Psaume 51:1-11

1 Au maître-chantre. Psaume de David;

2 Lorsque Nathan le prophète vint à lui, après que David fut allé vers Bath-Shéba.

3 O Dieu, aie pitié de moi, selon ta miséricorde! Selon la grandeur de tes compassions, efface mes forfaits!

4 Lave-moi parfaitement de mon iniquité, et nettoie-moi de mon péché!

5 Car je connais mes transgressions, et mon péché est toujours devant moi.

6 J'ai péché contre toi, contre toi seul, et j'ai fait ce qui est mal à tes yeux, de sorte que tu seras juste quand tu parleras, et sans reproche quand tu jugeras.

7 Voilà, j'ai été formé dans l'iniquité, et ma mère m'a conçu dans le péché.

8 Voilà, tu aimes la vérité dans le cœur, tu m'as fait connaître la sagesse au-dedans de moi.

9 Purifie-moi de mon péché avec l'hysope, et je serai net; lave-moi et je serai plus blanc que la neige.

10 Fais-moi entendre la joie et l'allégresse; que les os que tu as brisés, se réjouissent!

11 Détourne ta face de mes péchés; efface toutes mes iniquités!

Psaume 51:1-11 Meaning and Commentary

To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. The occasion of this psalm was the sin of David with Bathsheba, signified by "going in to her"; an euphemism for "lying with her"; which sin was a very aggravated one, she being another man's wife, and the wife of a servant and soldier of his, who was at the same time exposing his life for his king and country's good; and David besides had many wives, and was also king of Israel, and should have set a better example to his subjects; and it was followed with other sins, as the murder of Uriah, and the death of several others; with scandal to religion, and with security and impenitence in him for a long time, until Nathan the prophet was sent to him of God, to awaken him to a sense of his sin; which he immediately acknowledged, and showed true repentance for it: upon which, either while Nathan was present, or after he was gone, he penned this psalm; that it might remain on record, as a testification of his repentance, and for the instruction of such as should fall into sin, how to behave, where to apply, and for their comfort. The history of all this may be seen in the eleventh and twelfth chapters of the second book of Samuel.