Psalm 51
51
Create in Me a Clean Heart, O God
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David, when #2 Sam. 12:1Nathan the prophet went to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.
1 # See Ps. 4:1 Have mercy on me,#51:1 Or Be gracious to me O God,
according to your steadfast love;
according to your #See Ps. 106:45 abundant mercy
# ver. 9; Isa. 43:25; 44:22; Acts 3:19; Col. 2:14 blot out my transgressions.
2 # ver. 7; Isa. 1:16; Jer. 4:14; Mal. 3:3; Acts 22:16 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
and #Heb. 9:14; 1 John 1:7, 9; [Lev. 13:6]cleanse me from my sin!
3 #
Ps. 32:5; [Prov. 28:13] For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is ever before me.
4 #
Gen. 20:6; 39:9; 2 Sam. 12:13; [1 Cor. 8:12] Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil #Luke 15:18, 21 in your sight,
# Cited Rom. 3:4 so that you may be justified in your words
and blameless in your judgment.
5Behold, #Rom. 5:12, 19; Eph. 2:3; See Job 14:4; 15:14I was brought forth in iniquity,
and in sin did my mother conceive me.
6Behold, you delight in truth in #Job 38:36the inward being,
and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.
7Purge me #Ex. 12:22; Lev. 14:4; Num. 19:18; Heb. 9:19 with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
# [See ver. 2 above] wash me, and I shall be #Isa. 1:18whiter than snow.
8Let me hear joy and gladness;
#
Ps. 35:10 let the bones #Ps. 44:19; Isa. 38:13that you have broken rejoice.
9 #
Jer. 16:17 Hide your face from my sins,
and #[See ver. 1 above]blot out all my iniquities.
10 #
1 Sam. 10:9; Jer. 24:7; Ezek. 11:19; 36:26; Eph. 4:23, 24 Create in me a #Ps. 24:4; Matt. 5:8; Acts 15:9 clean heart, O God,
and #Lam. 5:21renew a right#51:10 Or steadfast spirit within me.
11 #
Ps. 102:10; 2 Kgs. 13:23; 17:20; 24:20; Jer. 7:15 Cast me not away from your presence,
and take not #Rom. 8:9; Eph. 4:30your Holy Spirit from me.
12Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and uphold me with a willing spirit.
13Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners will #[Luke 22:32]return to you.
14Deliver me from #2 Sam. 11:17; 12:9 bloodguiltiness, O God,
O #Ps. 24:5 God of my salvation,
and #Ps. 35:28; 71:8, 15, 24 my tongue will sing aloud of your #[1 John 1:9]righteousness.
15O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will declare your praise.
16 # See Ps. 40:6 For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it;
you will not be pleased with a burnt offering.
17The sacrifices of God are #See Ps. 34:18a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
18 # [Ps. 69:35; 122:6] Do good to Zion in your good pleasure;
#
Ps. 147:2
build up the walls of Jerusalem;
19then will you delight in #Ps. 4:5; [Mal. 3:3] right sacrifices,
in burnt offerings and #Deut. 33:10whole burnt offerings;
then bulls will be offered on your altar.
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The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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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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