The Meaning of Psalms 51:9 Explained

Psalms 51:9

KJV: Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.

YLT: Hide Thy face from my sin. And all mine iniquities blot out.

Darby: Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.

ASV: Hide thy face from my sins, And blot out all mine iniquities.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Hide  thy face  from my sins,  and blot out  all mine iniquities. 

What does Psalms 51:9 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The expressions in this verse picture God as a judge removing David"s sins. The psalmist wanted God to put his sins in a place where He would not see them, and to blot out any record of them from His record books.

Context Summary

Psalms 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: Psalms 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 51:9 mean?

Hide Your face from my sins and all my iniquities blot out
הַסְתֵּ֣ר פָּ֭נֶיךָ מֵחֲטָאָ֑י וְֽכָל־ עֲוֺ֖נֹתַ֣י מְחֵֽה

הַסְתֵּ֣ר  Hide 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: סָתַר  
Sense: to hide, conceal.
פָּ֭נֶיךָ  Your  face 
Parse: Noun, common plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
מֵחֲטָאָ֑י  from  my  sins 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common singular
Root: חֵטְא  
Sense: sin.
וְֽכָל־  and  all 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
עֲוֺ֖נֹתַ֣י  my  iniquities 
Parse: Noun, common plural construct, first person common singular
Root: עָוֹן  
Sense: perversity, depravity, iniquity, guilt or punishment of iniquity.
מְחֵֽה  blot  out 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: מָחָא 
Sense: to wipe, wipe out.

What are the major concepts related to Psalms 51:9?

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