Psalms 51:1-11

1 Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: According to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.

2 Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin.

3 For I know my transgressions; And my sin is ever before me.

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

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

6 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts; And in the hidden part thou wilt make me to know wisdom.

7 Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

8 Make me to hear joy and gladness, That the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.

9 Hide thy face from my sins, And blot out all mine iniquities.

10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; And renew a right spirit within me.

11 Cast me not away from thy presence; And take not thy holy Spirit from me.

Psalms 51:1-11 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.