Psalms 141:3

Context

141:3 O Lord, place a guard on my mouth!

Protect the opening¹ of my lips!²

Psalms 141:7

Context

141:7 As when one plows and breaks up the soil,³

so our bones are scattered at the mouth of Sheol.

[141:3] ¹tn Heb “door.” The Hebrew word occurs only here in the OT.

[141:3] ²sn My mouth…my lips. The psalmist asks God to protect him from speaking inappropriately or sinfully.

[141:7] ³tn Heb “like splitting and breaking open in the earth.” The meaning of the statement and the point of the comparison are not entirely clear. Perhaps the psalmist is suggesting that he and other godly individuals are as good as dead; their bones are scattered about like dirt that is dug up and tossed aside.