TRV
Study This Verse
Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Psalms 51:14–19. His three-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
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.
Historical interpretation
Three Centuries of Reception
4 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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Summary
Psalms 51:16 stands as a profound declaration within David's heartfelt prayer of repentance, revealing a foundational truth about God's priorities: His ultimate desire transcends mere outward religious rituals or animal sacrifices. In the wake of his grievous sins of adultery and murder, David recognizes that no external act or prescribed offering from the Mosaic Law can truly atone for the depth of his transgression, anticipating that God seeks something far more profound, internal, and spiritually transformative than ritualistic performance.
Context
Literary Context
Psalms 51 is a deeply personal and penitential psalm, traditionally attributed to David following his profound moral failures with Bathsheba and Uriah, as vividly recounted in 2 Samuel 11-12. The psalm commences with David's desperate and humble plea for divine mercy and thorough cleansing from his sin (Psalms 51:1-2), quickly transitioning into a profound confession of the magnitude of his sin and its singular offense against God alone (Psalms 51:3-6). He then earnestly cries out for inner purification, the restoration of spiritual joy, and the renewal of a steadfast spirit within him (Psalms 51:7-12). Verse 16 serves as a pivotal theological turning point, articulating David's profound realization that traditional sacrifices are inherently insufficient for the nature and depth of his particular sin, thus setting the stage for the powerful revelation in Psalms 51:17 regarding what God truly values: a broken and contrite heart.
Historical & Cultural Context
During the era of King David, the Mosaic Law meticulously prescribed various animal sacrifices for distinct purposes, including sin offerings, guilt offerings, burnt offerings, and peace offerings. These elaborate rituals formed the very core of Israelite worship and served as the divinely appointed means for atonement for unintentional sins or breaches of the covenant. However, the Law also subtly, and at times explicitly, conveyed that certain high-handed or premeditated sins, such as murder and adultery—precisely David's transgressions—did not have a prescribed animal sacrifice for atonement. Such egregious sins necessitated direct divine mercy and a profound spiritual transformation. David, as the king and a devout worshipper, would have possessed an intimate familiarity with these sacrificial practices. His poignant statement in Psalms 51:16 reflects a remarkable spiritual insight, recognizing that for sins of such depth and intentionality, mere ritualistic performance was utterly inadequate to repair his fractured relationship with a holy God. This profound understanding strikingly foreshadows the prophetic critiques of empty ritualism found in later biblical books such as Isaiah 1:11-17 and Amos 5:21-24.
Key Themes
This verse significantly contributes to several overarching themes within Psalms 51 and the broader biblical narrative. Firstly, it powerfully underscores the theme of God's preference for sincerity over ritual. It unequivocally highlights that God values the internal disposition of the heart—genuine repentance, profound humility, and sincere obedience—far more profoundly than the mere outward performance of religious duties or offerings. This resonates deeply with the timeless principle articulated in 1 Samuel 15:22, where Samuel emphatically declares to Saul that "to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams." Secondly, it emphasizes the inadequacy of sacrifice alone for certain sins, particularly those committed with a "high hand" or a defiant spirit. While animal sacrifices were divinely ordained and held significant meaning, David understands that for a sin of his magnitude, animal blood cannot fully atone for or restore the profound relational breach with a holy God. This realization powerfully points to the inherent need for a deeper, spiritual cleansing and a radical transformation of the heart. Lastly, it contributes fundamentally to the theme of true worship, shifting the focus from external acts to an internal disposition towards God, rooted in a broken spirit and contrite heart, as explicitly and beautifully stated in the subsequent Psalms 51:17.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This primitive root means "to incline to," "to be pleased with," "to desire," or "to take delight in." When applied to God, as here, it signifies His preference, what brings Him satisfaction, or what He truly wills. David's declaration that God does not "desire" (or take pleasure in) sacrifice in this context implies that God's ultimate satisfaction is found in something far deeper and more internal than mere external ritual.
This term refers to a slaughter, specifically the flesh of an animal offered, and by implication, a sacrifice (the victim or the act). While a general term for animal offerings, often associated with peace or fellowship offerings, David's use here highlights his understanding that for his particular sin, this type of offering, though commanded by Law, does not fulfill God's deepest desire for reconciliation.
This refers to a "whole burnt offering" or "holocaust," where the entire animal was consumed by fire on the altar. This type of offering symbolized complete dedication, propitiation, and comprehensive atonement. The fact that God does not "delight" in even this most total and dedicated external offering in David's situation profoundly underscores the spiritual nature of the atonement God truly seeks, emphasizing that the ritual's efficacy is contingent upon the worshipper's heart.
Verse Breakdown
"For thou desirest not sacrifice;"
David initiates his declaration by articulating God's non-preference for ritualistic animal sacrifice within his current context of profound sin. This is not a blanket rejection of the divinely instituted sacrificial system, but rather a profound acknowledgment that for the deep moral and spiritual breach he has committed, mere external performance of a ritual is not what God truly seeks or takes pleasure in. The emphasis lies on the nature of God's desire—He looks beyond the outward act to the disposition of the heart.
"else would I give [it]:"
This poignant clause reveals David's absolute willingness and desperation to provide whatever God might demand if it would genuinely bring about restoration and reconciliation. It underscores his profound repentance and his dawning realization that if animal sacrifice were truly sufficient for his specific, high-handed transgressions, he would spare no expense or effort. This statement highlights the depth of his contrition and his understanding that his sin requires a different, more profound kind of offering—one that cannot be bought or performed externally.
"thou delightest not in burnt offering."
This second clause functions as a powerful synonymous parallelism, reinforcing and intensifying the truth of the first statement. By specifically mentioning the "burnt offering" (ʿôlāh), which was a sacrifice of complete consumption and often associated with comprehensive atonement and total dedication, David emphasizes that even the most dedicated and total external offering falls short of what God truly delights in when the heart is not right. It reiterates with profound clarity that God's pleasure is not found in the ritual itself, but in the spiritual condition and genuine repentance of the worshipper.
Literary Devices
Psalms 51:16 expertly employs several literary devices to convey its profound theological message. The most prominent is Parallelism, specifically Synonymous Parallelism, where the second clause, "thou delightest not in burnt offering," echoes and powerfully reinforces the meaning of the first clause, "For thou desirest not sacrifice;". This deliberate repetition serves to emphasize God's profound disinterest in external ritual when the heart of the worshipper remains unrepentant or insincere, driving home the central point with emphatic clarity. The verse also functions as a form of Rhetorical Refutation or Anticipation, where David, understanding the common expectation that sacrifices appease God, directly refutes this notion in his unique situation. This refutation then powerfully sets the stage for the profound and transformative revelation in the very next verse, Psalms 51:17, about what God does truly desire. This creates a striking and impactful contrast, highlighting the spiritual depth and internal nature of God's requirements for true reconciliation and worship.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Psalms 51:16 is a foundational and pivotal text for understanding the consistent biblical emphasis on internal righteousness and sincere devotion over mere external ritual. It articulates a profound truth that permeates both the Old and New Testaments: God's ultimate desire is not for perfunctory religious performance, but for a genuine, intimate relationship rooted in a sincere heart, true repentance, and obedient living. David's profound realization that animal sacrifices, while divinely commanded, were utterly insufficient for his deep moral failure, powerfully foreshadows the prophetic critiques of empty worship found throughout the Old Testament (e.g., Isaiah 1:11-17; Amos 5:21-24) and lays the crucial groundwork for a deeper, more spiritual understanding of atonement that transcends the inherent limitations of animal blood. This verse points to a God who seeks truth in the inward being (Psalms 51:6) and values a broken spirit and contrite heart above all outward offerings.
Reflection and Application
Psalms 51:16 serves as a timeless and deeply convicting reminder that our relationship with God is never primarily predicated on outward performance, religious rituals, or even generous financial offerings alone. While corporate worship, acts of service, and giving are undeniably important and commanded expressions of faith, this verse profoundly challenges us to scrutinize the heart from which these actions spring. Are our spiritual disciplines and religious observances driven by genuine love for God, sincere repentance, and an earnest desire for holiness, or are they merely obligations, inherited traditions, or even subtle attempts to earn favor or merit? David's profound understanding that God looks beyond the external act to the internal attitude compels us today to diligently cultivate a heart that is truly devoted, profoundly humble, and consistently repentant. True worship, as this verse powerfully implies and the subsequent verse explicitly confirms, involves offering ourselves—our brokenness, our humility, our very lives—to God, allowing Him to transform us profoundly from the inside out, aligning our inner being with His divine will.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Does this verse imply that God rejects all sacrifices or that the Old Testament sacrificial system was inherently flawed?
No, this verse does not mean God rejects all sacrifices or that the Old Testament sacrificial system was flawed. The sacrificial system was divinely instituted by God Himself and served a crucial, God-ordained purpose within His covenant with Israel, providing a means for atonement for certain sins and a structured framework for worship. However, Psalms 51:16 highlights a deeper, more profound truth: God's ultimate desire is not for the ritual itself, but for the heart and genuine disposition behind the ritual. For sins of the magnitude David committed (adultery and murder), the Mosaic Law did not prescribe an animal sacrifice for atonement; such high-handed sins required divine mercy and a spiritual transformation. David's profound insight here is that for such deep moral and spiritual breaches, God seeks a broken and contrite spirit, not merely the blood of animals. The very next verse, Psalms 51:17, clarifies this beautifully: "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise." This verse powerfully emphasizes that true worship and reconciliation with God stem from internal humility and genuine repentance, which are infinitely more valuable and effective than any external offering when the heart is not right.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Psalms 51:16, with its profound declaration that God desires not sacrifice but a contrite heart, finds its ultimate, glorious, and complete fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. The entire Old Testament sacrificial system, while divinely ordained and crucially significant, was always a temporary measure, a divinely appointed shadow pointing to the perfect, once-for-all sacrifice of the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. The inherent inadequacy of animal blood to truly cleanse the conscience and provide lasting atonement (Hebrews 10:4) is precisely what David, by divine inspiration, intuited. Jesus, through His perfect obedience, sinless life, and voluntary, sacrificial death on the cross, offered the ultimate and perfect sacrifice—not merely an external ritual, but a complete and perfect offering of Himself, body and spirit. His sacrifice was not just a payment for sin; it was the very embodiment of a perfectly broken and contrite heart, fully surrendered in obedience to God's will (Philippians 2:8). Through His shed blood, we receive the true, eternal cleansing and purification that animal sacrifices could never provide (Hebrews 9:14). Moreover, Christ's redemptive work inaugurates the New Covenant, where the law of God is written not on tablets of stone but profoundly on the heart (Jeremiah 31:33), enabling us to worship God "in spirit and truth" (John 4:24). Now, as believers in Christ, we are called to offer "spiritual sacrifices" (1 Peter 2:5) and to present our "bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service" (Romans 12:1), reflecting the very heart of repentance, devotion, and surrender that David so deeply yearned for.