Psalm 51:2

2 Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin.

Psalm 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.

Psalm 51:2 In-Context

1 Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins.

2 Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin.

3 For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night.

4 Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight. You will be proved right in what you say, and your judgment against me is just.

5 For I was born a sinner— yes, from the moment my mother conceived me.