Psalm 51
Psalm 51 is David's prayer of repentance after his sin with Bathsheba — the Bible's deepest model of confession, asking God to create a clean heart and restore the joy of salvation.
The Book of Psalms · Old Testament · chapter 51 of 150.
Where this chapter sits
Nathan's confrontation of David after the affair with Bathsheba supplies the occasion named in this psalm's heading, one of the few tied to so specific an episode. Counted among the traditional penitential psalms and long known liturgically by its Latin opening word, Miserere, it carries a different chapter number, Psalm 50, in the Greek and Latin numbering Orthodox usage generally follows. Three distinct words for wrongdoing recur throughout, layered rather than treated as synonyms.
Key verses (KJV)
“Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” — Psalm 51:10 (KJV)
What to notice as you read
The plea to 'create' a clean heart borrows the same Hebrew verb Genesis uses for creation out of nothing, not simple repair. Watch the movement from private confession in the earlier verses to a closing concern for Jerusalem's walls, a shift some read as a later addition.
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Read the full text of Psalm 51 in Quiethaven — choose your translation, read offline, and pick up where you left off. Pair it with a daily verse and a prayer timer.
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Frequently asked questions
Where does Psalm 51 come in Psalms?
It is chapter 51 of 150 in Psalms, a book of Wisdom in the Old Testament. The other widely-read chapters of Psalms are linked further down this page.
Where can I read Psalm 51?
Read the full text of Psalm 51 — and the whole Bible, offline, in your preferred translation — free in the Quiethaven app for iPhone.