Psalms 51:12-17

12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways, so that sinners will turn back to you.

14 Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, you who are God my Savior, and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.

15 Open my lips, Lord, and my mouth will declare your praise.

16 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.

17 My sacrifice, O God, is^[a] a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.

Psalms 51:12-17 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.

Cross References

• 1. S Job 33:26; Psalms 13:5
• 2. Psalms 110:3
• 3. S Psalms 18:35
• 4. S Exodus 33:13; Acts 9:21-22
• 5. S Psalms 1:1
• 6. S Job 33:27; Psalms 22:27
• 7. S Psalms 39:8
• 8. S 2 Samuel 12:9
• 9. Psalms 25:5; Psalms 68:20; Psalms 88:1
• 10. S Psalms 5:8; Psalms 35:28; Psalms 71:15
• 11. Exodus 4:15; Psalms 9:14
• 12. S 1 Samuel 15:22; Psalms 40:6
• 13. Proverbs 15:8; Haggai 2:14
• 14. Matthew 11:29; Psalms 34:18

Footnotes

• [a] Or "The sacrifices of God are"