King James Version

Psalms 141:5

Let the righteous smite me; it shall be a kindness: and let him reprove me; it shall be an excellent oil, which shall not break my head: for yet my prayer also shall be in their calamities.

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Hebrew

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יֶֽהֶלְמֵֽנִיyehelmenibeatהָלַםverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, singular — “beat”, an unfinished actionH1986to strike down; by implication, to hammer, stamp, conquer, disbandbeat (down), break (down), overcome, smite (with the hammer).צַדִּ֨יקtsadiqjustצַדִּיקadjective, adjective, masculine, singular, absolute — “just”, the ordinary formH6662justjust, lawful, righteous (man).חֶ֡סֶדchesedkindnessחֵסֵדnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “kindness”, the ordinary formH2617kindness; by implication (towards God) piety; rarely (by opposition) reproof, or (subject.) beautyfavour, good deed(-liness, -ness), kindly, (loving-) kindness, merciful (kindness), mercy, pity, reproach, wicked thing.וְֽיוֹכִיחֵ֗נִיveyokhicheniand argueיָכַחconjunction, verb, hiphil, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, singular — “and argue”, an unfinished actionH3198to be right (i.e. correct); reciprocal, to argue; causatively, to decide, justify or convictappoint, argue, chasten, convince, correct(-ion), daysman, dispute, judge, maintain, plead, reason (together), rebuke, reprove(-r), surely, in any wise.שֶׁ֣מֶןshemenoliveשֶׁמֶןnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “olive”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH8081grease, especially liquid (as from the olive, often perfumed); figuratively, richnessanointing, [idiom] fat (things), [idiom] fruitful, oil(-ed), ointment, olive, [phrase] pine.רֹ֭אשׁroshheadרֹאשׁnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “head”, the ordinary formH7218the head (as most easily shaken), whether literal or figurative (in many applications, of place, time, rank, itc.)band, beginning, captain, chapiter, chief(-est place, man, things), company, end, [idiom] every (man), excellent, first, forefront, (be-)head, height, (on) high(-est part, (priest)), [idiom] lead, [idiom] poor, principal, ruler, sum, top.אַלalnotאַלparticle, negative — “not”H408not (the qualified negation, used as a deprecative); once (Job 24:25) as a noun, nothingnay, neither, [phrase] never, no, nor, not, nothing (worth), rather than.יָנִ֣יyanibreakנוּאverb, hiphil, jussive, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “break”, a wish or indirect commandH5106to refuse, forbid, dissuade, or neutralizebreak, disallow, discourage, make of none effect.רֹאשִׁ֑יroshiheadרֹאשׁnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, singular — “head”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH7218the head (as most easily shaken), whether literal or figurative (in many applications, of place, time, rank, itc.)band, beginning, captain, chapiter, chief(-est place, man, things), company, end, [idiom] every (man), excellent, first, forefront, (be-)head, height, (on) high(-est part, (priest)), [idiom] lead, [idiom] poor, principal, ruler, sum, top.כִּיkiassuredכִּיconjunction — “assured”H3588(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexedand, + (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else, even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, + nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, + (al-) though, + til…ע֥וֹדodagainעוֹדadverb — “again”H5750properly, iteration or continuance; used only adverbially (with or without preposition), again, repeatedly, still, moreagain, [idiom] all life long, at all, besides, but, else, further(-more), henceforth, (any) longer, (any) more(-over), [idiom] once, since, (be) still, when, (good, the) while (having being), (as, because, whether, while) yet (within).וּ֝תְפִלָּתִ֗יutefilatiand prayerתְּפִלָּהconjunction, noun, common, feminine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, singular — “and prayer”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH8605intercession, supplication; by implication, a hymnprayer.בְּרָעוֹתֵיהֶֽםberaoteyhemin badרַעpreposition, noun, common, feminine, plural, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “in bad”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH7451bad or (as noun) evil (natural or moral)adversity, affliction, bad, calamity, [phrase] displease(-ure), distress, evil((-favouredness), man, thing), [phrase] exceedingly, [idiom] great, grief(-vous), harm, heavy, hurt(-ful), ill (favoured), [phrase] mark, mischief(-vous), misery…

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

Let the righteous smite me in kindness, and correct me; oil so choice let not my head refuse; for still is my prayer because of their wickedness.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

Let the righteous smite me, it shall be a kindness; And let him reprove me, it shall be as oil upon the head; Let not my head refuse it: For even in their wickedness shall my prayer continue.

Young’s Literal Translation

The righteous doth beat me [in] kindness. And doth reprove me, Oil of the head my head disalloweth not, For still my prayer [is] about their vexations.

World English Bible

Let the righteous strike me, it is kindness; let him reprove me, it is like oil on the head; don’t let my head refuse it; Yet my prayer is always against evil deeds.

Darby Translation

Let the righteous smite me, it is kindness; and let him reprove me, it is an excellent oil which my head shall not refuse: for yet my prayer also is [for them] in their calamities.

Douay-Rheims

I looked on my right hand, and beheld, and there was no one that would know me. Flight hath failed me: and there is no one that hath regard to my soul.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Let the righteous smite me in kindness, and correct me; oil so choice let not my head refuse; for still is my prayer because of their wickedness.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

The righteous shall chasten me with mercy, and reprove me: but let not the oil of the sinner anoint my head: for yet shall my prayer also be in their pleasures.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Παιδεύσει με δίκαιος ἐν ἐλέει καὶ ἐλέγξει με, ἔλαιον δὲ ἁμαρτωλοῦ μὴ λιπανάτω τὴν κεφαλήν μου, ὅτι ἔτι καὶ ἡ προσευχή μου ἐν ταῖς εὐδοκίαις αὐτῶν.