Psalms 51:15

15 O Lord, open thou my lips; And my mouth shall show forth thy praise.

Psalms 51:15 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 51:15

O Lord, open thou my lips
The Targum adds, "in the late"; which were shut with a sense of sin, with shame of it, and sorrow for it; and though they were in some measure opened in prayer to God for the forgiveness of it, as appears by various petitions in this psalm, yet he still wanted a free spirit and boldness at the throne of grace, which the believer has when his heart is sprinkled from an evil conscience by the blood of Christ; and especially his lips were shut as to praise and thanksgiving; the guilt of sin had sealed up his lips, that he could not sing the praises of God as he had formerly done; and only a discovery of pardoning grace could open them, and for this he prays:

and my mouth shall show forth thy praise:
the praise of his mercy, grace, goodness, truth, and faithfulness, in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs; see ( Psalms 103:1-3 ) .

Psalms 51:15 In-Context

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

14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation; [And] my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.

15 O Lord, open thou my lips; And my mouth shall show forth thy praise.

16 For thou delightest not in sacrifice; Else would I give it: Thou hast no pleasure in burnt-offering.

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