Psalm 51 Jan. 29 For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David, when Nathan the prophet came to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.  1Have mercy on me, God, according to Your grace. According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions. 2Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, cleanse me from my sin. 3For I acknowledge my transgressions; my sin is constantly before me. 4Against You, and You only, have I sinned, and done that which is evil in Your sight; that You may be proved right when You speak, and justified when You judge. 5Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity. In sin my mother conceived me. 6Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts; You teach me wisdom in the innermost place. 7Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. 8Let me hear joy and gladness, so that the bones which You have broken may rejoice. 9Hide Your face from my sins, and blot out all of my iniquities. 10Create in me a clean heart, O God, renew a right spirit within me. 11Don’t throw me out from Your presence, and don’t take Your spirit of holiness from me. 12Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, uphold me with a willing spirit. 13Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, sinners shall be converted to You. 14Deliver me from blood guiltiness, O God, the God of my salvation. My tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness. 15Lord, open my lips; my mouth shall declare Your praise. 16For You don’t delight in sacrifice, or else I would give it; You have no pleasure in burnt offering. 17The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.  18Do well in Your good pleasure to Zion, build the walls of Jerusalem. 19Then You will delight in the sacrifices of righteousness, in burnt offerings and in whole burnt offerings. Then they will offer bullocks on Your altar.   

Commentary

51:6 Truth in the inward parts- The innermost truth we can come to know is that we really have sinned and been forgiven; this is the ultimate “wisdom” rather than any intellectual knowledge or theological purity.
51:10 God can act directly on our hearts and create mindsets and attitudes, in response to our desire for them.
51:13 David vowed to respond to God’s gracious forgiveness of him by preaching to others. Our motivation for witness should be our own very personal awareness of having received forgiveness and grace which we never possibly deserved.
51:16 There was no sacrifice under the Mosaic law which could cleanse David from the sins he had committed.