the Week of Proper 22 / Ordinary 27
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New Living Translation
Psalms 51:1
For the choir director: A psalm of David, regarding the time Nathan the prophet came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba.
Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins.Bible Study Resources
Concordances:
- Nave'sDictionaries:
- AmericanEncyclopedias:
- InternationalDevotionals:
- EveryParallel Translations
Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness;According to the abundance of Your compassion blot out my transgressions.
For the choir director. A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.
Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; According to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions.Haue mercie on me O Lorde accordyng to thy louyng kindnesse: accordyng vnto the multitudes of thy mercies wype out my wickednesse.
To the chief Musician. A Psalm of David; when Nathan the prophet came to him, after he had gone in to Bath-sheba.
Be gracious unto me, O God, according to thy loving-kindness; according to the abundance of thy tender mercies, blot out my transgressions.Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions.
To the chief musician, A Psalm of David when Nathan the prophet came to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your loving-kindness, according to themultitude of Your tender mercies; blot outmy transgressions.
To the director: A song of David written when Nathan the prophet came to him after David's sin with Bathsheba.
God, be merciful to me because of your faithful love. Because of your great compassion, erase all the wrongs I have done.<
[To the chiefe Musician. A Psalme of Dauid, when Nathan the Prophet came vnto him, after hee had gone in to Bath-sheba.] Haue mercie vpon mee, O God, according to thy louing kindnesse: according vnto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.
Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.
Haue mercy vpon me (o God) after thy goodnes, & acordinge vnto thy greate mercies, do awaye myne offences.
A David Psalm, After He Was Confronted by Nathan About the Affair with Bathsheba Generous in love—God, give grace! Huge in mercy—wipe out my bad record. Scrub away my guilt, soak out my sins in your laundry. I know how bad I've been; my sins are staring me down.
Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; According to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions.
For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David; when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bath-sheba.
Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: According to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David; when Nathan the prophet came to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. Have mercy on me, O God, according to your loving-kindness: According to the multitude of your tender mercies blot out my transgressions.
To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came to him, after he had gone in to Bath-sheba. Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy loving-kindness: according to the multitude of thy tender mercies, blot out my transgressions.
For the music director; a psalm of David, written when Nathan the prophet confronted him after David's affair with Bathsheba.
Have mercy on me, O God, because of your loyal love! Because of your great compassion, wipe away my rebellious acts!(For the music leader. A psalm by David when the prophet Nathan came to him after David had been with Bathsheba.)
You are kind, God! Please have pity on me. You are always merciful! Please wipe away my sins.For the leader. A psalm of David,
To him that excelleth. A Psalme of Dauid, when the Prophet Nathan came vnto him, after he had gone in to Bath-sheba. Haue mercie vpon me, O God, according to thy louing kindnes: according to the multitude of thy compassions put away mine iniquities.
HAVE mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness; according to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my sins.
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For the Leader. A Psalm of David;
O God, favor me because of Your loving-kindness. Take away my wrong-doing because of the greatness of Your loving-pity.
Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy great mercy; and according to the multitude of thy compassions blot out my transgression.
For the Chief Musician. A psalm of David: when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bath-sheba. Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness; according to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.
For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. When Nathan the prophet came to him after his adultery with Bathsheba. Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your loving devotion; according to Your great compassion, blot out my transgressions.
To the leader. A Psalm of David, when the prophet Nathan came to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.
Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.(50-1) <Unto the end, a psalm of David, (50-2) When Nathan the prophet came to him, after he had sinned with Bethsabee.> (50-3) Have mercy on me, O God, according to thy great mercy. And according to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my iniquity.
For the music director. A psalm of David.
When Nathan the prophet came to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.
Be gracious to me, O God, according to your loyal love. According to your abundant mercies, blot out my transgressions.To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet went to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.
Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.Be gracious to me, God, according to Your faithfulness; According to the greatness of Your compassion, wipe out my wrongdoings.
For the director of music. A psalm of David when the prophet Nathan came to David after David's sin with Bathsheba.
God, be merciful to me because you are loving. Because you are always ready to be merciful, wipe out all my wrongs.Be merciful to me, O God, because of your constant love. Because of your great mercy wipe away my sins!
For the choir director. A Davidic psalm, when Nathan the prophet came to him after he had gone to Bathsheba.
Be gracious to me, God, according to Your faithful love; according to Your abundant compassion, blot out my rebellion.The title of the fiftithe salm. To victorie, the salm of Dauid; `whanne Nathan the prophete cam to hym, whanne he entride to Bersabee. God, haue thou merci on me; bi thi greet merci. And bi the mychilnesse of thi merciful doyngis; do thou awei my wickidnesse.
To the Overseer. -- A Psalm of David, in the coming inn unto him of Nathan the prophet, when he hath gone in unto Bath-Sheba. Favour me, O God, according to Thy kindness, According to the abundance of Thy mercies, Blot out my transgressions.
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. Have mercy on me, O God, according to thy steadfast love; according to thy abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.
Contextual Overview
For the choir director: A psalm of David, regarding the time Nathan the prophet came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba.
Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. 2 Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. 3 For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night. 4 Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight. You will be proved right in what you say, and your judgment against me is just. 5 For I was born a sinner— yes, from the moment my mother conceived me. 6 But you desire honesty from the womb, teaching me wisdom even there.Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
after: 2 Samuel 11:2-27
O God: Psalms 25:6, Psalms 25:7, Psalms 109:21, Psalms 119:124, Exodus 34:6, Exodus 34:7, Numbers 14:18, Numbers 14:19, Daniel 9:9, Daniel 9:18, Micah 7:18, Micah 7:19, Romans 5:20, Romans 5:21, Ephesians 1:6-8, Ephesians 2:4-7
multitude: Psalms 5:7, Psalms 69:13, Psalms 69:16, Psalms 106:7, Psalms 106:45, Isaiah 63:7, Isaiah 63:15, *marg. Lamentations 3:32
tender: Psalms 40:11, Psalms 77:9, Psalms 145:9
blot: Psalms 51:9, Nehemiah 4:5, Isaiah 43:25, Isaiah 44:22, Jeremiah 18:23, Acts 3:19, Colossians 2:14
Reciprocal: Numbers 5:23 - blot 2 Samuel 11:4 - he lay 2 Samuel 12:1 - he came 2 Samuel 24:14 - for his 1 Kings 15:5 - save only 1 Chronicles 21:8 - do away 1 Chronicles 21:13 - great Nehemiah 13:22 - spare me Psalms 9:13 - Have Psalms 30:10 - Hear Psalms 31:16 - save Psalms 41:4 - Lord Psalms 103:3 - forgiveth Psalms 119:26 - declared Psalms 119:58 - I entreated Psalms 119:77 - thy tender Psalms 119:149 - according unto Psalms 119:156 - are thy Proverbs 6:33 - and his Proverbs 28:13 - whoso Isaiah 55:7 - for Jeremiah 9:24 - lovingkindness Ezekiel 18:22 - his transgressions Luke 7:42 - he Luke 11:4 - forgive us Luke 18:13 - God 2 Corinthians 7:7 - mourning Galatians 5:17 - the flesh James 5:11 - the Lord is
Gill's Notes on the Bible
Have mercy upon me, O God,.... David, under a sense of sin, does not run away from God, but applies unto him, and casts himself at his feet, and upon his mercy; which shows the view he had of his miserable condition, and that he saw there was mercy in God, which gave him hope; and upon his bended knees, and in the exercise of faith, he asks for it;
according to thy lovingkindness; not according to his merits, nor according to the general mercy of God, which carnal men rely upon; but according to his everlasting and unchangeable love in Christ; from which as the source, and through whom as the medium, special mercy comes to the children of men. The acts of special mercy are according to the sovereign will of God: he is not moved to mercy neither by the merits nor misery of men, but by his free grace and favour; it is love that sets mercy to work: this is a most glaring gleam of Gospel light, which none of the inspired writers besides, except the Apostle Paul, saw, Ephesians 2:4;
according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions; for his sin was complicated, attended with many others; and, besides, upon a view of this, he was led to observe all his other sins; and particularly the corruption of his nature, his original sin, which he mentions, Psalms 51:5. These he desires might be "blotted out"; out of the book of account, out of God's debt book; that they might not stand against him, being debts he was not able to pay or make satisfaction for; and out of the table of his own heart and conscience, where they were ever before him, and seemed to be engraven; that they might be caused to pass from him, and he might have no more conscience of them; or that they might be blotted out, as a cloud by the clear shining of the sun of righteousness, with the healing of pardoning grace in his wings; or that they might be wiped away, as any faith is wiped from any person or thing: and all this "according to the multitude of [his] tender mercies". The mercy of God is plenteous and abundant; he is rich in it, and various are the instances of it; and it is exceeding tender, like that of a father to his children, or like that of a mother to the son of her womb; and from this abundant and tender mercy springs the forgiveness of sin, Luke 1:77. The psalmist makes mention of the multitude of the mercies of God, because of the multitude of his sins, which required a multitude of mercy to forgive, and to encourage his hope of it.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
Have mercy opon me, O God - This is the utterance of a full heart; a heart crushed and broken by the consciousness of sin. The psalmist had been made to see his great guilt; and his first act is to cry out for mercy. There is no attempt to excuse his sin, or to apologise for it; there is no effort to vindicate his conduct; there is no complaint of the righteousness of that holy law which condemned him. It was “guilt” that was before his mind; guilt only; deep and dreadful guilt. The appeal properly expresses the state of a mind that is overwhelmed at the remembrance of crime, and that comes with earnestness to God to plead for pardon. The only hope of a sinner when crushed with the consciousness of sin is the mercy of God; and the plea for that mercy will be urged in the most earnest and impassioned language that the mind can employ. “Accordingly to thy Iovingkindness.” On the meaning of the word used here, see the notes at Psalms 36:7.
(a) The “ground” of his hope was the compassion of God:
(b) the “measure” of that hope was His boundless beneficence; or, in other words, he felt that there was need of “all” the compassion of a God.
His sin was so great, his offence was so aggravated, that he could have no hope but in a Being of infinite compassion, and he felt that the need of mercy in his case could be measured and covered “only” by that infinite compassion.
According unto the multitude of thy tender mercies - The same idea occurs here also. The psalmist fixed his eye on the “vastness” of the divine mercy; on the numberless “acts” of that mercy toward the guilty; here he found his hope, and here alone. Every instance of extraordinary mercy which had occurred in the world furnished him now with an argument in his appeal to God; was an encouragement to him “in” that appeal; was a ground of hope that his appeal would not be rejected. So to us: every instance in which a great sinner has been forgiven is evidence that we may be forgiven also, and is an encouragement to us to come to God for pardon. See the notes at 1 Timothy 1:16.
Blot out my transgressions - In allusion to an account that is kept, or a charge made, when such an account is wiped away, erased, or blotted out. Compare Exodus 32:32-33; see the notes at Isaiah 43:25; notes at Isaiah 44:22; notes at Colossians 2:14. Never was a more earnest appeal made by a sinner than that which is made in this verse; never was there a more sincere cry for mercy. It shows us where we should “begin” in our prayers when we are pressed down with the consciousness of sin - with a cry for “mercy,” and not an appeal to “justice;” it shows us what is to be the “ground” and the “measure” of our hope - the mere compassion of an infinitely benevolent God; it shows us the place which we must take, and the argument on which we must rely - a place among sinners, and an argument that God has been merciful to great sinners, and that therefore he may be merciful to us.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
PSALM LI
The psalmist, with a deeply penitent heart, prays for remission
of sins, 1-4;
which he confesses, and deeply deplores, 5-14;
states his willingness to offer sacrifice, but is convinced that
God prefers a broken heart to all kinds of oblations, 15-17;
prays for the restoration of the walls of Jerusalem, and
promises that then the Lord's sacrifice shall be properly
performed, 18, 19.
NOTES ON PSALM LI
The title is long: "To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bath-sheba." The propriety of this title has been greatly suspected, says Bishop Horsley: "That this Psalm was not written on the occasion to which the title refers, is evident from the 4th and 18th verses. The 4th verse Psalms 51:4 ill suits the case of David, who laid a successful plot against Uriah's life, after he had defiled his bed: and the 18th Psalms 51:18 verse refers the Psalm to the time of the captivity, when Jerusalem lay in ruins." Dr. Kennicott is of the same mind. He says: "The title is misplaced; that it was written during the captivity, and the cessation of the temple worship; the author under great depression of mind, arising from the guilt of some crime, probably some compliance with heathen idolatry, not murder nor adultery; is plain from the 4th verse, "Against THEE ONLY have I sinned."
The crime mentioned in the title was not only against God, but against the whole order of civil society; against the life of the noble and valiant captain whose wife Bath-sheba was, and against every thing sacred in friendship and hospitality. It was a congeries of sins against God and society. Were it not for the Psalms 51:4, Psalms 51:18, and Psalms 51:19 verses, the rest of the Psalm would accord well enough with the title, and the deep penitence it expresses would be suitable enough to David's state. But see on Psalms 51:4; Psalms 51:18-19.
Verse Psalms 51:1. Have mercy upon me, O God — Without mercy I am totally, finally ruined and undone.
According to thy loving-kindness — Mark the gradation in the sense of these three words, Have MERCY on me, חנני chonneni; thy LOVING-KINDNESS, חסדך chasdecha; - thy TENDER MERCIES, רחמיך rachameycha, here used to express the Divine compassion. The propriety of the order in which they are placed deserves particular observation.
The first, rendered have mercy or pity, denotes that kind of affection which is expressed by moaning over an object we love and pity; that natural affection and tenderness which even the brute creation show to their young by the several noises they respectively make over them.
The second, rendered loving-kindness, denotes a strong proneness, a ready, large, and liberal disposition, to goodness and compassion, powerfully prompting to all instances of kindness and bounty; flowing as freely as waters from a perpetual fountain. This denotes a higher degree of goodness than the former.
The third, rendered tender mercies, denotes what the Greeks called σπλαγχνιζεσθαι, that most tender pity which we signify by the moving of the heart and bowels, which argues the highest degree of compassion of which nature is susceptible. See Chandler.
Blot out my transgressions — מחה mecheh, wipe out. There is a reference here to an indictment: the psalmist knows what it contains; he pleads guilty, but begs that the writing may be defaced; that a proper fluid may be applied to the parchment, to discharge the ink, that no record of it may ever appear against him: and this only the mercy, loving-kindness, and tender compassions of the Lord can do.
