Psalms 51 · The Lantern

Have pity on me, O God, in your mercy; out of a full heart, take away my sin.

ON PSALM FIFTY. — The Fiftieth Psalm is placed here not according in chronological order, but according to rationale. For its title is governed not by number, but by meaning. As far as history is concerned, it comes before the third. For the prophet Nathan rebuked him for his sin before his son Absalom rose up against him to deprive him of both life and kingdom.

Hear therefore these words, and say thou with him: "Have pity upon me, O God, after Thy great mercy" [Psalm 51:1]. He that imploreth great mercy, confesseth great misery. Let them seek a little mercy of Thee, that have sinned in ignorance: "Have pity," he saith, "upon me, after Thy great mercy." Relieve a deep wound after Thy great healing.

In the preceding Psalms of this decade, the Psalmist seems to have treated of those things that pertain to the state of the kingdom, whose glory he described and to which he invited others. But now, because the glory of this kingdom has been impeded by sin, he treats of the abolition of sin. Here two things must be considered.

Let all my wrongdoing be washed away, and make me clean from evil.

"More and more wash me from mine unrighteousness" [Psalm 51:2]. What is, "More and more wash"? One much stained. More and more wash the sins of one knowing. Thou that hast washed off the sins of one ignorant. Not even thus is it to be despaired of Your mercy. "And from my delinquency purge Thou me." According to the manner in which He is physician, offer a recompense.

"Wash me yet more." Here he asks for the removal of the uncleanness of guilt. A person who has a well-disposed mind abhors the uncleanness of guilt more than the severity of punishment; and therefore he says, "wash me yet more"; as if to say: I ask that you blot out the punishment; but more than that, I ask that you cleanse the stain. Or, "wash me more" than I understand. Rom.

For I am conscious of my error; my sin is ever before me.

He too who has sinned, and after the sin remembers that he has sinned, ought to say these things, just as David himself said in the fiftieth psalm: "And my sin is ever before me." There are certain people who, when they have sinned, are utterly secure, and do not think about their sin, nor does it come to their senses what evil they have done, but they live as though they had c…

"For mine iniquity I acknowledge, and my delinquency is before me ever" (ver. 3). I have not put behind my back what I have done, I look not at others, forgetful of myself, I pretend not to pull out a straw from my brother's eye, when there is a beam in my eye; my sin is before me, not behind me.

"Because." Here he confesses his guilt. And first, he confesses the guilt. Second, he shows this confession to be acceptable to God. First, therefore, he confesses the guilt.

Against you, you only, have I done wrong, working that which is evil in your eyes; so that your words may be seen to be right, and you may be clear when you are judging.

What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision? Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God. For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?

"Against You alone have I sinned, and before You an evil thing have I done" [Psalm 51:4]. What is this? For before men was not another's wife debauched and husband slain? Did not all men know what David had done? [2 Samuel 11:4, 15] What is, "Against You alone have I sinned, and before You an evil thing have I done." Because You alone are without sin.

"Against you alone have I sinned." Above, the Psalmist set forth the recognition of his own guilt; here he aggravates his guilt; and regarding this he does two things. First, he aggravates it. Second, he sets forth what follows from the aggravation, at "that you may be justified." He aggravates this guilt by comparison to God; and in two ways, as is said in Jer.

Truly, I was formed in evil, and in sin did my mother give me birth.

But if it pleases you to hear what the other saints also thought concerning that nativity, hear David saying: "In iniquities," he says, "was I conceived, and in sins did my mother bear me," showing that whatever soul is born in the flesh is polluted with the filth "of iniquity and sin"; and that on this account was said what we have already mentioned above, that: "No one is cle…

"For, behold, in iniquities I was conceived" [Psalm 51:5]. As though he were saying, They are conquered that have done what thou, David, hast done: for this is not a little evil and little sin, to wit, adultery and man-slaying. What of them that from the day that they were born of their mother's womb, have done no such thing?

"Behold indeed." Here he sets forth the root of the guilt. The root of all actual guilt is original sin, which is contracted from parents infected with that sin; this infection was in the father of David and in his mother.

Your desire is for what is true in the inner parts: in the secrets of my soul you will give me knowledge of wisdom.

Make me free from sin with hyssop: let me be washed whiter than snow.

After this white robes were given to you as a sign that you were putting off the covering of sins and putting on the chaste veil of innocence, of which the prophet said, "Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be cleansed; wash me, and I shall be made whiter than snow." For one who is baptized is seen to be purified according to the law and according to the gospel: according to the…

"You shall sprinkle me," he says, "with hyssop, and I shall be cleansed" [Psalm 51:7]. Hyssop we know to be a herb humble but healing: to the rock it is said to adhere with roots. Thence in a mystery the similitude of cleansing the heart has been taken.

"You shall sprinkle me with hyssop." Above, the Psalmist commemorated the benefit of God granted to him as to the grace of prophecy, from which he was raised to hope; here he shows what he hoped for from God. And there were two things. First, he hopes for the removal of the evils he had incurred through sin.

Make me full of joy and rapture; so that the bones which have been broken may be glad.

Let your face be turned from my wrongdoing, and take away all my sins.

Make a clean heart in me, O God; give me a right spirit again.

People are in error who think that the priests of the Lord, after a lapse, although they may have exhibited true repentance, are not capable of ministering to the Lord and engaging their honorable offices, even though they may lead a good life thereafter and perform their priesthood correctly.

It would be better to be defiled with unclean mud than with sins. A person who is defiled with mud can wash it off in a short time and become like one who had never fallen into that mire at all.

"A clean heart." Above, the Psalmist asked for sin to be removed; here he asks for the effects of sin to be removed, which are two: namely, the defilement of the soul and the disorder of the affections. The first effect occurs because a person is attached to earthly things; hence he asks for cleanness of heart. Mt.

Do not put me away from before you, or take your holy spirit from me.

Give me back the joy of your salvation; let a free spirit be my support.

Then will I make your ways clear to wrongdoers; and sinners will be turned to you.

Be my saviour from violent death, O God, the God of my salvation; and my tongue will give praise to your righteousness.

O Lord, let my lips be open, so that my mouth may make clear your praise.

You have no desire for an offering or I would give it; you have no delight in burned offerings.

The offerings of God are a broken spirit; a broken and sorrowing heart, O God, you will not put from you.

To us, then, He declares, "A sacrifice [pleasing] to God is a broken spirit; a smell of sweet savour to the Lord is a heart that glorifieth Him that made it." We ought therefore, brethren, carefully to inquire concerning our salvation, lest the wicked one, having made his entrance by deceit, should hurl us forth from our [true] life.

Do you wish to appease God? Know what you do with yourself, so that God may be appeased with you. Note in the same psalm; for it is read there: Because if you had desired sacrifice, I would indeed have given it; with burnt offerings you will not be delighting. Therefore will you be without sacrifice? Will you offer nothing, appeasing God with no offering? What did you say?

Hence he adds, "A sacrifice to God," namely one that is acceptable, "is a contrite spirit." Augustine, in City of God 10: Every sacrifice that is offered externally is a sign of an interior sacrifice, in which one offers one's soul to God. But it should be known that the soul of a person is led into sin first through vain joy. Eccl.

Do good to Zion in your good pleasure, building up the walls of Jerusalem.

Then you will have delight in the offerings of righteousness, in burned offerings and offerings of beasts; then they will make offerings of oxen on your altar.

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