Psaume 51:11-19

11 Ne me rejette pas loin de ta face, Ne me retire pas ton esprit saint.

12 Rends-moi la joie de ton salut, Et qu'un esprit de bonne volonté me soutienne!

13 J'enseignerai tes voies à ceux qui les transgressent, Et les pécheurs reviendront à toi.

14 O Dieu, Dieu de mon salut! délivre-moi du sang versé, Et ma langue célébrera ta miséricorde.

15 Seigneur! ouvre mes lèvres, Et ma bouche publiera ta louange.

16 Si tu eusses voulu des sacrifices, je t'en aurais offert; Mais tu ne prends point plaisir aux holocaustes.

17 Les sacrifices qui sont agréables à Dieu, c'est un esprit brisé: O Dieu! tu ne dédaignes pas un coeur brisé et contrit.

18 Répands par ta grâce tes bienfaits sur Sion, Bâtis les murs de Jérusalem!

19 Alors tu agréeras des sacrifices de justice, Des holocaustes et des victimes tout entières; Alors on offrira des taureaux sur ton autel.

Psaume 51:11-19 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.