Psalms 141:9 (KJV)

What does Psalms 141:9 mean?

Psalms 141:9 is a request for God’s protection from people who intend to harm the speaker. The speaker asks God to keep him from being caught by their hidden schemes, pictured as traps set in his path.

The verse speaks directly to God, as the preceding verse does. Its hunting images make the danger vivid: a snare or trap can catch its victim before the victim sees it. The KJV word “gins” means traps.

The Hebrew behind Psalms 141:9

• “Keep” — שָׁמַר (shamar): This word can mean “guard” or “watch over.” Here it gives the request the sense of asking God to stand guard over the speaker.
• “gins” — מוֹקֵשׁ (moqesh): This word refers to a trap or snare. The old English word “gins” carries that sense, rather than the meaning of the modern word “gin.”

Why Psalms 141:9 matters

• The danger comes from people, not simply from bad circumstances. The phrase “workers of iniquity” describes people who do wrong, and “laid for me” portrays their actions as deliberate.
• The request belongs to a wider concern about wrongdoing as well as danger. Earlier, in verse 4, the speaker asks not to be drawn into evil deeds; here, he asks for protection from those who practice them.
• The next verse continues the trap image in a striking reversal. The speaker asks that the wicked fall into their own nets while he escapes.