Psalm 51:3

3 For {I myself know} my transgressions, and my sin [is] ever before me.

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 gracious to me, O God, according to your loyal love. According to your abundant mercies, blot out my transgressions.

2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and from my sin cleanse me.

3 For {I myself know} my transgressions, and my sin [is] ever before me.

4 Against you, only you, I have sinned and have done this evil in your eyes, so that you are correct when you speak, you are blameless when you judge.

5 Behold, in iniquity I was born, and in sin my mother conceived me.

Footnotes

• [a] Literally "I, I know"
• [b] Or "rebellions"