May my prayer be set before You like incense;In ancient Israel, incense was a significant part of worship, symbolizing the prayers of the people ascending to God. The burning of incense in the tabernacle and later in the temple was a daily ritual (
Exodus 30:7-8). The psalmist's desire for his prayer to be like incense suggests a longing for his communication with God to be pleasing and acceptable. Incense was a costly and carefully prepared mixture, indicating that prayer should be offered with sincerity and reverence.
Revelation 5:8 and 8:3-4 further connect incense with the prayers of the saints, showing a continuity in the symbolism from the Old Testament to the New Testament.
my uplifted hands, like the evening offering.
The lifting of hands in prayer is a gesture of surrender and supplication, common in Hebrew worship (1 Timothy 2:8). The evening offering, or the evening sacrifice, was a daily ritual in the temple, occurring at twilight (Exodus 29:39-41). This offering was a time of reflection and dedication, symbolizing the people's devotion to God. By comparing his uplifted hands to the evening offering, the psalmist aligns his personal act of worship with the communal and continual worship of Israel. This connection underscores the importance of regular, heartfelt devotion. The evening sacrifice also points to Christ, who is the ultimate sacrifice, fulfilling the law and the prophets (Hebrews 10:10-12).
Persons / Places / Events
1.
DavidTraditionally attributed as the author of
Psalm 141, David is expressing a deep desire for his prayers to be pleasing to God.
2.
IncenseIn the context of ancient Israel, incense was used in the tabernacle and temple as a symbol of prayers ascending to God.
3.
Evening OfferingA specific time of daily sacrifice in the temple, symbolizing devotion and worship to God.
Teaching Points
Prayer as WorshipJust as incense was a pleasing aroma, our prayers should be offered with a heart of worship and reverence.
Consistency in DevotionThe evening offering was a regular practice, reminding us of the importance of consistent prayer life.
Symbolism of Uplifted HandsLifting hands in prayer symbolizes surrender and openness to God's will, encouraging us to approach God with humility.
Holiness in PrayerOur prayers should be offered with a pure heart, reflecting the holiness of the incense and offerings in the temple.
Community of BelieversJust as incense was a communal act in the temple, our prayers should also include intercession for others, fostering a sense of community.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1.What is the meaning of Psalm 141:2?
2.How can we make our prayers like "incense" as in Psalm 141:2?
3.What does "lifting up of my hands" symbolize in Psalm 141:2?
4.How does Psalm 141:2 connect to Revelation 8:3-4 about prayer?
5.In what ways can we incorporate Psalm 141:2 into daily worship practices?
6.How does Psalm 141:2 encourage a deeper, more intentional prayer life?
7.What does Psalm 141:2 reveal about the nature of prayer in Christianity?
8.How does Psalm 141:2 connect incense with prayer in biblical tradition?
9.Why is incense used as a metaphor for prayer in Psalm 141:2?
10.What are the top 10 Lessons from Psalm 141?
11.Psalm 141:2 – If prayer is equated with physical incense offerings, how does this align with the Torah’s requirements for literal sacrificial rituals?
12.What are the Prayers of the Saints?
13.If the incense described in Exodus 30:34–38 was so unique, why don’t we see consistent evidence of its composition or its exclusive use in subsequent Israelite or neighboring cultures?
14.What is the Bible's perspective on incense?What Does Psalm 141:2 Mean
May my prayer be set before You like incense• David asks that his spoken prayers rise to God with the same sweet acceptance as the incense burned in the tabernacle (Exodus 30:7-8).
• Incense was offered continually; likewise, believers are urged to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
•Revelation 5:8 pictures the saints’ prayers as golden bowls of incense before the throne, confirming that God treasures and responds to them.
•Psalm 141:1 stresses David’s urgency—“Come quickly to me, O LORD”—showing his confidence that the aroma of faith-filled prayer reaches God immediately.
• Like the smoke that ascends, prayer moves upward, away from earthly distractions, focusing the heart on the Lord (Colossians 3:1-2).
my uplifted hands, like the evening offering• The “evening offering” refers to the daily sacrifice presented at twilight (Exodus 29:39-41). David’s raised hands symbolize presenting himself wholly to God, just as the priest offered the lamb.
• Lifting hands is a biblical posture of surrender and praise (Psalm 63:4; 28:2). Paul urges, “I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands” (1 Timothy 2:8).
• The evening sacrifice closed the day; David teaches us to end our day by acknowledging God’s mercy and seeking His protection through the night (Psalm 4:8).
• By comparing raised hands to an offering, he reminds us that worship is not merely verbal; our bodies and actions are part of the sacrifice of praise (Romans 12:1;Hebrews 13:15).
summaryPsalm 141:2 reveals David’s longing for every aspect of his worship to be as pleasing to God as the divinely prescribed incense and evening sacrifice. He equates persistent, heartfelt prayer with fragrant incense and views his uplifted hands as a personal offering, inviting us to bring our words, our bodies, and our entire selves before the Lord in continual, reverent devotion.
(2)
Set forth . . .--See margin; but more literally,
be erected,suggesting the pillar of smoke (comp. Tennyson's "Azure pillars of the hearth") continually rising to heaven. Some think the
incenserefers to the morning sacrifice, so that the verse will mean, "let my prayer rise regularly as morning and evening sacrifice." But this is hardly necessary.
Sacrifice--i.e.,the offering of flour and oil, which followed the burnt offering both at morning and evening (Leviticus 2:1-11; in Authorised Version," meat offering "), and here probably associated specially with evening, because the prayer was uttered at the close of the day. (See Note,Psalm 141:3.)
For the "lifted hands," here, from the parallelism, evidently only a symbol of prayer, and not a term for oblation, seePsalm 28:2, Note.
"For what are men better than sheep or goats,
That nourish a blind life within the Drain,
If, knowing God, they lift not hands of prayer, . . .
Verse 2. -
Let my prayer be set forth (or, "established")
before thee as incense;
i.
e. with the regularity of the incense, and with its acceptableness.
And the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice. The hands were "lifted up" in prayer, which was reckoned a serf of sacrifice (
Hosea 14:2).
Parallel Commentaries ...
Hebrew
May my prayerתְּפִלָּתִ֣י(tə·p̄il·lā·ṯî)Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 8605:Intercession, supplication, a hymnbe setתִּכּ֤וֹן(tik·kō·wn)Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 3559:To be erectbefore Youלְפָנֶ֑יךָ(lə·p̄ā·ne·ḵā)Preposition-l | Noun - common plural construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 6440:The facelike incense,קְטֹ֣רֶת(qə·ṭō·reṯ)Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 7004:Smoke, odor of (burning) sacrifice, incensemy upliftedמַֽשְׂאַ֥ת(maś·’aṯ)Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 4864:A raising, rising, an utterance, a beacon, a presenthandsכַּ֝פַּ֗י(kap·pay)Noun - fdc | first person common singular
Strong's 3709:Hollow or flat of the hand, palm, sole (of the foot), a panlike the eveningעָֽרֶב׃(‘ā·reḇ)Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6153:Eveningoffering.מִנְחַת־(min·ḥaṯ-)Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 4503:A donation, tribute, a sacrificial offering
Links
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OT Poetry: Psalm 141:2 Let my prayer be set before you (Psalm Ps Psa.) 
