Psalms 51:1

Psalms 51:1 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies 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 on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. 2Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. 3For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.

Psalms 51:1 word by word

חָנֵּ֣נִי אֱלֹהִ֣ים כְּחַסְדֶּ֑ךָ כְּרֹ֥ב רַ֝חֲמֶ֗יךָ מְחֵ֣ה פְשָׁעָֽי׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• 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 12:1The Lord sent Nathan to David. When he came to him, he said, “There were two men in a certain town, one rich and the other poor.
• 2 Samuel 11:2One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful,
• Psalms 25:6Remember, Lord, your great mercy and love, for they are from of old.
• Psalms 109:21But you, Sovereign Lord, help me for your name’s sake; out of the goodness of your love, deliver me.
• Psalms 119:124Deal with your servant according to your love and teach me your decrees.
• Exodus 34:6And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness,
• Numbers 14:18‘The Lord is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.’
• Daniel 9:9The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him;
• Micah 7:18Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy.
• Micah 7:19You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.
• Romans 5:20The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more,
• Ephesians 1:6to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.
• Ephesians 2:4But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy,
• Psalms 5:7But I, by your great love, can come into your house; in reverence I bow down toward your holy temple.
• Psalms 69:13But I pray to you, Lord, in the time of your favor; in your great love, O God, answer me with your sure salvation.
• Psalms 106:7When our ancestors were in Egypt, they gave no thought to your miracles; they did not remember your many kindnesses, and they rebelled by the sea, 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