Psalms

Psalm 51

KJV

Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.

Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.

For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.

Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.

Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.

Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.

Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.

Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.

Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.

Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.

Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.

O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise.

For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering.

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion: build thou the walls of Jerusalem.

Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering: then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar.

Overview

Psalm 51 is a sustained prayer for mercy after serious wrongdoing: confession, cleansing, a clean heart, restored joy, truthful witness, and humble worship. Its Davidic superscription makes repentance inseparable from accountability for harm.

Setting and context

Themes

Mercy, confession, and truth before God · Cleansing, renewal, and a steadfast spirit · Restored witness and the sacrifice of a contrite heart · Zion’s good and worship restored

Reflection

Psalm 51 is a penitential prayer traditionally linked by its superscription to David after Nathan confronted him. It moves from appeal to God’s steadfast love and honest confession, through cleansing and inner renewal, toward restored witness, humble worship, and concern for Zion. Repentance here neither erases harm done to others nor turns contrition into self-hatred.

Reading notes

“Against you” emphasizes sin’s offense against God and the justice of God’s judgment; it must not be used to erase the real human victims of David’s actions. The sacrifice God welcomes is a broken and contrite heart: humble repentance, not self-hatred, self-harm, humiliation, or submission to abuse.

Key passages

Psalm 51:1: The prayer begins by appealing not to merit but to God’s steadfast love and abundant mercy, asking that transgressions be blotted out. The prayer begins by appealing not to merit but to God’s steadfast love and abundant mercy, asking that transgressions be blotted out. Psalm 51:3: He acknowledges his transgressions and keeps his sin before him, modeling confession that names wrongdoing instead of hiding or rationalizing it. He acknowledges his transgressions and keeps his sin before him, modeling confession that names wrongdoing instead of hiding or rationalizing it. Psalm 51:4: “Against you” emphasizes sin’s offense against God and the justice of God’s judgment; it must not be used to erase the real human victims of David’s actions. “Against you” emphasizes sin’s offense against God and the justice of God’s judgment; it must not be used to erase the real human victims of David’s actions. Psalm 51:5: The language of being sinful from conception expresses the depth and pervasiveness of human brokenness; it should not be weaponized to shame sexuality, pregnancy, parents, or children. The language of being sinful from conception expresses the depth and pervasiveness of human brokenness; it should not be weaponized to shame sexuality, pregnancy, parents, or children. Psalm 51:10: “Create in me a clean heart” asks God for inward re-creation and a steadfast spirit, not merely relief from consequences or a repaired public image. “Create in me a clean heart” asks God for inward re-creation and a steadfast spirit, not merely relief from consequences or a repaired public image. Psalm 51:12: The psalmist asks for the joy of salvation to be restored and for a willing spirit to sustain him, joining grace with renewed willingness to live differently. The psalmist asks for the joy of salvation to be restored and for a willing spirit to sustain him, joining grace with renewed willingness to live differently. Psalm 51:17: The sacrifice God welcomes is a broken and contrite heart: humble repentance, not self-hatred, self-harm, humiliation, or submission to abuse. The sacrifice God welcomes is a broken and contrite heart: humble repentance, not self-hatred, self-harm, humiliation, or submission to abuse. Psalm 51:18: The prayer widens from the individual to Zion, asking God to do good to the city and build Jerusalem’s walls; repentance is placed within the wellbeing of the worshiping community. The prayer widens from the individual to Zion, asking God to do good to the city and build Jerusalem’s walls; repentance is placed within the wellbeing of the worshiping community. Psalm 51:19: The psalm ends with righteous sacrifices and offerings accepted in restored worship, showing that its critique is not a blanket rejection of Israel’s sacrificial life. The psalm ends with righteous sacrifices and offerings accepted in restored worship, showing that its critique is not a blanket rejection of Israel’s sacrificial life.

Questions readers ask

What is Psalm 51 about? Psalm 51 is a sustained prayer for mercy after serious wrongdoing: confession, cleansing, a clean heart, restored joy, truthful witness, and humble worship. Its Davidic superscription makes repentance inseparable from accountability for harm. What does Psalm 51:10 mean? “Create in me a clean heart” asks God for inward re-creation and a steadfast spirit, not merely relief from consequences or a repaired public image. What does a broken and contrite heart mean? The sacrifice God welcomes is a broken and contrite heart: humble repentance, not self-hatred, self-harm, humiliation, or submission to abuse.