Psalms 51:1

Psalms 51:1 in other versions

• New International Version (NIV)Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions.
• New Living Translation (NLT)Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins.

Context of Psalms 51:1

Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. 2Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. 3For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.

Psalms 51:1 word by word

חָנֵּ֣נִי אֱלֹהִ֣ים כְּחַסְדֶּ֑ךָ כְּרֹ֥ב רַ֝חֲמֶ֗יךָ מְחֵ֣ה פְשָׁעָֽי׃Read the interlinear

• Have mercyחָנַןchânan · be graciousH2603
• upon me, O Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• according to thy lovingkindnessחֶ֫סֶדchêsêd · kindnessH2617
• according unto the multitudeרֹבrôb · abundanceH7230
• of thy tender merciesרַחֲמִיםracham · compassionH7356
• blot outמָחָהmâchâh · to wipeH4229
• my transgressionsפֶּ֫שַׁעpesha‛ · transgressionH6588

Cross-references for Psalms 51:1

• 2 Samuel 12:1And the Lord sent Nathan unto David. And he came unto him, and said unto him, There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor.
• 2 Samuel 11:2And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king’s house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.
• Psalms 25:6Remember, O Lord, thy tender mercies and thy lovingkindnesses; for they have been ever of old.
• Psalms 109:21But do thou for me, O God the Lord, for thy name’s sake: because thy mercy is good, deliver thou me.
• Psalms 119:124Deal with thy servant according unto thy mercy, and teach me thy statutes.
• Exodus 34:6And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,
• Numbers 14:18The Lord is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation.
• Daniel 9:9To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him;
• Micah 7:18Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy.
• Micah 7:19He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.
• Romans 5:20Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:
• Ephesians 1:6To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
• Ephesians 2:4But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
• Psalms 5:7But as for me, I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy: and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple.
• Psalms 69:13But as for me, my prayer is unto thee, O Lord, in an acceptable time: O God, in the multitude of thy mercy hear me, in the truth of thy salvation.
• Psalms 106:7Our fathers understood not thy wonders in Egypt; they remembered not the multitude of thy mercies; but provoked him at the sea, even at the Red sea.

Commentaries on Psalms 51:1

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1Have 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…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1Have 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…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1Chapter Outline The psalmist prays for mercy, humbly confessing and lamenting his sins. (1-6) He pleads for pardon, that he may promote the glory of God and the conversion of sinners. (7-15) God is pleased with a contrite heart, A prayer for the prosperity of Zion. (16-19) Verses 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…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1A prayer for God's mercy and kindness is a type of lament. Sometimes, the psalmist asks for mercy because he recognizes his own weakness and sin (see also Psalm 6:2; 9:13; 25:16; 31:9; 41:4, 10). Other times, the plea comes from the psalmist's dedication to the Lord (see Psalm 26:11; 27:7; 119:29, 58, 132). In every situation, God's mercy leads to inner renewal.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-191-4. A plea for mercy is a confession of guilt. blot out--as from a register. transgressions--literally, "rebellions" (Psa 19:13; 32:1).Read the comment

Topics related to Psalms 51:1

• Conscience
• Conviction
• Desire
• Homicide
• Prayer
• Remorse
• Repentance

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Acknowledge
• Bathsheba
• Bloodguiltiness
• Blot
• Clean
• Conceive
• Contrite
• Create

Commentaries on Psalms 51

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• The Treasury of David
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings