Psalms 51:4-14

4 (50-6) To thee only have I sinned, and have done evil before thee: that thou mayst be justified in thy words, and mayst overcome when thou art judged.

5 (50-7) For behold I was conceived in iniquities; and in sins did my mother conceive me.

6 (50-8) For behold thou hast loved truth: the uncertain and hidden things of thy wisdom thou hast made manifest to me.

7 (50-9) Thou shalt sprinkle me with hyssop, and I shall be cleansed: thou shalt wash me, and I shall be made whiter than snow.

8 (50-10) To my hearing thou shalt give joy and gladness: and the bones that have been humbled shall rejoice.

9 (50-11) Turn away thy face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities.

10 (50-12) Create a clean heart in me, O God: and renew a right spirit within my bowels.

11 (50-13) Cast me not away from thy face; and take not thy holy spirit from me.

12 (50-14) Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation, and strengthen me with a perfect spirit.

13 (50-15) I will teach the unjust thy ways: and the wicked shall be converted to thee.

14 (50-16) Deliver me from blood, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall extol thy justice.

Psalms 51:4-14 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.