Psalm 51
- Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.
- Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
- For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.
- 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.
- Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.
- Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.
- Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
- Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.
- Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.
- Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
- Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.
- Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.
- Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.
- Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.
- O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise.
- For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering.
- The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
- Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion: build thou the walls of Jerusalem.
- Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering: then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar.
1. Setting & Background
- Written by David after the prophet Nathan confronted him about his sin with Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11–12).
- This psalm is a model of true repentance—not excuses, not self‑defense, but a heart laid bare before God.
- It shows what it looks like to return to God after serious failure.
2. Major Movements of the Psalm
A. Verses 1–2 — A Cry for Mercy
Theme: God’s character is the basis for forgiveness.
David appeals to:
- God’s mercy
- God’s steadfast love
- God’s abundant compassion
Teaching points
- Repentance begins with who God is, not who we are. We run to His character, not our own goodness.
- David pleads for mercy and asks for his transgressions to be blotted out. He knows that God could blot his name out of the heavenly books.
- Exodus 32:33
- And the Lord said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.
- Deuteronomy 29:20
- The Lord will not spare him, but then the anger of the Lord and his jealousy shall smoke against that man, and all the curses that are written in this book shall lie upon him, and the Lord shall blot out his name from under heaven.
- Exodus 32:33
- In verse 9 David asks for his sins to be blotted out.
Vocabulary
- steadfast love or lovingkindness (depending on the translation)
- Hebrew: ḥeseḏ
- Strong’s H2617
- from H2616; kindness; by implication (towards God) piety
- mercy
- Hebrew: ḥānan
- Strong’s H2603
- a primitive root (compare H2583); properly, to bend or stoop in kindness to an inferior; to favor, bestow; causatively to implore (i.e. move to favor by petition):—beseech, fair, (be, find, shew) favour(-able), be (deal, give, grant (gracious(-ly), intreat, (be) merciful, have (shew) mercy (on, upon), have pity upon, pray, make supplication
- abundant compassion or tender mercies
- Hebrew: raḥam
- Strong’s H7356
- from H7355; compassion (in the plural); by extension, the womb (as cherishing the fetus); by implication, a maiden:—bowels, compassion, damsel, tender love, (great, tender) mercy, pity, womb.
B. Verses 3–6 — Honest Confession
Key ideas:
- David acknowledges his sin without minimizing it.
- He recognizes that all sin is ultimately against God.
- He admits that God is right in His judgment.
Teaching points
True confession is:
- Specific
- Honest
- Without excuses
- Rooted in humility
- All people are born under the sin of Adam. That means that everyone is born with a sin nature.
- We must confess and except the gift of salvation that only Jesus can give.
Faith connection:
God desires truth in the inward being—He wants integrity, not outward performance.
C. Verses 7–9 — Cleansing & Renewal
Imagery:
- Hyssop (used in ceremonial cleansing)
- It is a special plant used in ritual purifications process.
- David uses the analogy of hyssop to reveal his need for a cleaning from the uncleanness of his sins.
- Washing
- The Hebrew word used here is כָּבַס kâbaç.
- It is usually used for washing a stained garment.
- David’s stain was deep and he felt a need for total cleansing.
- David likens himself to a badly stained garment.
- Under the New Covenant, we are cleansed through the blood of Jesus.
- Rev 1:5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
- David’s stain was deep and he felt a need for total cleansing.
- Whiter than snow
Teaching emphasis:
David believes God can cleanse him completely.
Repentance is not despair—it is hope in God’s power to restore.
D. Verses 10–12 — Transformation of the Heart
This is the heart of the psalm.
David asks God to:
- Create a clean heart
- Renew a steadfast spirit or a right spirit
- David asks for a renewal of the right spirit. David is concerned about God’s spirit leaving him. David remembers Saul. He does not want the same things that happened to Saul to come upon him.
- 1 Samuel 16:14
- But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord troubled him.
- 1 Samuel 16:14
- David asks for a renewal of the right spirit. David is concerned about God’s spirit leaving him. David remembers Saul. He does not want the same things that happened to Saul to come upon him.
- Restore joy
- anytime that we lose joy that should cause us to desire cleansing and repentance so that we can have the joy return to us.
- Joy is a fruit of the spirit
- Galatians 5:22
- But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
- Galatians 5:22
- Sustain him with a willing spirit or free spirit
Teaching emphasis:
Repentance is not only about forgiveness—it is about inner transformation.
Only God can create a new heart.
- Ezekiel 36:26
- A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
Faith connection:
This echoes New Testament themes of new creation and renewal by the Spirit.
- 2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV
- Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
- Hebrews 10:22 ESV
- Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
- James 4:8 ESV
- Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
E. Verses 13–17 — A Life Changed by Grace
David promises:
- To teach others God’s ways
- To praise God openly
- To offer a broken and contrite heart
David asks for:
- Deliverance from bloodguiltiness
- Bloodguiltiness has to do with the shedding of innocent blood.
- David knows that law of shedding innocent blood.
- Deutronomy 19:10-13
- That innocent blood be not shed in thy land, which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, and so blood be upon thee.
- But if any man hate his neighbour, and lie in wait for him, and rise up against him, and smite him mortally that he die, and fleeth into one of these cities:
- Then the elders of his city shall send and fetch him thence, and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood, that he may die.
- Thine eye shall not pity him, but thou shalt put away the guilt of innocent blood from Israel, that it may go well with thee.
- Deutronomy 19:10-13
- David knows that he set up Uriah’s death so that he could take Uriah’s wife, Bathsheba.
- David knows that law of shedding innocent blood.
- Bloodguiltiness has to do with the shedding of innocent blood.
Teaching emphasis:
Forgiven people become:
- Teachers
- Worshipers
- Witnesses
- Humble servants
Key truth:
God is not impressed by outward sacrifices—He wants a heart that is soft, humble, and surrendered.
- Romans 12:1 ESV
- I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
- Hebrews 13:15-16 ESV
- Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.
- Matthew 9:13 ESV
- Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
- Matthew 12:7 ESV
- And if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless.
F. Verses 18–19 — Restoration Beyond the Individual
David ends by praying for:
- Zion
- Jerusalem
- The community
Teaching emphasis:
Sin affects more than the individual.
Restoration is both personal and communal.
David’s prayer about the wall of Jerusalem are answered when Solomon completes David’s building projects.
- 1 Kings 3:1
- And Solomon made affinity with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and took Pharaoh’s daughter, and brought her into the city of David, until he had made an end of building his own house, and the house of the Lord, and the wall of Jerusalem round about.
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