Psalm 51:3

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

Psalm 51:3 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 51:3

For I acknowledge my transgressions
Before God and man. Acknowledgment of sin is what the Lord requires, and promises forgiveness upon, and therefore is used here as a plea for it; and moreover the psalmist had done so before, and had succeeded in this way, which must encourage him to take the same course again; see ( Psalms 32:5 ) ;

and my sin [is] ever before me;
staring him in the face; gnawing upon his conscience, and filling him with remorse and distress; so that his life was a burden to him: for though God had put away sin out of his own sight, so that he would not condemn him for it, and he should not die; notwithstanding as yet it was not caused to pass from David, or the guilt of it removed from his conscience.

Psalm 51:3 In-Context

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 - 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.