Psalm 51 Emotional
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Psalm 51/Emotional
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Create a clean heart for me, God!
Psalm 51
Emotional Analysis
This layer explores the emotional dimension of the biblical text and seeks to uncover the clues within the text itself that are part of the communicative intent of its author. The goal of this analysis is to chart the basic emotional tone and/or progression of the psalm.
For a detailed explanation of our method, see the Emotional Analysis Creator Guidelines.
Emotional Analysis Chart
If an emendation or revocalization is preferred, that emendation or revocalization will be marked in the Hebrew text of all the visuals.
| Emendations/Revocalizations legend | |
|---|---|
| *Emended text* | Emended text, text in which the consonants differ from the consonants of the Masoretic text, is indicated by blue asterisks on either side of the emendation. |
| *Revocalized text* | Revocalized text, text in which only the vowels differ from the vowels of the Masoretic text, is indicated by purple asterisks on either side of the revocalization. |
| Verse | Text (Hebrew) | Text (CBC) | The Psalmist Feels | Emotional Analysis Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | לַמְנַצֵּ֗חַ מִזְמ֥וֹר לְדָוִֽד׃ | For the music director. A psalm. By David. | ||
| 2 | בְּֽבוֹא־אֵ֭לָיו נָתָ֣ן הַנָּבִ֑יא | When Nathan the prophet came to him, | ||
| כַּֽאֲשֶׁר־בָּ֝֗א אֶל־בַּת־שָֽׁבַע׃ | when he had had sexual intercourse with Bathsheba. | |||
| 3 | חָנֵּ֣נִי אֱלֹהִ֣ים כְּחַסְדֶּ֑ךָ | Show mercy to me, God, according to your loyalty; | • David is desperate because of his plight. • David hopes that God will act based on his loyalty and abundant compassion. |
In contrast to the precative yiqtols in vv. 9-10, the imperatives in vv. 3-4 communicate a sense of desperation in the appeal, especially the initiating cry for mercy. The mention of God's loyalty and abundant compassion suggests that David has good grounds for hoping God will restore him, but he does not presume that God will do so. The psalm never makes confident assertions about God's answer until the indicative futures of v. 21, before which it is almost entirely characterized by hopeful but not presumptuous pleas. In 2 Sam 12:15-23, David pleads desparately and expresses hope that God will spare his son from the consequences of his sin with Bathsheba without any guarantee of a positive answer (indeed, God does not spare the son), expressing his non-presumptuous hope by saying, "Who knows? The Lord may be gracious to me" (2 Sam 12:22, NRSV). |
| כְּרֹ֥ב רַ֝חֲמֶ֗יךָ מְחֵ֣ה פְשָׁעָֽי׃ | according to your abundant compassion wipe away my transgressions. | |||
| 4 | הַרְבֵּה כַּבְּסֵ֣נִי מֵעֲוֺנִ֑י | Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, | • David feels guilty of sin. • David is overwhelmed by the pervasiveness of his sin. • David hopes God will cleanse him thoroughly. |
The emphasis on the need for thorough cleansing suggests that David is overwhelmed by the severity and/or pervasiveness of his sin. The thoroughness of the cleansing implies deep stains of sin, which impress themselves upon the consciousness of the psalmist. |
| וּֽמֵחַטָּאתִ֥י טַהֲרֵֽנִי׃ | and cleanse me from my sin, | |||
| 5 | כִּֽי־פְ֭שָׁעַי אֲנִ֣י אֵדָ֑ע | because I am [continually] aware of my transgressions, | • David feels guilty of sin. • David is overwhelmed by the pervasiveness of his sin. | |
| וְחַטָּאתִ֖י נֶגְדִּ֣י תָמִֽיד׃ | and my sin is constantly in front of me. | |||
| 6 | לְךָ֤ לְבַדְּךָ֨ ׀ חָטָאתִי֮ | Against you alone I have sinned, | • David feels especially guilty of sin, because he has sinned against God. | Sinning against God may be considered the worst kind of sinning, as evident in Gen 39:9. |
| וְהָרַ֥ע בְּעֵינֶ֗יךָ עָ֫שִׂ֥יתִי | and I have done what is evil in your eyes, | |||
| לְ֭מַעַן תִּצְדַּ֥ק בְּדָבְרֶ֗ךָ | such that you are in the right whenever you speak, | |||
| תִּזְכֶּ֥ה בְשָׁפְטֶֽךָ׃ | [and such that] you are faultless whenever you judge. | |||
| 7 | הֵן־בְּעָו֥וֹן חוֹלָ֑לְתִּי | Look, I was born in iniquity, | • David feels guilty of sin. • David is overwhelmed by the pervasiveness of his sin. |
This expression is not intended to shift blame to the psalmist's mother, but rather to lament the overwhelming sense of guilt the psalmist feels. The psalmist feels so permeated by sin that it encompasses not only his present, but also the distant past. By asserting his sinfulness from conception/birth, the psalmist presents his sinful state as so deeply integrated into the fabric his being that he is helpless to resolve it and is thus overwhelmed by his sin. |
| וּ֝בְחֵ֗טְא יֶֽחֱמַ֥תְנִי אִמִּֽי׃ | and in guilt my mother conceived me. | |||
| 8 | הֵן־אֱ֭מֶת חָפַ֣צְתָּ בַטֻּח֑וֹת | Look, you desire truth in the covered places, | • David is contemplative about God's requirements. • David hopes his honest confession will satisfy God and move him to action. |
In Ps 19:8-14, David expresses his conviction that God's law can provide wisdom and insight to detect hidden faults, bringing cleansing, transformation, and joy. |
| וּ֝בְסָתֻ֗ם חָכְמָ֥ה תוֹדִיעֵֽנִי׃ | and you make me know wisdom in the closed-off place. | |||
| 9 | תְּחַטְּאֵ֣נִי בְאֵז֣וֹב וְאֶטְהָ֑ר | [Would you please] purify me with hyssop, so that I will be clean; | • David feels unworthy of God's approval. • David hopes God will cleanse him completely. |
The resumption of the plea here implies David's feelings of unworthiness, after his confession of failure in the previous verses. David has made honest confession, but he still recognizes that he is not worthy of God's approval, even while asking for it. |
| תְּ֝כַבְּסֵ֗נִי וּמִשֶּׁ֥לֶג אַלְבִּֽין׃ | [would you please] wash me, so that I will be whiter than snow. | |||
| 10 | תַּ֭שְׁמִיעֵנִי שָׂשׂ֣וֹן וְשִׂמְחָ֑ה | [Would you please] make me hear gladness and joy; | • David is miserable from suffering. • David longs to experience joy. |
1 Sam 16:14-23 recounts how David would play music for Saul and restore his well-being (טוב) from the spirit that was troubling him. |
| תָּ֝גֵ֗לְנָה עֲצָמ֥וֹת דִּכִּֽיתָ׃ | [so that] the bones that you have crushed might rejoice. | |||
| 11 | הַסְתֵּ֣ר פָּ֭נֶיךָ מֵחֲטָאָ֑י | Hide your face from my sins, | • David feels unworthy of God's approval. • David feels ashamed that God sees his sin. • David hopes that God will wipe away his iniquities. | |
| וְֽכָל־עֲוֺ֖נֹתַ֣י מְחֵֽה | and wipe away all my iniquities. | |||
| 12 | לֵ֣ב טָ֭הוֹר בְּרָא־לִ֣י אֱלֹהִ֑ים | Create a clean heart for me, God, | • David is overwhelmed by the condition of his heart and spirit. • David hopes that God will make him clean and faithful. | |
| וְר֥וּחַ נָ֝כ֗וֹן חַדֵּ֥שׁ בְּקִרְבִּֽי׃ | and renew a steadfast spirit within me. | |||
| 13 | אַל־תַּשְׁלִיכֵ֥נִי מִלְּפָנֶ֑יךָ | Do not cast me away from before you, | • David worries God will abandon him. • David cherishes God's presence. |
This request seems not merely to be hyperbole or theoretical recognition of God's prerogative to reject the psalmist, but rather concern that this rejection is a very real possibility, given the psalmist's sin. The loss of God's spirit and approval would have devastating consequences (like the rejection of Saul), which the psalmist desires to avoid. We should be careful not to impose anachronistic concepts of the permanent indwelling of the Holy Spirit in Christian believers onto this Old Testament psalmist, who had no such guarantee. This may be compared with God's removal of his spirit from Saul in 1 Sam 16:14; cf. note on Ps 51:10. |
| וְר֥וּחַ קָ֝דְשְׁךָ֗ אַל־תִּקַּ֥ח מִמֶּֽנִּי׃ | and do not take your holy spirit away from me. | |||
| 14 | הָשִׁ֣יבָה לִּ֭י שְׂשׂ֣וֹן יִשְׁעֶ֑ךָ | Restore to me the gladness that results from your salvation, | • David feels joyless and longs for the joy he once had. • David feels inadequate in his commitment and dependent upon God's grace. |
When David requests a willing spirit, he admits the inadequacy of his own willingness and, by implication, his dependence upon God's grace. |
| וְר֖וּחַ נְדִיבָ֣ה תִסְמְכֵֽנִי׃ | and [would you please] support me with a willing spirit. | |||
| 15 | אֲלַמְּדָ֣ה פֹשְׁעִ֣ים דְּרָכֶ֑יךָ | I intend to teach transgressors your ways, | • David is determined to tell others of God's ways and the grace he has received, if God does indeed restore him. • David is hopeful that God will indeed restore him. |
In Ps 34, David instructs sinners to turn to God in response to God's answer of his prayer. Here David expresses his determination to instruct sinners, but in the context it seems to remain in the realm of conditional possibility (see also the cohortative verbal form), rather than confidently anticipated reality. This verse is isolated within the broader context of a plea for restoration and provides grounds to persuade God to respond positively. The future instruction of sinners is contingent upon God's restoration of the psalmist, for which the psalmist is hopeful, but for which he has no guarantee. |
| וְ֝חַטָּאִ֗ים אֵלֶ֥יךָ יָשֽׁוּבוּ׃ | so that sinners will turn back to you. | |||
| 16 | הַצִּ֘ילֵ֤נִי מִדָּמִ֨ים ׀ אֱֽלֹהִ֗ים | Deliver me from bloodshed, God, | • David feels threatened by or guilty of bloodshed. • David hopes to experience joy. | |
| אֱלֹהֵ֥י תְּשׁוּעָתִ֑י | the God who saves me, | |||
| תְּרַנֵּ֥ן לְ֝שׁוֹנִ֗י צִדְקָתֶֽךָ׃ | [so that] my tongue will shout for joy about your righteousness. | |||
| 17 | אֲ֭דֹנָי שְׂפָתַ֣י תִּפְתָּ֑ח | Lord, [would you please] open my lips, | • David feels unworthy or unable to praise. | |
| וּ֝פִ֗י יַגִּ֥יד תְּהִלָּתֶֽךָ׃ | so that my mouth will report praise concerning you. | |||
| 18 | כִּ֤י ׀ לֹא־תַחְפֹּ֣ץ זֶ֣בַח | For you do not delight in sacrifice[s], | • David is contemplative about Got's requirements. • David feels inadequate and ill-equipped to please God. |
Sacrifices were the normal/expected means of maintaining a right relationship with God, but the psalmist recognizes that these are insufficient, given the sinfulness of his heart. Thus, David is left with no recourse other than to beg for the mercy of God. |
| וְאֶתֵּ֑נָה | or else I would give [them]; | |||
| ע֝וֹלָ֗ה לֹ֣א תִרְצֶֽה׃ | you are not pleased with burnt offering[s]. | |||
| 19 | זִֽבְחֵ֣י אֱלֹהִים֮ ר֪וּחַ נִשְׁבָּ֫רָ֥ה | The sacrifices [acceptable to] God are broken spirit[s]; | • David is contemplative about Got's requirements. • David feels humbled by suffering and recognition of sin. • David is confident that God will not reject a truly humble heart. • David feels willing to offer his humble and heartfelt repentance and praise. • David hopes that God will grant him a sufficiently humble heart and accept his humble self-sacrifice. |
David already feels humbled by the consequences of his sin (v. 10), but also calls on God to give him a new heart and spirit that would be perfectly clean, steadfast, and willingly obedient (vv. 12, 14). David hopes that God will respond positively and grant him the kind of faithful and humble heart that God does not reject. |
| לֵב־נִשְׁבָּ֥ר וְנִדְכֶּ֑ה | a broken and crushed heart, | |||
| אֱ֝לֹהִ֗ים לֹ֣א תִבְזֶֽה׃ | God, you do not despise. | |||
| 20 | הֵיטִ֣יבָה בִ֭רְצוֹנְךָ אֶת־צִיּ֑וֹן | Do good to Zion in accord with what pleases you; | • David expects that his personal restoration will lead to national prosperity. | |
| תִּ֝בְנֶ֗ה חוֹמ֥וֹת יְרוּשָׁלִָֽם׃ | [would you please] build the walls of Jerusalem. | |||
| 21 | אָ֤ז תַּחְפֹּ֣ץ זִבְחֵי־צֶ֭דֶק עוֹלָ֣ה וְכָלִ֑יל | Then you will delight in right sacrifices, in burnt offering[s] and whole offering[s]; | • David expects God to be pleased with right sacrifices. • David is confident that God will act. | |
| אָ֤ז יַעֲל֖וּ עַל־מִזְבַּחֲךָ֣ פָרִֽים׃ | then [people] will offer up bulls on your altar.
Summary Visual(Click visual to enlarge).
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