Psalm 51:1-10

1 Be merciful to me, O God, because of your constant love. Because of your great mercy wipe away my sins!

2 Wash away all my evil and make me clean from my sin!

3 I recognize my faults; I am always conscious of my sins.

4 I have sinned against you - only against you - ¹ and done what you consider evil. So you are right in judging me; you are justified in condemning me.

5 I have been evil from the day I was born; from the time I was conceived, I have been sinful.

6 Sincerity and truth are what you require; fill my mind with your wisdom.

7 Remove my sin, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

8 Let me hear the sounds of joy and gladness; and though you have crushed me and broken me, I will be happy once again.

9 Close your eyes to my sins and wipe out all my evil.

10 Create a pure heart in me, O God, and put a new and loyal spirit in me.

Psalm 51:1-10 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.

Cross References

• 1. 51.4Romans 3.4.