Psalm 51

Create in Me a Clean Heart, O God// 2 Samuel 12:1–12

For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. When Nathan the prophet came to him after his adultery with Bathsheba.

¹Have mercy on me, O God,

according to Your loving devotion;

according to Your great compassion,

blot out my transgressions.

• PS 51:1[NOTE]DAVID AND BATHSHEBA. Read 2 Samuel 11 and 12 first. This is what David prayed after Nathan said, You are the man.

²Wash me clean of my iniquity

and cleanse me from my sin.

³For I know my transgressions,

and my sin is always before me.

⁴Against You, You only, have I sinned

and done what is evil in Your sight,

so that You may be proved right when You speak

and blameless when You judge.

• PS 51:4[QUOTED]Quoted in the New Testament → ROM 3:4

⁵Surely I was brought forth in iniquity;

I was sinful when my mother conceived me.

• PS 51:5[NOTE]SINFUL FROM BIRTH. Many Christians see here the teaching of original sin: we are born with a bent toward sin. Others read it as poetry for how deep David's sin went.

⁶Surely You desire truth in the inmost being;

You teach me wisdom in the inmost place.

⁷Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean;

wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

⁸Let me hear joy and gladness;

let the bones You have crushed rejoice.

⁹Hide Your face from my sins

and blot out all my iniquities.

¹⁰Create in me a clean heart, O God,

and renew a right spirit within me.

• PS 51:10[HEART]Create in me a clean heart, O God.

¹¹Cast me not away from Your presence;

take not Your Holy Spirit from me.

• PS 51:11[NOTE]DO NOT TAKE YOUR HOLY SPIRIT. David had seen God's Spirit leave Saul, 1 Samuel 16:14.

¹²Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,

and sustain me with a willing spirit.

¹³Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,

and sinners will return to You.

¹⁴Deliver me from bloodguilt, O God,

the God of my salvation,

and my tongue will sing of Your righteousness.

¹⁵O Lord, open my lips,

and my mouth will declare Your praise.

¹⁶For You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;

You take no pleasure in burnt offerings.

¹⁷The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;

a broken and a contrite heart,

O God, You will not despise.

• PS 51:17[HEART]God wants a broken and contrite heart more than sacrifices.

¹⁸In Your good pleasure, cause Zion to prosper;

build up the walls of Jerusalem.

¹⁹Then You will delight in righteous sacrifices,

in whole burnt offerings;

then bulls will be offered on Your altar.