Passage

Psalms 51.5

Book: Psalms · ASV / WEB / KJV / YLT

Immediate context (±2 verses)

ASV (ASV)

"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 51:3-7, ASV)

WEB (WEB)

"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 51:3-7, WEB)

KJV (KJV)

"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 51:3-7, KJV)

YLT (YLT)

"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 51:3-7, YLT)

Setting

Speaker: various (David majority; Asaph, Korah, Moses, Solomon, anonymous)
Audience: worshipping Israel (corporate + individual devotion)
Location: Israel, various periods
Time period: composition spans c. 1400 BC (Moses, Ps 90), c. 400 BC; principal Davidic composition c. 1000 BC

Theological reading

Key words

H5771 - avon, avon (Strong's H5771). Also appears in: Genesis 15.16, Genesis 19, Exodus 20.5.

Quoted in

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 (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
WEB (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
KJV (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
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 for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.