# Psalms 51.2-5 **Book:** [Psalms](/codex/psalms/) · NASB95 ## Immediate context (±2 verses) **ASV** ([ASV](/codex/asv/)) > 1. For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David; when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bath-sheba. Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: According to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. > > **2. Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin. 3. For I know my transgressions; And my sin is ever before me. 4. Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, And done that which is evil in thy sight; That thou mayest be justified when thou speakest, And be clear when thou judgest. 5. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity; And in sin did my mother conceive me.** > > 6. Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts; And in the hidden part thou wilt make me to know wisdom. 7. Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. (Psalms 51:1-7, ASV) **WEB** ([WEB](/codex/web/)) > 1. For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David, when Nathan the prophet came to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. Have mercy on me, God, according to your loving kindness. According to the multitude of your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions. > > **2. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity. Cleanse me from my sin. 3. For I know my transgressions. My sin is constantly before me. 4. Against you, and you only, I have sinned, and done that which is evil in your sight; that you may be proved right when you speak, and justified when you judge. 5. Behold, I was born in iniquity. In sin my mother conceived me.** > > 6. Behold, you desire truth in the inward parts. You teach me wisdom in the inmost place. 7. Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean. Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. (Psalms 51:1-7, WEB) **KJV** ([KJV](/codex/kjv/)) > 1. 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. > > **2. Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. 3. For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. 4. Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest. 5. Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. conceive: Heb. warm me** > > 6. Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom. 7. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. (Psalms 51:1-7, KJV) **YLT** ([YLT](/codex/ylt/)) > 1. 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. > > **2. Thoroughly wash me from mine iniquity, And from my sin cleanse me, 3. For my transgressions I do know, And my sin [is] before me continually. 4. Against Thee, Thee only, I have sinned, And done the evil thing in Thine eyes, So that Thou art righteous in Thy words, Thou art pure in Thy judging. 5. Lo, in iniquity I have been brought forth, And in sin doth my mother conceive me.** > > 6. Lo, truth Thou hast desired in the inward parts, And in the hidden part Wisdom Thou causest me to know. 7. Thou cleansest me with hyssop and I am clean, Washest me, and than snow I am whiter. (Psalms 51:1-7, YLT) ## Setting - **Speaker:** _TBD_ - **Audience:** _TBD_ - **Location:** _TBD_ - **Time period:** _TBD_ ## Theological reading _Patristic / early-church-father exegesis, to be added._ ## Key words _Theologically-loaded Greek or Hebrew words in this verse may have entries in the lexicon. Curated to roughly 100 contested terms across the corpus, not every word; see Lexicon Roadmap._ - _TBD_ - _TBD_ - _TBD_ - _TBD_ ## Quoted in **Arguments and defeaters:** - [Argument from Forgiveness](/codex/argument-from-forgiveness/), via [Psalms 51.1-12](/codex/psalms-51-1-12/), [Psalms 51.4](/codex/psalms-51-4/) - [Born This Way Objection Defeater](/codex/born-this-way-objection-defeater/), via [Psalms 51.5](/codex/psalms-51-5/) - [David Bathsheba Objection Defeater](/codex/david-bathsheba-objection-defeater/), via [Psalms 51.4](/codex/psalms-51-4/) - [Epigenetic Homosexuality Model Objection Defeater](/codex/epigenetic-homosexuality-model-objection-defeater/), via [Psalms 51.5](/codex/psalms-51-5/) - [Necessity of the Incarnation](/codex/necessity-of-the-incarnation/), via [Psalms 51.4](/codex/psalms-51-4/) **Concepts:** - [David and Bathsheba](/codex/2-samuel-11/), via [Psalms 51.4](/codex/psalms-51-4/) - [Inherited Guilt and Visiting Iniquity](/codex/inherited-guilt-and-visiting-iniquity/), via [Psalms 51.5](/codex/psalms-51-5/) - [Is Being Gay Biological](/codex/is-being-gay-biological/), via [Psalms 51.5](/codex/psalms-51-5/) - [Original Sin](/codex/original-sin/), via [Psalms 51.5](/codex/psalms-51-5/) **Lexicon:** - [H2403 - chattath](/codex/h2403-chattath/) - [H5771 - avon](/codex/h5771-avon/), via [Psalms 51.2](/codex/psalms-51-2/), [Psalms 51.5](/codex/psalms-51-5/) - [H6588 - pesha](/codex/h6588-pesha/), via [Psalms 51.3](/codex/psalms-51-3/) --- _Scripture quotations taken from the **New American Standard Bible®** (NASB), Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by **The Lockman Foundation**. Used by permission. All rights reserved. [www.lockman.org](https://www.lockman.org)_ ## Why these four translations ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the **most literal English translations available** (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the **public domain in the United States**, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance. The four: - **[ASV](/codex/asv/)** (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition. - **[WEB](/codex/web/)** (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English. - **[KJV](/codex/kjv/)** (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base. - **[YLT](/codex/ylt/)** (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff. See [Bibles](/codex/bibles/) for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.