evening mincha, just as it was added to the evening tamı̂d according to Exo 29:38-42, and concluded the work of the service of the day. ^{▼▼The reason of it is this, that the evening mincha is oftener mentioned than the morning mincha (see, however, 2Ki 3:20). The whole burnt-offering of the morning and the meat-offering of the evening (2Ki 16:15; 1Ki 18:29, 1Ki 18:36) are the beginning and close of the daily principal service; whence, according to the example of the usus loquendi in Dan 9:21; Ezr 9:4., later on mincha directly signifies the afternoon or evening.}