Commentaries and Other Bible Study Helps - Prayer Tents - Prayer Tents

Psalm 51. This is probably the best known of the "Penitential Psalms" (Psalms 6; 25; 32; 38; 51; 130; 143). According to the title, David composed this psalm as a result of Nathan the prophet convicting him of his sins, both in his committing adultery with Bathsheba and in his arranging for the murder of Bathsheba's husband, Uriah the Hittite (2 Sam. 12:1-14). At the same time, this is more than David's personal prayer: its instructional elements (e.g., Ps. 51:16-19) show that, though the situation that led to the psalm was intensely personal, the psalm in its current form is well-suited to be a hymn by which the members of the worshiping congregation confess their own sins. As is the case with Psalms 25 and 32, the psalm enables its singers to appeal to God's own gracious character as the grounds for their cry for forgiveness, echoing Ex. 34:6-7 (see note on Ps. 51:1-2). The psalm also reinforces the view, found in the Levitical system itself, that the sacrifices bestow their benefits only on those who use them in humble and penitent faith.

51:1-2 Have Mercy on Me. The psalm opens with an appeal to God for forgiveness. The terms mercy and steadfast love, as well as transgressions, iniquity, and sin, all evoke God's proclamation of his own name (Ex. 34:6-7), with its focus on his grace and kindness. The plea for mercy here is a humble one, based entirely on God's mercy, frankly recognizing that the worshiper does not deserve it. The terms wash (cf. Ex. 19:10) and cleanse (cf. Num. 19:19) come from the ceremonial system, where they refer to rites that allow a person to come safely into God's presence. Here the psalm focuses on the inner condition that the ceremony points to.