Psalm 51

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 51:6

Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts ,.... With delight and pleasure, as the word F4 חפצת "delectaris", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator; "delectatus es", Cocceius; so Ainsworth. signifies: meaning either Christ, the truth and the life, formed and dwelling in the hearts of his people; or the Gospel, the word of truth, which has a place there; and particularly that branch of it which proclaims pardon to sensible sinners, and is the ground of hope within them: or else a... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 51:7

Purge me with hyssop ,.... Or "thou shalt purge me with hyssop" F6 תחטאני "purificabis me", Pagninus, Montanus; "exiabis me", Vatablus, Musculus, Cocceius, Gejerus. ; or "expiate me"; which was used in sprinkling the blood of the paschal lamb on the door posts of the Israelites in Egypt, that the destroying angel might pass over them, Exodus 12:22 ; and in the cleansing of the leper, Leviticus 14:4 ; and in the purification of one that was unclean by the touch of a dead body,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 51:8

Make me to hear joy and gladness ,.... Which he had not heard for some time; sin had sadly broke in upon and interrupted his spiritual peace and joy; for though the love and favour of God cannot be lost, yet his sensible presence, which puts joy and gladness into the heart, may; and though an interest in Christ ever continues, and union to him is always the same; yet a view of interest in him, which fills with joy unspeakable and full of glory, and communion with him, may not be had for a... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 51:9

Hide thy face from my sins ,.... In whose sight they were committed, being now ashamed of them himself, and ashamed that any should see them, and especially his God; and being filthy and nauseous, he knew they must be abominable to him, who is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity; and being breaches of his law, must be offensive to him, and provoke the eyes of his glory; and were such that he knew would not bear the examination of justice; and that if God was strict to mark them, he could... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 51:10

Create in me a clean heart, O God ,.... Which was now defiled with sin, and of which being convinced, he was led more and more to see the impurity of his heart and nature, from which all his evil actions flowed; and being sensible that he could not make his heart clean himself, and that this was the work of God, and a work which required creating power, he entreats it of him: for as the first work of conversion is no other than a creation, or a production of something new, which was not... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 51:11

Cast me not away from thy presence ,.... As abominable; as a vessel in which he had no pleasure; with indignation and wrath; as one that is angry with another, cannot bear him in his sight, but bids him be gone from him. Nothing is more desirable to a child of God than the presence of God; and nothing gives him more sensible pain than his absence; and even to be deprived of or denied the means of enjoying his presence the word and ordinances, makes them very uneasy: to be utterly, and for... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 51:12

Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation ,.... Not temporal, but spiritual and eternal; and designs either Christ himself, who is God's salvation, of his appointing and providing, in the view of whom, as such, David had much spiritual joy; or the salvation he was to work out, which God the Father had contrived the scheme of in him, had covenanted with him to do, and had appointed his people to: salvation itself is a sure thing, and can never fail, being founded upon the purpose and counsel... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 51:13

Then will I teach transgressors thy ways ,.... David was a prophet as well as a king; see Acts 2:30 ; and taught men the fear of the Lord, Psalm 34:11 , and instructed them in his ways, as he here promises he would; by which are meant, either the ways which God prescribes and directs men to walk in, as the paths of faith, holiness, and truth, and the ways of his commandments; or which he himself has walked in; meaning not the ways of his providence, which are sometimes past finding... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 51:14

Deliver me from blood guiltiness ,.... Or "from bloods" F17 מדמים "de sanguinibus", V. L. Pagninus, Montanus, Tigurine version, Vatablus, Musculus; so Ainsworth. ; meaning not the corruption of nature; see Ezekiel 16:6 ; though to be rid of that, and to be free from the guilt and condemnation of it, is very desirable, Romans 7:24 ; but either from capital punishment in his family, the effusion of blood and slaughter in it, threatened him on account of his sin, 2 Samuel 12:10 .... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 51:15

O Lord, open thou my lips ,.... The Targum adds, "in the late"; which were shut with a sense of sin, with shame of it, and sorrow for it; and though they were in some measure opened in prayer to God for the forgiveness of it, as appears by various petitions in this psalm, yet he still wanted a free spirit and boldness at the throne of grace, which the believer has when his heart is sprinkled from an evil conscience by the blood of Christ; and especially his lips were shut as to praise and... read more

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