Psalms 141:5

NETBible

May the godly strike me in love and correct me! May my head not refuse 1  choice oil! 2  Indeed, my prayer is a witness against their evil deeds. 3 

NIV ©

Let a righteous man strike me—it is a kindness; let him rebuke me—it is oil on my head. My head will not refuse it. Yet my prayer is ever against the deeds of evildoers;

NASB ©

Let the righteous smite me in kindness and reprove me; It is oil upon the head; Do not let my head refuse it, For still my prayer is against their wicked deeds.

NLT ©

Let the godly strike me! It will be a kindness! If they reprove me, it is soothing medicine. Don’t let me refuse it. But I am in constant prayer against the wicked and their deeds.

MSG ©

May the Just One set me straight, may the Kind One correct me, Don't let sin anoint my head. I'm praying hard against their evil ways!

BBE ©

Let the upright give me punishment; and let the god-fearing man put me in the right way; but I will not let the oil of sinners come on my head: when they do evil I will give myself to prayer.

NRSV ©

Let the righteous strike me; let the faithful correct me. Never let the oil of the wicked anoint my head, for my prayer is continually against their wicked deeds.

NKJV ©

Let the righteous strike me; It shall be a kindness. And let him rebuke me; It shall be as excellent oil; Let my head not refuse it. For still my prayer is against the deeds of the wicked.

KJV
Let the righteous
<06662>
smite
<01986> (8799)
me; [it shall be] a kindness
<02617>_:
and let him reprove
<03198> (8686)
me; [it shall be] an excellent
<07218>
oil
<08081>_,
[which] shall not break
<05106> (8686)
my head
<07218>_:
for yet my prayer
<08605>
also [shall be] in their calamities
<07451>_.
{me; it shall be a...: or, me kindly, and reprove me; let not their precious oil break, etc}
NASB ©
Let the righteous
<6662>
smite
<1986>
me in kindness
<2617>
and reprove
<3198>
me; It is oil
<8081>
upon the head
<7218>
; Do not let my head
<7218>
refuse
<5106>
it, For still
<5750>
my prayer
<8605>
is against their wicked
<7463>
deeds
<7463>
.
LXXM
(140:5) paideusei
<3811> 
V-FAI-3S
me
<1473> 
P-AS
dikaiov
<1342> 
A-NSM
en
<1722> 
PREP
eleei
<1656> 
N-DSN
kai
<2532> 
CONJ
elegxei
<1651> 
V-FAI-3S
me
<1473> 
P-AS
elaion
<1637> 
N-NSN
de
<1161> 
PRT
amartwlou
<268> 
A-GSM
mh
<3165> 
ADV
lipanatw {V-AAD-3S} thn
<3588> 
T-ASF
kefalhn
<2776> 
N-ASF
mou
<1473> 
P-GS
oti
<3754> 
CONJ
eti
<2089> 
ADV
kai
<2532> 
CONJ
h
<3588> 
T-NSF
proseuch
<4335> 
N-NSF
mou
<1473> 
P-GS
en
<1722> 
PREP
taiv
<3588> 
T-DPF
eudokiaiv
<2107> 
N-DPF
autwn
<846> 
P-GPM
NET [draft] ITL
May the godly
<06662>
strike
<01986>
me in love
<02617>
and correct
<03198>
me! May my head
<07218>
not
<0408>
refuse
<05106>
choice
<07218>
oil
<08081>
! Indeed
<05750>

<03588>
, my prayer
<08605>
is a witness against their evil deeds
<07451>
.
HEBREW
Mhytwerb
<07451>
ytlptw
<08605>
dwe
<05750>
yk
<03588>
ysar
<07218>
yny
<05106>
la
<0408>
sar
<07218>
Nms
<08081>
ynxykwyw
<03198>
dox
<02617>
qydu
<06662>
ynmlhy (141:5)
<01986>
NETBible

May the godly strike me in love and correct me! May my head not refuse 1  choice oil! 2  Indeed, my prayer is a witness against their evil deeds. 3 

NET Notes

1 tn The form יָנִי (yaniy) appears to be derived from the verbal root נוּא (nu’). Another option is to emend the form to יְנָא (yÿna’), a Piel from נָאָה (na’ah), 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.

2 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.

3 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 (kiy-’od u-, “for still and”) occurs only here. The translation assumes an emendation to כִּי עֵד תְפלָּתִי (“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.