TRV
Translation
King James Version
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
Complete Jewish Bible
My sacrifice to God is a broken spirit; God, you won't spurn a broken, chastened heart.
Berean Standard Bible
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.
American Standard Version
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: A broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
World English Bible Messianic
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit. A broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
Geneva Bible (1599)
The sacrifices of God are a contrite spirit: a contrite and a broken heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
Young's Literal Translation
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A heart broken and bruised, O God, Thou dost not despise.
In the KJVVerse 14,709 of 31,102
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Commentary on Psalms 51 verses 14–19
14 ¶ Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.
15 O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise.
16 For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering.
17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
18 Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion: build thou the walls of Jerusalem.
19 Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering: then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar.
I. II. Main points1. 2. Sub-points
I. David prays against the guilt of sin, and prays for the grace of God, enforcing both petitions from a plea taken from the glory of God, which he promises with thankfulness to show forth. 1. He prays against the guilt of sin, that he might be delivered from that, and promises that then he would praise God, Psa 51:14. The particular sin he prays against is blood-guiltiness, the sin he had now been guilty of, having slain Uriah with the sword of the children of Ammon. Hitherto perhaps he had stopped the mouth of conscience with that frivolous excuse, that he did not kill him himself; but now he was convinced that he was the murderer, and, hearing the blood cry to God for vengeance, he cries to God for mercy: "Deliver me from blood-guiltiness; let me not lie under the guilt of this kind which I have contracted, but let it be pardoned to me, and let me never be left to myself to contract the like guilt again." Note, It concerns us all to pray earnestly against the guilt of blood. In this prayer he eyes God as the God of salvation. Note, Those to whom God is the God of salvation he will deliver from guilt; for the salvation he is the God of is salvation from sin. We may therefore plead this with him, "Lord, thou art the God of my salvation, therefore deliver me from the dominion of sin." He promises that, if God would deliver him, his tongue should sing aloud of his righteousness; God should have the glory both of pardoning mercy and of preventing grace. God's righteousness is often put for his grace, especially in the great business of justification and sanctification. This he would comfort himself in and therefore sing of; and this he would endeavour both to acquaint and to affect others with; he would sing aloud of it. This all those should do that have had the benefit of it, and owe their all to it. 2. He prays for the grace of God and promises to improve that grace to his glory (Psa 51:15): "O Lord! open thou my lips, not only that I may teach and instruct sinners" (which the best preacher cannot do to any purpose unless God give him the opening of the mouth, and the tongue of the learned), "but that my mouth may show forth thy praise, not only that I may have abundant matter for praise, but a heart enlarged in praise." Guilt had closed his lips, had gone near to stop the mouth of prayer; he could not for shame, he could not for fear, come into the presence of that God whom he knew he had offended, much less speak to him; his heart condemned him, and therefore he had little confidence towards God. It cast a damp particularly upon his praises; when he had lost the joys of his salvation his harp was hung upon the willow-trees; therefore he prays, "Lord, open my life, put my heart in tune for praise again." To those that are tongue-tied by reason of guilt the assurance of the forgiveness of their sins says effectually, Ephphatha - Be opened; and, when the lips are opened, what should they speak but the praises of God, as Zacharias did? Luk 1:64.
II. David offers the sacrifice of a penitent contrite heart, as that which he knew God would be pleased with. 1. He knew well that the sacrificing of beasts was in itself of no account with God (Psa 51:16): Thou desirest not sacrifice (else would I give it with all my heart to obtain pardon and peace); thou delightest not in burnt-offering. Here see how glad David would have been to give thousands of rams to make atonement for sin. Those that are thoroughly convinced of their misery and danger by reason of sin would spare no cost to obtain the remission of it, Mic 6:6, Mic 6:7. But see how little God valued this. As trials of obedience, and types of Christ, he did indeed require sacrifices to be offered; but he had no delight in them for any intrinsic worth or value they had. Sacrifice and offering thou wouldst not. As they cannot make satisfaction for sin, so God cannot take any satisfaction in them, any otherwise than as the offering of them is expressive of love and duty to him. 2. He knew also how acceptable true repentance is to God (Psa 51:17): The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit. See here, (1.) What the good work is that is wrought in every true penitent - a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart. It is a work wrought upon the heart; that is it that God looks at, and requires, in all religious exercises, particularly in the exercises of repentance. It is a sharp work wrought there, no less than the breaking of the heart; not in despair (as we say, when a man is undone, His heart is broken), but in necessary humiliation and sorrow for sin. It is a heart breaking with itself, and breaking from its sin; it is a heart pliable to the word of God, and patient under the rod of God, a heart subdued and brought into obedience; it is a heart that is tender, like Josiah's, and trembles at God's word. Oh that there were such a heart in us! (2.) How graciously God is pleased to accept of this. It is the sacrifices of God, not one, but many; it is instead of all burnt-offering and sacrifice. The breaking of Christ's body for sin is the only sacrifice of atonement, for no sacrifice but that could take away sin; but the breaking of our hearts for sin is a sacrifice of acknowledgment, a sacrifice of God, for to him it is offered up; he requires it, he prepares it (he provides this lamb for a burnt-offering), and he will accept of it. That which pleased God was not the feeding of a beast, and making much of it, but killing it; so it is not the pampering of our flesh, but the mortifying of it, that God will accept. The sacrifice was bound, was bled, was burnt; so the penitent heart is bound by convictions, bleeds in contrition, and then burns in holy zeal against sin and for God. The sacrifice was offered upon the altar that sanctified the gift; so the broken heart is acceptable to God only through Jesus Christ; there is no true repentance without faith in him; and this is the sacrifice which he will not despise. Men despise that which is broken, but God will not. He despised the sacrifice of torn and broken beasts, but he will not despise that of a torn and broken heart. He will not overlook it; he will not refuse or reject it; though it make God no satisfaction for the wrong done him by sin, yet he does not despise it. The proud Pharisee despised the broken-hearted publican, and he thought very meanly of himself; but God did not despise him. More is implied than is expressed; the great God overlooks heaven and earth, to look with favour upon a broken and contrite heart, Isa 66:1, Isa 66:2; Isa 57:15.
III. David intercedes for Zion and Jerusalem, with an eye to the honour of God. See what a concern he had,
1.For the good of the church of God (Psa 51:18): Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion, that is, (1.) "To all the particular worshippers in Zion, to all that love and fear thy name; keep them from falling into such wounding wasting sins as these of mine; defend and succour all that fear thy name." Those that have been in spiritual troubles themselves know how to pity and pray for those that are in like manner afflicted. Or, (2.) To the public interests of Israel. David was sensible of the wrong he had done to Judah and Jerusalem by his sin, how it had weakened the hands and saddened the hearts of good people, and opened the mouths of their adversaries; he was likewise afraid lest, he being a public person, his sin should bring judgments upon the city and kingdom, and therefore he prays to God to secure and advance those public interests which he had damaged and endangered. He prays that God would prevent those national judgments which his sin had deserved, that he would continue those blessings, and carry on that good work, which it had threatened to retard and put a stop to. He prays, not only that God would do good to Zion, as he did to other places, by his providence, but that he would do it in his good pleasure, with the peculiar favour he bore to that place which he had chosen to put his name there, that the walls of Jerusalem, which perhaps were now in the building, might be built up, and that good work finished. Note, [1.] When we have most business of our own, and of greatest importance at the throne of grace, yet then we must not forget to pray for the church of God; nay, or Master has taught us in our daily prayers to begin with that, Hallowed be thy name, Thy kingdom come. [2.] The consideration of the prejudice we have done to the public interests by our sins should engage us to do them all the service we can, particularly by our prayers.
2.For the honour of the churches of God, Psa 51:19. If God would show himself reconciled to him and his people, as he had prayed, then they should go on with the public services of his house, (1.) Cheerfully to themselves. The sense of God's goodness to them would enlarge their hearts in all the instances and expressions of thankfulness and obedience. They will then come to his tabernacle with burnt-offerings, with whole burnt-offerings, which were intended purely for the glory of God, and they shall offer, not lambs and rams only, but bullocks, the costliest sacrifices, upon his altar. (2.) Acceptably to God: "Thou shalt be pleased with them, that is, we shall have reason to hope so when we perceive the sin taken away which threatened to hinder thy acceptance." Note, It is a great comfort to a good man to think of the communion that is between God and his people in their public assemblies, how he is honoured by their humble attendance on him and they are happy in his gracious acceptance of it.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 14–19. Public domain.
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Epistle of BarnabasAD 132
The Epistle of Barnabas, Chapter II
To us, then, He declares, "A sacrifice [pleasing] to God is a broken spirit; a smell of sweet savour to the Lord is a heart that glorifieth Him that made it." We ought therefore, brethren, carefully to inquire concerning our salvation, lest the wicked one, having made his entrance by deceit, should hurl us forth from our [true] life.
Gregory of NazianzusAD 390
ON HIS FATHER’S SILENCE, ORATION 16:2
I have not yet alluded to the true and first wisdom, for which our wonderful husbandman and shepherd is conspicuous. The first wisdom is a life worthy of praise, in which a person keeps himself pure for God or is purified for him who is all-pure and all-luminous. God demands of us, as his only sacrifice, purification—that is, a contrite heart, the sacrifice of praise, a new creation in Christ, the new man, and the like, as the Scripture loves to call it.
John ChrysostomAD 407
ON THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS 9:8
Other things too must be added to humbleness of mind if it is such as the blessed David knew, when he said, “A broken and a contrite heart God will not despise.” For that which is broken does not rise up, does not strike, but is ready to be ill-treated and itself does not rise up. Such is contrition of heart: though it is insulted, though it is enticed by evil, it is quiet and is not eager for vengeance.
John ChrysostomAD 407
HOMILIES ON 1 CORINTHIANS 1:4
But how shall a person find grace with God? How else, except by lowliness of mind? For “God,” James says, “resists the proud but gives grace to the humble”; and “the sacrifice of God is a broken spirit, and a heart that is brought low God will not despise.” For if humility is so lovely to human beings, it is much more so with God. Thus both the Gentiles found grace and the Jews did not fall from grace in any other way, “for they were not subject to the righteousness of God.” The lowly person of whom I am speaking is pleasing and delightful to all people, and dwells in continual peace and has in him no ground for contentions. For even if you insult him, even if you abuse him, whatever you say, he will be silent and will bear it meekly; he will have so great a peace toward all people that one cannot even describe it. Yes, and with God also. For the commandments of God are to be at peace with human beings: and thus our whole life is made prosperous, through peace one with another.
Augustine of HippoAD 430
Enchiridion 17:65
No matter how great our crimes, forgiveness of them should never be despised in the holy church for those who truly repent, each according to the measure of his sin. And, in the act of repentance, where a crime has been committed of such gravity as also to cut off the sinner from the body of Christ, we should not consider the amount of time as much as the degree of sorrow. For "a contrite and humbled heart God will not despise."
Augustine of HippoAD 430
SERMON 19:3
At the time David spoke in this way: "Since if you had wanted a sacrifice I would certainly have given one; in burnt offerings you will not delight." [However,] those sacrifices that were still offered to God are no longer offered now. He was prophesying, therefore, when he said this: he was rejecting current customs and foreseeing future ones. "In burnt offerings," he says, "you will not delight. When you [the congregation] stop delighting in burnt offerings, will you be left without any sacrifice? Certainly not." "A sacrifice to God is a contrite spirit: a contrite and humbled heart God does not despise." Therefore you do have something to offer. Don't look around the flock, don't fit out ships and travel to far distant regions to bring back incense. Look in your own heart for what may be acceptable to God. The heart has to be crushed. Why be afraid it will be destroyed if you crush it? There you have the answer: "Create a clean heart in me, O God." For a clean heart to be created, let the unclean heart be crushed.
Augustine of HippoAD 430
Exposition on Psalm 51
"Because if You had willed sacrifice, I would have given it surely" [Psalm 51:16]. David was living at that time when sacrifices of victim animals were offered to God, and he saw these times that were to be. Do we not perceive ourselves in these words? Those sacrifices were figurative, foretelling the One Saving Sacrifice. Not even we have been left without a Sacrifice to offer to God. For hear what he says, having a concern for his sin, and wishing the evil thing which he has done to be forgiven him: "If You had willed," he says, "sacrifice, I would have given it surely. With holocausts You will not be delighted." Nothing shall we therefore offer? So shall we come to God? And whence shall we propitiate Him? Offer; certainly in yourself you have what you may offer. Do not from without fetch frankincense, but say, "In me are, O God, Your vows, which I will render of praise to You." Do not from without seek cattle to slay, you have in yourself what you may kill. "Sacrifice to God is a spirit troubled, a heart contrite and humbled God despises not" [Psalm 51:17]. Utterly he despises bull, he-goat, ram: now is not the time that these should be offered. They were offered when they indicated something, when they promised something; when the things promised come, the promises are taken away. "A heart contrite and humbled God despises not." You know that God is high: if you shall have made yourself high, He will be from you; if you shall have humbled yourself, He will draw near to you.
Augustine of HippoAD 430
SERMON 112A.5
So this lad had already crushed his heart in a region afflicted with famine; I mean, he had returned to his heart to pound his heart; he had previously left his heart in pride; he had now returned to his heart in anger. He was angry with himself, ready to punish not himself but his wrongdoing; he had returned, ready to earn his father's right response. He spoke in anger, according to the text, "Be angry, and do not sin." Repentance, you see, always means being angry with yourself, seeing that because you are angry, you punish yourself. That is the source of all those gestures in penitents who are truly repentant, truly sorry; the source of tearing the hair, of wrapping oneself in sackcloth, of beating the breast. Surely these are all indications of being savage with oneself, being angry with oneself. What the hand does outwardly, the conscience does inwardly; it lashes itself in its thoughts, it beats itself, indeed, to speak more truly, it slays itself. It is by slaying itself, you see, that it offers itself "a sacrifice to God, a crushed spirit; a contrite and humbled heart God does not reject." Just so, then, this lad by pounding, humbling, beating his heart, slew his heart.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
Psalm 51:17 encapsulates a profound theological truth, shifting the understanding of acceptable worship from external ritual to internal spiritual condition. In this pivotal declaration, the psalmist reveals that the "sacrifices of God" are not animal offerings or prescribed ceremonies, but rather a spirit humbled by sin and a heart utterly broken and penitent before the Divine. This verse underscores God's unwavering acceptance of genuine humility and remorse, affirming that such a contrite disposition is never despised but is, in fact, the most cherished offering, foundational to true reconciliation and communion with the Almighty.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Psalm 51:17 is rich in literary artistry that underscores its profound message. The primary device is Metaphor, where "a broken spirit" and "a broken and a contrite heart" are presented as the true "sacrifices of God." This equates an internal, spiritual condition with the external, ritualistic offerings of the Mosaic Law, thereby redefining what is truly valuable to God. This is further enhanced by Synonymous Parallelism, as "a broken spirit" is echoed and amplified by "a broken and a contrite heart." The two phrases convey essentially the same idea of profound humility and penitence, but the repetition adds emphasis and depth, ensuring the reader grasps the multifaceted nature of this desired internal state. The verse also employs a powerful Contrast with the preceding verse (Psalm 51:16 - God Does Not Desire Sacrifice), where David states God does not desire animal sacrifices. This sets up a clear distinction between what God does not want and what He does want, highlighting the absolute priority of the internal over the external. Finally, the direct address "O God" imbues the verse with Pathos and a sense of intimate, desperate appeal, making the concluding assurance "thou wilt not despise" all the more comforting and impactful for the contrite soul.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Psalm 51:17 stands as a cornerstone for understanding the biblical emphasis on the heart's condition in worship and repentance. It articulates a truth consistently echoed throughout the prophetic tradition: God values moral obedience, genuine humility, and sincere devotion far above mere ritualistic performance. This verse teaches that true sacrifice is not something we give to God in a material sense, but rather a state of being we surrender before Him – a spirit stripped of pride and a heart softened by remorse. This internal disposition is the prerequisite for any external act to be truly pleasing to God, laying the groundwork for a faith that is personal, transformative, and deeply relational, rather than purely ceremonial. It underscores God's character as one who is near to the brokenhearted and who delights in mercy over sacrifice, revealing that His ultimate desire is for a restored relationship with His people, built on truth in the inward parts.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Psalm 51:17 offers timeless wisdom for every believer, challenging us to look beyond outward religious observances to the true state of our hearts. It reminds us that God is not impressed by our accomplishments, our religious duties, or our public displays of piety if they are not accompanied by genuine humility and a willingness to acknowledge our failures. This verse calls us to a radical honesty before God, inviting us to lay bare our sins and shortcomings, not with a sense of despair, but with the profound assurance that a truly broken and contrite heart will never be rejected. It encourages us to cultivate a spirit of ongoing repentance, recognizing that our greatest offering to God is a heart that remains tender, sensitive to sin, and quick to return to Him in humility and faith. In a world often focused on external appearances and performance, Psalm 51:17 redirects our gaze inward, reminding us that the most beautiful and acceptable worship begins with a humble and repentant spirit, fostering a deep and authentic relationship with our Creator.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Does this verse mean external sacrifices or religious rituals are entirely unnecessary?
Answer: Not that they are entirely unnecessary, but rather that they are insufficient and meaningless without the corresponding internal state of the heart. Psalm 51:17, along with other prophetic passages (e.g., Hosea 6:6 - God Desires Mercy, Not Sacrifice, Isaiah 1:11-17 - God Rejects Empty Rituals), critiques a superficial reliance on ritual without genuine heart transformation. In David's context, the Mosaic sacrificial system was divinely ordained. However, God consistently emphasized that the effectiveness of these rituals depended on the worshiper's sincere faith, humility, and repentance. This verse elevates the internal spiritual condition as the primary and most essential "sacrifice" God desires, making it clear that external acts are secondary and only truly pleasing when they flow from a contrite heart. In the New Covenant, the focus shifts from animal sacrifices to spiritual sacrifices, such as offering our bodies as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1 - Living Sacrifices) and the sacrifice of praise (Hebrews 13:15 - Sacrifice of Praise), which are always rooted in a heart devoted to God, made possible through Christ.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Psalm 51:17 finds its ultimate and most profound fulfillment in Jesus Christ. While David understood the necessity of a broken spirit as the true sacrifice, he lived under a covenant that still required animal offerings. Christ, however, perfectly embodies the "broken spirit" in His complete submission to the Father's will, even to the point of death on the cross (Philippians 2:8 - Christ's Humility). His perfect obedience and sacrificial death became the one, sufficient, and eternal "sacrifice" that truly atones for sin, rendering all previous animal sacrifices obsolete (Hebrews 10:1-14 - Christ's Perfect Sacrifice). Through His work, humanity is now able to offer the "sacrifices of God" – a broken and contrite heart – not as a means to earn forgiveness, but as a response to the forgiveness already secured by His blood. Jesus taught that true blessedness belongs to the "poor in spirit" (Matthew 5:3 - Blessed are the Poor in Spirit) and illustrated the Father's acceptance of the humble penitent through parables like the tax collector who simply cried out for mercy (Luke 18:9-14 - The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector). Thus, in Christ, the broken and contrite heart is not merely tolerated; it is embraced and transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit, enabling believers to live lives of genuine spiritual worship as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1 - Living Sacrifices), continually being conformed to the image of the One who perfectly humbled Himself.