Psalms 51:2

2 Wash me fully from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.

Psalms 51:2 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 51:2

Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity
Which supposes defilement by sin, and that very great, and such as none can remove but the Lord himself; who, when he takes it in hand, does it effectually and thoroughly; see ( Ezekiel 36:25 ) . David's sin had long lain upon him, the faith of it had as it were eaten into him, and spread itself over him, and therefore he needed much washing: "wash me much", all over, and thoroughly:

and cleanse me from my sin:
which only the blood of Christ can do, ( 1 John 1:7 ) . The psalmist makes use of three words to express his sin by, in this verse ( Psalms 51:1 ) ; (evp) , which signifies "rebellion", as all sin has in it rebellion against God the lawgiver, and a contempt of his commandments; (Nwe) , "perverseness", "crookedness", sin being a going out of the plain way of God's righteous law; and (tajx) , "a missing the mark"; going besides it or not coming up to it: and these he makes rise of to set forth the malignity of sin, and the deep sense he had of the exceeding sinfulness of it; and these are the three words used by the Lord in ( Exodus 34:7 ) ; when he declares himself to be a sin forgiving God; so that David's sin came within the reach of pardoning mercy.

Psalms 51:2 In-Context

1 {To the chief Musician. A Psalm of David; when Nathan the prophet came to him, after he had gone in to Bath-sheba.} Be gracious unto me, O God, according to thy loving-kindness; according to the abundance of thy tender mercies, blot out my transgressions.

2 Wash me fully from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.

3 For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is continually before me.

4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done what is evil in thy sight; that thou mayest be justified when thou speakest, be clear when thou judgest.

5 Behold, in iniquity was I brought forth, and in sin did my mother conceive me.