Psalm 51 is “A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet went to him, after [David] had gone in to Bathsheba” (2 Sam 11:1-12:25).[1] During a certain time in David’s life, he disobeyed God’s Word and went directly against God’s will. His wrongs included sexual sin, but also abuse of power, deceiving his people, conspiracy to murder, and injustice against the weak. So, the prophet Nathan confronted him, “You are the man,” until David repented and was restored. Like all of us, he was a sinner in need of grace.[2] Yet David writes Psalm 51 after he has already been forgiven. He composes this song with worship in his heart and the joy of God his anthem. David shows us how to seek forgiveness for grievous sin. So, we follow his example when we also need God’s grace (e.g., Luke 15:21; 18:13).
A Claim upon God’s Character (vv. 1-2)
David begins his confession by staking his claim upon God’s character: “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy” (Ps 51:1a-b). The Lord’s abundant mercy bestows tender compassion on wayward children and his steadfast love declares the covenant still in place. Yet David feels the hindrance between him and God as he declares his sin with three distinct terms to depict the breadth of his offense: “Blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!” (vv. 1c-2). “Transgression” means to walk where we are not supposed to walk: “I know God says this, but. . . .” For David, such trespass included sexual sin, coveting his neighbor’s wife, murder, and bearing false witness, which the law of God specifically forbid (Deut 5:17-21). “Iniquity” describes a blemish or stain upon one’s twisted character, while “sin” involves missing the mark of perfect holiness (Rom 3:10-12, 23). So, David takes personal ownership for the wrongs he has committed: “My transgressions . . . my iniquity . . . my sin!” He then issues a personal plea for grace: “Have mercy on me, O God!”
Corresponding to his threefold confession of sin, David makes three appeals for God’s forgiveness. He has overstepped God’s law, so he pleads with God to erase it from the record: “Blot it out. Rub it raw. And wipe away all traces” (see Num 5:23). David has stained his soul with such iniquity that only God can launder out his guilt: “Lord, put me through the wringer. Scrub me fully from head to toe. Hit me with the spin cycle to remove my filth” (see Isa 1:16; Jer 2:22; 4:14).[3] David’s sin also keeps him from relationship with his God. So, like the ceremonial baths preparing worshipers for the tent of meeting, David must first be cleansed of sin before entering into worship. Sin also hinders our relationship with the living God, yet still we call on God because we know his character. We confess the depths of our depravity because we know the heights of God who is eager to forgive and to wash us clean of sin.
A Confession of Sin (vv. 3-6)
David freely confesses like a guilty man before the Judge: “For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me” (Ps 51:3). His sin, like his brand-new wife, Bathsheba, remains ever before him. He can’t remove it his mind: “For I know” (see 32:3-4). But then, we marvel at David’s claim: “Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight” (51:4a). David has certainly wronged others, but his focus here is on the primary One he has offended, for his sin is first and foremost against the Lord (see Gen 39:9). As we read in the historical account,
But the thing that David had done displeased the LORD . . . “Why have you despised the word of the LORD, to do what is evil in his sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and have taken his wife to be your wife and have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife” (2 Sam 11:27; 12:9-10).
David broke the first commandment before he broke the rest (Deut 5:6-7). Therefore, his confession starts and ends with God. His conscience is afflicted by the ever-present God who witnessed his offense.
David also vindicates the judgment of God and not his own self-justification: “That you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment” (Ps 51:4b). David’s faithless acts could not nullify the faithfulness of God (Rom 3:3). As Paul quotes from Psalm 51, “By no means! Let God be true though every one were a liar, as it is written, ‘That you may be justified in your words, and prevail when you are judged’” (v. 4). David neither makes excuses nor calls the Lord an unjust judge. Instead, he takes responsibility for what he’s done. He admits to be a sinner by nature as well as choice: “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me” (v. 5). David confesses with honest candor that he was born with sin in his heart as Adam’s offspring (Gen 8:21; Job 15:14; 25:4; Rom 5:12). His offense against a holy God was planted as a seed from birth. Therefore, he was not a sinner because he sinned, but rather one who sinned because he was a sinner.
Yet God created him for so much more: “Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart” (Ps 51:6). Through the new birth of regeneration, God planted the seed of truth in David’s inner being and filled his heart with wisdom. God instructed David in the law and taught him how to live. So, even now, when David wallows in the muck and mire of his original sin, God lifts him up with truth and wisdom. Likewise, we all are born in sin and grow up into practiced sinners. Yet God delights to make us new and to redeem our hearts. He teaches us wisdom through repentance, so that he might restore us.
A Call for Cleansing (vv. 7-9)
Thus, David calls out for God to cleanse him: “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow” (v. 7). These images allude to Levitical cleansing rituals. For hyssop was an herb, like Syrian oregano, which the priest would use to sprinkle blood for the sake of cleansing. If a leper claimed to be healed of his disease, the priest would capture two birds and sacrifice one of them. Then, he would dip the live bird into the blood along with cedarwood and scarlet yarn. And using hyssop, he would sprinkle the blood on the person claiming to be healed (Lev 14:1-7). Or if an Israelite came into contact with a dead body, hyssop would be used to sprinkle blood on them as a picture of cleansing (Num 19:6-9, 18-19). In each case, the worshiper would be purged of sin (literally, “de-sinned”) and “whiter than snow” (Isa 1:18; e.g., Lev 14:49; Num 19:19).[4] Our sin is primarily against the Lord, so he alone can wash away the stain.This sprinkling of blood, however, pointed to a greater reality. For hyssop had also been used to spread the lamb’s blood on the doorposts of homes in Egypt before the Passover (Exod 12:22). And there would one day come a perfect Lamb of God who fully and finally took away the sins of the world (John 1:29). His blood would truly wash us whiter than snow and clothe us in white garments to depict clean hearts (Rev 3:4-5; 4:4).
Before confession, David was emotionally distraught and physically broken over his betrayal of the Lord. His entire body ached beneath sin’s burden as he mourned his guilt and conveyed his longing to be right with God: “Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice. Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities” (Ps 51:8-9). David calls on God to turn away his face until his iniquities are all wiped clean.[5] And surely, God would turn away his face—not from us, but from David’s Greater Son (Matt 27:46). Surely, God would blot out our iniquities, but at tremendous cost. For Christ Jesus would be the glorious answer to our plea for mercy—the atoning sacrifice required for our forgiveness. Christ’s death alone could grant us hope by allowing the Father to still be just even as he justified horrendous sinners.
A Cry for Restoration (vv. 10-12)
Bolstered by forgiveness, David cries for restoration: “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me” (Ps 51:10).[6] David knows his need is spiritual: “a clean heart . . . a right spirit.” So, he requests a miracle, since God alone creates and renews afresh (Gen 1:1; Ezek 36:26; Rom 7:18). This prayer anticipates God’s covenant promises of a new heart and a new spirit (e.g., Jer 24:7; 32:39; Ezek 11:19; 36:26). It promises a new creation and a new self far different from the old (2 Cor 5:17; Gal 6:15; Eph 4:24).
David also pleads for God to not abandon him: “Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit” (Ps 51:11-12). David has not lost his salvation, but rather the joy of his salvation. For his greatest desire is to worship and to serve the Lord. And he had witnessed Yahweh remove his Spirit when Saul had disobeyed (1 Sam 16:13-14). David simply longs to serve his God and will rejoice when God restores him. On the surface, we should be outraged. What kind of righteous judge would pardon rape and murder and the blatant abuse of power? How could the Lord put aside David’s grievous sin (2 Sam 12:13)? There was only one Way, one Truth, one Life (John 14:6). For Old Testament Saints did not yet know the spiritual renewal which would be granted through our Perfect Sacrifice, Jesus Christ (Heb 10:1-18). So, Paul reveals how God could be both just and also the justifier of repentant sinners: “God put forward [his Son] as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus” (Rom 3:25-26). God could pardon David’s sin because he knew his Son would one day pay for it. So, his forgiveness did not simply sweep the sin away, for God could peer down the corridors of time when Christ would die in David’s place. David’s faith in this promised Messiah united him with that Messiah. His sin was then credited to Christ and Christ’s righteousness to him (2 Cor 5:21). For only in Christ, was God’s mercy made compatible with his justice.
A Commitment to Serve (vv. 13-17)
David also declares what he will do when God grants his bold request: “Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you” (Ps 51:13). As a forgiven sinner, David would herald that good news to all those in need of grace. As Israel’s servant king, he would lead them back to God. For as the Lord instructed him, David now teaches others (see v. 6; Ps 32).[7] Upon this profession, David stakes his claim again: “Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, O God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise” (vv. 14-17). The bloodguilt David confesses here might refer to the slaying of Uriah and David’s need for cleansing. Only then will David sing God’s praises and declare his Savior’s glory. He would bring the sacrifice of himself, “a broken and contrite heart,” when he worships in God’s sanctuary.[8] His “thank offering” of confession would be offered to the Lord with the right heart attitude and desire for restoration (Deut 33:19; Pss 4:4; 50:23).
A Concluding Prayer for God’s People (vv. 18-19)
David realizes how his sin as king has also affected the nation, so he prays for God to intervene: “Do good to Zion in your good pleasure; build up the walls of Jerusalem; then will you delight in right sacrifices, in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings; then bulls will be offered on your altar” (Ps 51:18-19). Here, he mentions Zion for the first time in the psalm as he prays on behalf of his people. For Psalm 51 is ultimately about neither David’s sin nor ours, but about the God who cleanses and restores us. David longs for Jerusalem to once more be established as a city unto God. For in Jerusalem, God is seated on his mercy seat, enthroned above the heavenly angels. God is there receiving praise and honor from forgiven sinners who stream to meet the One who washed them clean. In Psalm 51, we view Jerusalem from afar as a gleaming city on a hill. It is bursting to the seams with worshipers from every nation, tribe, and tongue as we see God’s glory hovering above it like a canopy. Yet as we behold this glittering jewel, our eyes drift over to a little hill just beyond Jerusalem’s gates. And there, a cross once stood—a cross with which God sprinkled clean the nations. Instead of a bundle of hyssop, God used the One they called the Branch (Isa 11:1-2). Instead of a piece of cedar, God placed there a man who was nailed to a plank of wood. And by the blood of his precious Son, God blotted out the transgressions of the world.[9] Praise God for his redeeming grace!
Counsel Psalm 51
Unrepentant sin is very often the primary struggle of our counselees who deal with brokenness, guilt, and other harmful consequences. We demonstrate God’s grace as we help them see their sin rightly, confess it to the Lord, and receive his full forgiveness. David’s heartfelt example in Psalm 51 provides a passionate guide for how to do this well.[10]
Projects for Growth (Psalm 51)
- Review 2 Samuel 11:1-12:25 as the context for Psalm 51. Imagine David’s mentality as he reflects on his previous transgressions and on God’s gracious forgiveness.
- Read Psalm 51 aloud. What do you learn about the nature of God? Make a list of his character and attributes? How does Psalm 51 help you to think differently about God’s relationship with you?
- Read Psalm 51 again, now focusing on David’s emotions, thoughts, and circumstances. How do you relate to the way David feels about his sin and the consequences which he suffers? What are the actions which only God can do to free you from your sin and suffering?
- Follow David’s pattern of confession for sin:
- Turn to God for mercy (vv. 1-2)
- Admit what you have done (v. 3).
- Confess your sin against the Lord (v. 4a).
- Take full responsibility (vv. 4b-6).
- Seek forgiveness (vv. 7-9) and ask for God to renew your joy (vv. 10-17).
- Lead others to confession also (vv. 13, 18-19).
- In this psalm, David never once mentions his sexual sin either to confess it or to ask God for restraint. How does this show sexual sin to be the symptom and not the disease? If you struggle in this area, what does this teach you about how to handle it?
- What will be your faith response when God restores you to worship and serve him? What specific action steps will you take out of gratitude for God’s forgiveness?
Pray Psalm 51
- Be merciful to me, O God, for I have sinned (vv. 1-4).
- Purify me from the inside-out (vv. 5-6, 10, 17).
- Thank you, Lord, for the new record I now have in Jesus Christ (vv. 7-9).
- Restore my joy and my ability to serve you (vv. 11-13, 18-19).
- You are righteous in all your ways (vv. 14-16).
- Lord, preserve your faithful people (v. 18).
[1] The prophet Nathan went in to David with words of rebuke because David had gone in to Bathsheba by laying with her. The Hebrew phrase is the same (bo el) to “show the sinful pleasure of the one balanced by the painful mercy of the other” (Ash, Psalms, 3:8). Other verbal connections include the phrase, “evil in [God’s] sight” (2 Sam 12:9; Ps 51:4) and the language of sin against God (2 Sam 12:13; Ps 51:4).
[2] Confession means to say the same thing about our sin as God does. And Psalm 51 is the central (the fourth of seven) penitential psalms and the most thorough example of confession (Pss 6, 32, 38, 51, 102, 130, 143).
[3] “Abundant” (rov) and “thoroughly” (raveh) are derived from the same root. So, we might translate this, “According to your abundant mercy . . . wash me abundantly.”
[4] Note the chiastic focus on being purged from sin: “blot out…wash…cleanse” (vv. 1-2) and “purge…cleanse…wash…blot out” (vv. 7-9). “For I [continually] know my transgressions” (v. 3) is also parallel with “you teach me [make me know] wisdom in the secret heart” (v. 6).
[5] Hamilton proposes God’s forgiveness in verse 9 to be the center of this psalm’s chiasm (Hamilton, Psalms, 1:504). VanGemeren suggests a broader approach (Willem A. VanGemeren, Psalms, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, vol. 5 [Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1991], 379).
1-2, Prayer for individual restoration
3-6, Confession and contrition
7-12, Prayer for restoration
13-17, Thanksgiving
18-19, Prayer for national restoration
[6] All the language of personal sin (12x) occurs in verses 1-9, while verses 10-19 reveal a noticeable shift in tone. Once David prays, “blot out all my iniquities” (v. 9), it’s almost as if God responds by wiping away sin from the rest of the psalm. The only references to sin are attributed to others (vv. 13-14).
[7] “To restore” (v. 12) and “to return” (v. 13) are derived from the same verb (shuv).
[8] Note the emphasis on the inner man: “a clean heart…a right spirit within me” (v. 10); “your Holy Spirit” (v. 11); “a willing spirit” (v. 12). Three times, the word, “spirit/Spirit” (ruach) is thrown forward to the beginning of the phrase for emphasis. Therefore, verses 10-12 is the climax of the entire psalm.
[9] I’m grateful to William Chan for preaching this vivid word picture of Jerusalem’s glory.
[10] For more counseling insights on this passage, see John Piper, Shaped by God: Thinking and Feeling in Tune with the Psalms (Hudson, OH: Cruciform Press, 2017), 27-39 or George Robertson, Soul Anatomy: Finding Peace, Hope, and Joy in the Psalms (Greensboro, NC: New Growth Press, 2020), 118-30.
