Psalms 51:10
Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a right spirit within me.
Context and meaning
The heading of Psalm 51 is explicit: it was written after the prophet Nathan confronted David over Bathsheba. It is the prayer of someone who did something serious and knows it.
The verb "create" is the same used in Genesis 1 for the making of the world — a word reserved, in the Hebrew Bible, for actions only God performs. David does not ask for a repair or an improvement; he asks for something that can only come from nothing.
Notice what he does not do: he does not minimize ("everyone makes mistakes"), does not outsource the blame, does not promise to compensate with sacrifices — the psalm itself says the acceptable sacrifice is "a broken spirit".
The next request is equally important: "renew a right spirit within me". Forgiveness and change appear together.
It is one of the texts most read in moments of sincere repentance, on Ash Wednesday and in prayers of starting over.
Related verses
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Scripture text: World English Bible (WEB), public domain. Prayers, introductions and reflections: original text by this site, not affiliated with any denomination. Devotional content; it does not replace medical, psychological or legal advice.
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