G J 1,2. Prayer.
K 3-5. Transgression. Confession.
L a 6. What God desires.
b 7,8. Prayer and resulting praise.
J 9-12. Prayer.
K 13. Transgressors. Instruction.
L b 14,15. What God desires.
a 16-19. Prayer and resulting praise.
(See 2 Sam. 11:2; 12:1. David's utterance when he lay all night upon the earth as a penitent [2 Sam. 12:16]. Cp. his utterance when he "sat before the Lord" as a worshiper [2 Sam. 7:18-29], and when he "stood upon his feet" as a servant [1 Chron. 28:2-10].)
941 B.C.
Psalm 51)
1 Be gracious (or favorable) to me, O God (Elohim), according to Your loving-kindness (or grace):
According to the multitude of Your tender mercies erase (as a debt from a book [Ex. 32:32,33. Num. 5:23. Ps. 69:28], or wipe out so as to remove [2 Kings 21:13. Isa. 44:22]) my transgressions.
2 Wash (as a garment) me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse (i.e. pronounce ceremonially clean) me from my sin.
3 For I acknowledge my transgressions: (Confession is ever the condition of forgiveness. See 32:5.)
And my sin is ever before me.
4 Against You, You alone (this is primary, and contains the secondary), have I sinned,
And done this evil in Your sight:
That You might be justified when You speak, (I.e. Your Word)
And be pure when You judge. (Such moral purity as belongs not to man, only to God [Job 15:24; 25:4. Prov. 20;9. Quoted in Rom. 3:4.)
5 Behold, I was shaped in iniquity;
And in sin did my mother conceive me. (Born a sinner excluding age of indecency. The spirit body.)
6 Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts: (More than the external acts.)
And in the hidden part You shall make me to know wisdom. (See Job 28:28. We need this making, for this wisdom is from above. Cp. 2 Tim. 3:15.)
7 You will sin cleanse me (i.e. expiate by the blood of a sin offering. Today it is the blood of Christ that was shed for us) with hyssop (put for the atoning blood sprinkled by it. Cp. Num. 14;18; 19;6,18), and I shall be clean:
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8 You will make me to hear joy and gladness;
That the bones which You have broken may rejoice. (Let it heal well. He will do this.)
9 Hide Your face from my sins,
And blot out all my iniquities.
10 Create (Heb. bara', as in Gen. 1:1. The new heart is not the old one changed, but newly created: i.e. "begotten" by God, as in John 3:6-8) in me a clean heart, O God;
And renew a steadfast spirit (put for whole character) within me. (One of the best prayers you can pray for, a renewing, if you mean it.)
11 Cast me not away from Your presence;
And take not (not a proper prayer for those now "in Christ": for, see John 14:16) Your Holy spirit (see Isa. 63:10,11) from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of You salvation;
And uphold me with Your free spirit. (I.e. with a spirit of willing and unforced obedience. Anxious to serve Him. See 2 Cor. 4:14-18.)
13 Then will I teach transgressors Your ways;
And sinners shall be converted to You.
14 Deliver me from bloods (put for the great murder of Uriah [2 Sam.11:14-21]. Cp. Gen. 4:10), O God, You God of my salvation:
; And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness.
15 O Lord (Yehovah), open You my lips;
And my mouth shall shew forth Your praise.
16 For You desire not sacrifice; else would I give it:
You delight not in burnt offering. (Because death was the penalty. Was the child's life the substitute?)
17 The great sacrifice of God (Cp. Isa. 57:15; 66:2) are a broken spirit:
A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise. (Meaning that God will do infinitely more than words can express.)
18 Do good in Your good pleasure to Zion:
Build You the walls of Jerusalem. (I vv.18,19 are a latter edition, then they were probably the work of Hezekiah in his editing the Psalm as well as the Proverbs, when the Psalm was handed over for public use. But Davis was a "prophet" Acts 2:30,31])
19 Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering:
Then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar.