Psalms 51:2

2 Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.

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Psalms 51:2 in Other Translations

KJV

2 Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.

ESV

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

NLT

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

MSG

2 Scrub away my guilt, soak out my sins in your laundry.

CSB

2 Wash away my guilt, and cleanse me from my sin.

Psalms 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.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Psalms 51:2 In-Context

1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.

2 Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.

3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.

4 Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge.

5 Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.

Cross References 2

1. S Ruth 3:3; Jeremiah 2:22; Jeremiah 13:27; Acts 22:16; 1 John 1:9
2. Proverbs 20:30; Isaiah 4:4; Ezekiel 36:25; Zechariah 13:1; Matthew 23:25-26; Hebrews 9:14