Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.
Parallel translations
- WEB Set a watch, Yahweh, before my mouth. Keep the door of my lips.
- BSB Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; keep watch at the door of my lips.
- NKJV Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips.
- NASB Set a guard, Lord, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips.
- NLT Take control of what I say, O Lord, and guard my lips.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
David asks God to guard his mouth and keep watch over his lips. It is a prayer for self-control in speech under pressure.
Overview
Facing provocation, David recognizes his need for divine help to avoid sinful speech, asking God to post a guard at his lips. This humble request shows awareness that the tongue is hard to tame. The wisdom of restrained speech finds its perfection in Christ, who, when reviled, did not revile in return (James 3:8; 1 Peter 2:23).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- Jas 1:26If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.
- Ps 39:1I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me.
- Mic 7:5Trust ye not in a friend, put ye not confidence in a guide: keep the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom.
- Ps 34:13Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.
- Jas 3:2For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.
- Ps 71:8Let my mouth be filled with thy praise and with thy honour all the day.
- Ps 17:3–5Thou hast proved mine heart; thou hast visited me in the night; thou hast tried me, and shalt find nothing; I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
The Psalms are Christ's own prayer book and a gallery of his portraits — the suffering one of Psalm 22, the risen Lord of Psalm 16, the priest-king of Psalm 110, the Son to whom the nations are given.
How Psalms 141:3 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.