Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practise wicked works with men that work iniquity: and let me not eat of their dainties.

PSALMS 141:4KJV
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Psalms 141:4 (KJV)

What does Psalms 141:4 mean?

Psalms 141:4 is a prayer asking God not to let the speaker’s heart be drawn toward evil or to join others in wrongdoing, and not to take part in the pleasures or rewards that come from wicked actions. The verse expresses a desire to avoid both the temptation to do wrong and the company of those who practice it.

King David is speaking directly to God, asking for help to keep his inner desires pure and not to be influenced by those who do evil. The verse uses the image of eating “dainties” to describe sharing in the enjoyable things that come from sinful behavior, showing that David wants to avoid even the indirect benefits of wrongdoing.

The Hebrew behind Psalms 141:4

  • “Incline” (נָטָה, natah): This word means to bend or turn, and here it refers to the direction of the heart’s desires. David is asking God not to let his heart be bent toward evil.
  • “Dainties” (מַנְעַם, man‘am): This word refers to delicacies or special foods, symbolizing the attractive rewards or pleasures that come from joining in with those who do wrong. David does not want to be enticed by these things.

Why Psalms 141:4 matters

  • Psalms 141:4 shows that temptation is not just about actions but also about the desires of the heart, emphasizing the need for inner strength and guidance.
  • The verse highlights the importance of avoiding not only evil deeds but also the company and rewards of those who do wrong, drawing a line between association and participation.
  • In the context of the whole psalm, this verse helps explain David’s deep concern for personal integrity and his reliance on God to help him resist both inward and outward temptation.

Where else these words appear

“practise” Hebrew H5953 · used in 18 verses

  • Exodus 10:2 And that thou mayest tell in the ears of thy son, and of thy son's son, what things I have wrought in Egypt, and my signs which I have done among them; that ye may know how that I am the LORD.
  • Judges 20:45 And they turned and fled toward the wilderness unto the rock of Rimmon: and they gleaned of them in the highways five thousand men; and pursued hard after them unto Gidom, and slew two thousand men of them.
  • Jeremiah 6:9 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, They shall throughly glean the remnant of Israel as a vine: turn back thine hand as a grapegatherer into the baskets.

“works” Hebrew H5949 · used in 24 verses

  • Deuteronomy 22:14 And give occasions of speech against her, and bring up an evil name upon her, and say, I took this woman, and when I came to her, I found her not a maid:
  • Psalms 77:12 I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings.
  • Ezekiel 20:43 And there shall ye remember your ways, and all your doings, wherein ye have been defiled; and ye shall lothe yourselves in your own sight for all your evils that ye have committed.

“wicked” Hebrew H7562 · used in 29 verses

  • Deuteronomy 9:27 Remember thy servants, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; look not unto the stubbornness of this people, nor to their wickedness, nor to their sin:
  • Psalms 125:3 For the rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous; lest the righteous put forth their hands unto iniquity.
  • Isaiah 58:4 Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high.

“work” Hebrew H6466 · used in 55 verses

  • Exodus 15:17 Thou shalt bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of thine inheritance, in the place, O LORD, which thou hast made for thee to dwell in, in the Sanctuary, O Lord, which thy hands have established.
  • Psalms 11:3 If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?
  • Psalms 119:3 They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways.