511 Have pity on me, O God, in your mercy; out of a full heart, take away my sin. 2 Let all my wrongdoing be washed away, and make me clean from evil. 3 For I am conscious of my error; my sin is ever before me. 4 Against you, you only, have I done wrong, working that which is evil in your eyes; so that your words may be seen to be right, and you may be clear when you are judging. 5 Truly, I was formed in evil, and in sin did my mother give me birth. 6 Your desire is for what is true in the inner parts: in the secrets of my soul you will give me knowledge of wisdom.
7 Make me free from sin with hyssop: let me be washed whiter than snow. 8 Make me full of joy and rapture; so that the bones which have been broken may be glad. 9 Let your face be turned from my wrongdoing, and take away all my sins. 10 Make a clean heart in me, O God; give me a right spirit again. 11 Do not put me away from before you, or take your holy spirit from me. 12 Give me back the joy of your salvation; let a free spirit be my support. 13 Then will I make your ways clear to wrongdoers; and sinners will be turned to you.
14 Be my saviour from violent death, O God, the God of my salvation; and my tongue will give praise to your righteousness. 15 O Lord, let my lips be open, so that my mouth may make clear your praise.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Psalm 51:1-15
Commentary on Psalm 51:1-6
(Read Psalm 51:1-6)
David, being convinced of his sin, poured out his soul to God in prayer for mercy and grace. Whither should backsliding children return, but to the Lord their God, who alone can heal them? he drew up, by Divine teaching, an account of the workings of his heart toward God. Those that truly repent of their sins, will not be ashamed to own their repentance. Also, he instructs others what to do, and what to say. David had not only done much, but suffered much in the cause of God; yet he flees to God's infinite mercy, and depends upon that alone for pardon and peace. He begs the pardon of sin. The blood of Christ, sprinkled upon the conscience, blots out the transgression, and, having reconciled us to God, reconciles us to ourselves. The believer longs to have the whole debt of his sins blotted out, and every stain cleansed; he would be thoroughly washed from all his sins; but the hypocrite always has some secret reserve, and would have some favorite lust spared. David had such a deep sense of his sin, that he was continually thinking of it, with sorrow and shame. His sin was committed against God, whose truth we deny by wilful sin; with him we deal deceitfully. And the truly penitent will ever trace back the streams of actual sin to the fountain of original depravity. He confesses his original corruption. This is that foolishness which is bound in the heart of a child, that proneness to evil, and that backwardness to good, which is the burden of the regenerate, and the ruin of the unregenerate. He is encouraged, in his repentance, to hope that God would graciously accept him. Thou desirest truth in the inward part; to this God looks, in a returning sinner. Where there is truth, God will give wisdom. Those who sincerely endeavour to do their duty shall be taught their duty; but they will expect good only from Divine grace overcoming their corrupt nature.
Commentary on Psalm 51:7-15
(Read Psalm 51:7-15)
Purge me with hyssop, with the blood of Christ applied to my soul by a lively faith, as the water of purification was sprinkled with a bunch of hyssop. The blood of Christ is called the blood of sprinkling, Galatians 5:1. It is the Spirit of adoption spoken to the heart. Those to whom God is the God of salvation, he will deliver from guilt; for the salvation he is the God of, is salvation from sin. We may therefore plead with him, Lord, thou art the God of my salvation, therefore deliver me from the dominion of sin. And when the lips are opened, what should they speak but the praises of God for his forgiving mercy?