Psalm 51:9

9 Turn Your face away from my sins and blot out all my guilt.

Psalm 51:9 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 51:9

Hide thy face from my sins
In whose sight they were committed, being now ashamed of them himself, and ashamed that any should see them, and especially his God; and being filthy and nauseous, he knew they must be abominable to him, who is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity; and being breaches of his law, must be offensive to him, and provoke the eyes of his glory; and were such that he knew would not bear the examination of justice; and that if God was strict to mark them, he could not stand before him: moreover, in this petition the psalmist deprecates a severe chastisement of them, which is sometimes expressed by setting sins before him, ( Psalms 90:8 ) ; and entreats the pardon of them, or oblivion and non-remembrance of them, that they might be cast behind his back, and into the depths of the sea;

and blot out all mine iniquities;
as in ( Psalms 51:1 ) ; here repeated, to show his deep sense of them, and his great importunity for the forgiveness of them; and adds the word all, including all his other sins, with those he had lately committed; for he knew that, if anyone, was left unpardoned, he could never answer for it.

Psalm 51:9 In-Context

7 Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

8 Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones You have crushed rejoice.

9 Turn Your face away from my sins and blot out all my guilt.

10 God, create a clean heart for me and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

11 Do not banish me from Your presence or take Your Holy Spirit from me.

Footnotes

• [a] Lit Hide Your face