The Meaning of Psalms 51:1 Explained

Psalms 51:1

KJV: {To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.} Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.

YLT: To the Overseer. -- A Psalm of David, in the coming in 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.

Darby: {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.

ASV: Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: According to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

{{To the chief Musician,  A Psalm  of David,  when Nathan  the prophet  came  unto him, after he had gone in  to Bathsheba.  }} Have mercy  upon me, O God,  according to thy lovingkindness:  according unto the multitude  of thy tender mercies  blot out  my transgressions. 

What does Psalms 51:1 Mean?

Study Notes

Have
This Psalm must ever be, in its successive steps, the mould of the experience of a sinning saint who comes back to full communion and service. The steps are:
(1) sin thoroughly judged before God ( Psalms 51:1-6 );
(2) forgiveness and cleansing through the blood Psalms 51:7 .f.c.)
(3) cleansing ( Psalms 51:7-10 .) Cf John 13:4-10 ; Ephesians 5:26 ; 1 John 1:9 .
(4) Spirit-filled for joy and power ( Psalms 51:11-12 );
(5) service ( Psalms 51:13 );
(6) worship ( Psalms 51:14-17 );
(7) the restored saint in fellowship with God, not about self, but about the blessing of Zion. Personally, it was David's pathway to restored communion after his sin with Bathsheba. Dispensationally, it will be the pathway of returning Israel. Deuteronomy 30:1-10 .

Verse Meaning

David appealed to God (Elohim) to cleanse him because of His loyal love and compassion. This is the first of David"s psalms in which he addressed the Lord as Elohim, possibly reflecting the distance he felt from God as Yahweh. [1] He knew he did not deserve the Lord"s forgiveness nor could he earn it. Divine pardon comes to sinners by His grace alone. He asked God to blot out the record of his transgressions, namely, sins that go beyond the limits that God has established for conduct.

Context Summary

Psalm 51:1-10 - The Prayer Of The Contrite Heart
This psalm is a ladder which climbs from the horrible pit, with its miry clay, into the heights of sunny joy, where the song breaks from the forgiven penitent. Here is the cry of the lost sheep which has been torn by briers, harried by wild dogs, drenched in the morass, but which the shepherd has found and brought home rejoicing. This path has been worn by myriads of penitents. Psalms 51:17 was written on the wall of St. Augustine's cell.
There is no doubt as to the occasion or the authorship of this psalm. It abounds in references to 2 Samuel 11:1-27; 2 Samuel 12:1-31. It is remarkable that such a confession should have been handed to the chief musician; but the publicity thus given has made it a means of grace to myriads. Note the epithets for sin: transgression, "the violation of law;" iniquity, "crookedness from the straight line of rectitude;" sin, "missing the mark." However much God longs to forgive, He cannot, until confession is made. We must acknowledge our lapse from virtue! Blot out, as from a record; wash, as foul stains from linen; cleanse, as a leper by the touch of Christ. Our only plea is the multitude of God's tender mercies. [source]

Chapter Summary: Psalm 51

1  David prays for remission of sins, whereof he makes a deep confession
6  He prays for sanctification
16  God delights not in sacrifice, but in sincerity
18  He prays for the church

What do the individual words in Psalms 51:1 mean?

To the Chief Musician a Psalm of David when went him to Nathan the prophet after he had gone in to in Bathsheba Have mercy upon me God According to Your lovingkindness According to the multitude of Your tender mercies Blot out my transgressions
לַמְנַצֵּ֗חַ מִזְמ֥וֹר לְדָוִֽד בְּֽבוֹא־ אֵ֭לָיו נָתָ֣ן הַנָּבִ֑יא כַּֽאֲשֶׁר־ בָּ֝֗א אֶל־ בַּת־ שָֽׁבַע חָנֵּ֣נִי אֱלֹהִ֣ים כְּחַסְדֶּ֑ךָ כְּרֹ֥ב רַ֝חֲמֶ֗יךָ מְחֵ֣ה פְשָׁעָֽי

לַמְנַצֵּ֗חַ  To  the  Chief  Musician 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Verb, Piel, Participle, masculine singular
Root: נָצַח  
Sense: to excel, be bright, be preeminent, be perpetual, be overseer, be enduring.
מִזְמ֥וֹר  a  Psalm 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִזְמֹור  
Sense: melody, psalm.
לְדָוִֽד  of  David 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּוִד  
Sense: youngest son of Jesse and second king of Israel.
בְּֽבוֹא־  when  went 
Parse: Preposition-b, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
נָתָ֣ן  to  Nathan 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: נָתָן  
Sense: a son of David by Bathsheba.
הַנָּבִ֑יא  the  prophet 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: נָבִיא  
Sense: spokesman, speaker, prophet.
כַּֽאֲשֶׁר־  after 
Parse: Preposition-k, Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
בָּ֝֗א  he  had  gone  in 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
שָֽׁבַע  Bathsheba 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: בַּת־שֶׁבַע  
Sense: the wife of Uriah whom David had murdered, having had adulterous relations with her; subsequently wife of David and mother of Solomon, Shimea, Shobab, and Nathan.
חָנֵּ֣נִי  Have  mercy  upon  me 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular, first person common singular
Root: חָנַן 
Sense: to be gracious, show favour, pity.
אֱלֹהִ֣ים  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
כְּחַסְדֶּ֑ךָ  According  to  Your  lovingkindness 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: חֶסֶד 
Sense: goodness, kindness, faithfulness.
כְּרֹ֥ב  According  to  the  multitude 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: רֹב  
Sense: multitude, abundance, greatness.
רַ֝חֲמֶ֗יךָ  of  Your  tender  mercies 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: רַחַם 
Sense: womb.
מְחֵ֣ה  Blot  out 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: מָחָא 
Sense: to wipe, wipe out.
פְשָׁעָֽי  my  transgressions 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common singular
Root: פֶּשַׁע  
Sense: transgression, rebellion.