Psalms 51
Berean Standard Bible · Compare translations · 1000 BC – 980 BC · United kingdom · Tap a verse to copy, share or highlight ·
19 verses · 308 words · ~2 min read · ~2 min listen
Create in Me a Clean Heart, O God
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.
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.
5Surely I was brought forth in iniquity;
I was sinful when my mother conceived me.
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.
11Cast me not away from Your presence;
take not Your Holy Spirit from me.
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.
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.
Footnotes (2)
- a v1 Or Be gracious to me
- b v4 LXX and victorious when You judge; cited in Romans 3:4
Study notes on this chapter · 1
BackgroundWidely held reading
A broken spirit: David's repentance psalm
Traditionally tied to Nathan's confrontation after Bathsheba, Psalm 51 models repentance: honest confession, appeal to mercy rather than sacrifice, and a plea for a clean heart and renewed spirit. It became the church's classic penitential psalm.
When: Linked to 2 Samuel 12, c. 1000 BC.
Echoed in2 Samuel 12:13 — David's confession to Nathan.
Editorial note by BibleWay. Interpretations vary; dates are approximate scholarly estimates.