Psalm 51
51
A Prayer for Cleansing
To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came unto him,#2 Sam 12.1-15. after he had gone in to Bath–she´ba.
1Have mercy upon me, O God,
according to thy loving-kindness:
according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies
blot out my transgressions.
2Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity,
and cleanse me from my sin.
3For I acknowledge my transgressions:
and my sin is ever before me.
4 #
Rom 3.4. Against thee, thee only, have I sinned,
and done this evil in thy sight:
that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest,
and be clear when thou judgest.
5Behold, I was shapen in iniquity;
and in sin did my mother conceive me.
6Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts:
and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.
7Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean:
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8Make me to hear joy and gladness;
that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.
9Hide thy face from my sins,
and blot out all mine iniquities.
10Create in me a clean heart, O God;
and renew a right spirit within me.
11Cast me not away from thy presence;
and take not thy Holy Spirit from me.
12Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation;
and uphold me with thy free Spirit.
13 Then will I teach transgressors thy ways;
and sinners shall be converted unto thee.
14Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God,
thou God of my salvation:
and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.
15O Lord, open thou my lips;
and my mouth shall show forth thy praise.
16For thou desirest not sacrifice;
else would I give it:
thou delightest not in burnt offering.
17The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit:
a broken and a contrite heart, O God,
thou wilt not despise.
18Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion:
build thou the walls of Jerusalem.
19Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness,
with burnt offering and whole burnt offering:
then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar.
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Psalm 51: KJVAE
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King James Version 1611, spelling, punctuation and text formatting modernized by ABS in 1962; typesetting © 2010 American Bible Society.
Psalms 51
51
The Miserere: Prayer of Repentance
1For the leader. A psalm of David, 2when Nathan the prophet came to him after he had gone in to Bathsheba.#2 Sm 12.
I
3Have mercy on me, God, in accord with your merciful love;
in your abundant compassion blot out my transgressions.
4Thoroughly wash away my guilt;
and from my sin cleanse me.
5For I know my transgressions;
my sin is always before me.#Ps 32:5; 38:19; Is 59:12.
6Against you, you alone have I sinned;
I have done what is evil in your eyes
So that you are just in your word,
and without reproach in your judgment.#Rom 3:4.
7Behold, I was born in guilt,
in sin my mother conceived me.#In sin my mother conceived me: lit., “In iniquity was I conceived,” an instance of hyperbole: at no time was the psalmist ever without sin, cf. Ps 88:15, “I am mortally afflicted since youth,” i.e., I have always been afflicted. The verse does not imply that the sexual act of conception is sinful.#Jb 14:4.
8Behold, you desire true sincerity;
and secretly you teach me wisdom.
9Cleanse me with hyssop,#Hyssop: a small bush whose many woody twigs make a natural sprinkler. It was prescribed in the Mosaic law as an instrument for sprinkling sacrificial blood or lustral water for cleansing, cf. Ex 12:22; Lv 14:4; Nm 19:18. that I may be pure;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.#Jb 9:30; Is 1:18; Ez 36:25.
10You will let me hear gladness and joy;
the bones you have crushed will rejoice.
II
11Turn away your face from my sins;
blot out all my iniquities.
12A clean heart create for me, God;
renew within me a steadfast spirit.#Ez 11:19.
13Do not drive me from before your face,
nor take from me your holy spirit.#Wis 1:5; 9:17; Is 63:11; Hg 2:5; Rom 8:9.
14Restore to me the gladness of your salvation;
uphold me with a willing spirit.
15I will teach the wicked your ways,
that sinners may return to you.
16Rescue me from violent bloodshed, God, my saving God,
and my tongue will sing joyfully of your justice.#Ps 30:10.
17Lord, you will open my lips;
and my mouth will proclaim your praise.
18For you do not desire sacrifice#For you do not desire sacrifice: the mere offering of the ritual sacrifice apart from good dispositions is not acceptable to God, cf. Ps 50. or I would give it;
a burnt offering you would not accept.#Ps 40:7; 50:8; Am 5:21–22; Hos 6:6; Is 1:11–15; Heb 10:5–7.
19My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit;
a contrite, humbled heart, O God, you will not scorn.
III
20#Most scholars think that these verses were added to the Psalm some time after the destruction of the Temple in 587 B.C. The verses assume that the rebuilt Temple will be an ideal site for national reconciliation.Treat Zion kindly according to your good will;
build up the walls of Jerusalem.#Jer 31:4; Ez 36:33.
21Then you will desire the sacrifices of the just,
burnt offering and whole offerings;
then they will offer up young bulls on your altar.
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