Psalm 51

"Create a clean heart for me, God!"

Purpose: The psalmist pleads for God to cleanse him of his sin and restore him.

Content: I have sinned against you, therefore wash me thoroughly and create a clean heart for me so that I will praise you. I intended to teach transgressors your ways, so that sinners will turn back to you, and so that you will delight in right sacrifices because you do good to Zion!

Message: God cleanses the contrite from sin and gives them new hearts to offer worship that is pleasing to God in Zion.

Author: David

Overview

Translation

Click 'Expand' to the right to see our Close-but-Clear translation of Psalm 51.

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1. For the music director. A psalm. By David.

2. When Nathan the prophet came to him,

when he had had sexual intercourse with Bathsheba.

3. Show mercy to me, God, according to your loyalty;

according to your abundant compassion wipe away my transgressions.

4. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,

and cleanse me from my sin,

5. because I am [continually] aware of my transgressions,

and my sin is constantly in front of me.

6. Against you alone I have sinned,

and I have done what is evil in your eyes,

such that you are in the right whenever you speak,

[and such that] you are faultless whenever you judge.

7. Look, I was born in iniquity,

and in guilt my mother conceived me.

8. Look, you desire truth in the covered places,

and you make me know wisdom in the closed-off place.

9. [Would you please] purify me with hyssop, so that I will be clean;

[would you please] wash me, so that I will be whiter than snow.

10. [Would you please] make me hear gladness and joy;

[so that] the bones that you have crushed might rejoice.

11. Hide your face from my sins,

and wipe away all my iniquities.

12. Create a clean heart for me, God,

and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

13. Do not cast me away from before you,

and do not take your holy spirit away from me.

14. Restore to me the gladness that results from your salvation,

and [would you please] support me with a willing spirit.

15. I intend to teach transgressors your ways,

so that sinners will turn back to you.

16. Deliver me from bloodshed, God,

the God who saves me,

[so that] my tongue will shout for joy about your righteousness.

17. Lord, [would you please] open my lips,

so that my mouth will report praise concerning you.

18. For you do not delight in sacrifice[s],

or else I would give [them];

you are not pleased with burnt offering[s].

19. The sacrifices [acceptable to] God are broken spirit[s];

a broken and crushed heart,

God, you do not despise.

20. Do good to Zion in accord with what pleases you;

[would you please] build the walls of Jerusalem.

21. Then you will delight in right sacrifices, in burnt offering[s] and whole offering[s];

then [people] will offer up bulls on your altar.

The Close-but-clear translation (CBC) exists to provide a window into the Hebrew text according to how we understand its syntax and word-to-phrase-level semantics. It is not intended to be used as a stand-alone translation or base text, but as a supplement to Layer-by-Layer materials to help users make full use of these resources.

For links to other translations of Psalm 51, click here.

Verse-by-Verse

Click the link to view all of Psalm 51 Verse-by-Verse, or click on an individual verse below.

• v. 1
• v. 2
• v. 3
• v. 4
• v. 5
• v. 6
• v. 7
• v. 8
• v. 9
• v. 10
• v. 11
• v. 12
• v. 13
• v. 14
• v. 15
• v. 16
• v. 17
• v. 18
• v. 19
• v. 20
• v. 21

Layer-by-Layer

Psalm Overview

• Grammar
• Semantics
• Story behind the Psalm
• Discourse
• Poetics

Exegetical Issues

• The Meaning of טֻּחוֹת and סָתֻם in Ps 51:8
• The Verbal Semantics of Ps 51:8b
• Psalm 51:20-21 and the Story Behind Psalm 51

Guardian: Drew Longacre