511 Favour me, O God, according to Thy kindness, According to the abundance of Thy mercies, Blot out my transgressions. 2 Thoroughly wash me from mine iniquity, And from my sin cleanse me, 3 For my transgressions I do know, And my sin 'is' before me continually. 4 Against Thee, Thee only, I have sinned, And done the evil thing in Thine eyes, So that Thou art righteous in Thy words, Thou art pure in Thy judging. 5 Lo, in iniquity I have been brought forth, And in sin doth my mother conceive me. 6 Lo, truth Thou hast desired in the inward parts, And in the hidden part Wisdom Thou causest me to know.
7 Thou cleansest me with hyssop and I am clean, Washest me, and than snow I am whiter. 8 Thou causest me to hear joy and gladness, Thou makest joyful bones Thou hast bruised. 9 Hide Thy face from my sin. And all mine iniquities blot out. 10 A clean heart prepare for me, O God, And a right spirit renew within me.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Psalm 51:1-10
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?