Psalms 51:16

KJV

For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give [it]: thou delightest not in burnt offering.

KJV (with Strong's)

For thou desirest {H2654}{H8799)} not sacrifice {H2077}; else would I give {H5414}{H8799)} it: thou delightest {H7521}{H8799)} not in burnt offering {H5930}.

Complete Jewish Bible

For you don't want sacrifices, or I would give them; you don't take pleasure in burnt offerings.

Berean Standard Bible

For You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; You take no pleasure in burnt offerings.

American Standard Version

For thou delightest not in sacrifice; else would I give it: Thou hast no pleasure in burnt-offering.

Commentary

### 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](/2_samuel/11 "2 Samuel 11-12 - David's Sin and Nathan's Confrontation"). The psalm commences with David's desperate and humble plea for divine mercy and thorough cleansing from his sin ([Psalms 51:1-2](/psalms/51-1 "Psalms 51:1-2 - David's Plea for Mercy and Cleansing")), quickly transitioning into a profound confession of the magnitude of his sin and its singular offense against God alone ([Psalms 51:3-6](/psalms/51-3 "Psalms 51:3-6 - David's Confession of Sin")). 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](/psalms/51-7 "Psalms 51:7-12 - David's Prayer for Inner Purity and Restoration")). 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](/psalms/51-17 "Psalms 51:17 - The Sacrifice God Truly Desires") 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](/psalms/51-16 "Psalms 51:16 - God's Desire for a Contrite Heart") 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](/isaiah/1-11-17 "Isaiah 1:11-17 - God's Rejection of Empty Rituals") and [Amos 5:21-24](/amos/5-21-24 "Amos 5:21-24 - God Desires Justice, Not Just Sacrifices").
* **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](/1_samuel/15-22 "1 Samuel 15:22 - Obedience is Better than Sacrifice"), 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](/psalms/51-17 "Psalms 51:17 - The Sacrifice God Desires").

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **Desirest (Hebrew, _châphêts'_):** From H2654, 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.
* **Sacrifice (Hebrew, _zebach'_):** From H2077, 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.
* **Burnt offering (Hebrew, _ʻôlâh'_):** From H5930, 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](/psalms/51-17 "Psalms 51:17 - The Sacrifice God Desires"), 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](/isaiah/1-11-17 "Isaiah 1:11-17 - God's Rejection of Empty Rituals"); [Amos 5:21-24](/amos/5-21-24 "Amos 5:21-24 - God Desires Justice, Not Just Sacrifices")) 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](/psalms/51-6 "Psalms 51:6 - God Desires Truth in the Inward Being")) and values a broken spirit and contrite heart above all outward offerings.

* [1 Samuel 15:22](/1_samuel/15-22 "1 Samuel 15:22 - Obedience is Better than Sacrifice")
* [Hosea 6:6](/hosea/6-6 "Hosea 6:6 - God Desires Steadfast Love, Not Sacrifice")
* [Micah 6:8](/micah/6-8 "Micah 6:8 - What Does the Lord Require?")

### 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
* **What does Psalms 51:16 reveal about God's ultimate priorities in worship, and how might this challenge our contemporary understanding and practice of religious devotion?**
* **In what ways might we, in our own spiritual journeys, be tempted to offer external acts or religious performance as a substitute for a truly repentant and sincere heart before God?**
* **How can we intentionally cultivate a heart that genuinely desires God's will and spiritual transformation over mere religious obligation, tradition, or outward appearance?**

### FAQ
**Does this verse imply that God rejects all sacrifices or that the Old Testament sacrificial system was inherently flawed?**

Answer: 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](/psalms/51-16 "Psalms 51:16 - God Desires a Contrite Heart") 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](/psalms/51-17 "Psalms 51:17 - The Sacrifice God Desires"), 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](/john/1-29 "John 1:29 - Jesus, the Lamb of God"). The inherent inadequacy of animal blood to truly cleanse the conscience and provide lasting atonement ([Hebrews 10:4](/hebrews/10-4 "Hebrews 10:4 - The Inadequacy of Animal Sacrifices")) 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](/philippians/2-8 "Philippians 2:8 - Christ's Obedience to Death")). Through His shed blood, we receive the true, eternal cleansing and purification that animal sacrifices could never provide ([Hebrews 9:14](/hebrews/9-14 "Hebrews 9:14 - Cleansing by Christ's Blood")). 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](/jeremiah/31-33 "Jeremiah 31:33 - The New Covenant")), enabling us to worship God "in spirit and truth" ([John 4:24](/john/4-24 "John 4:24 - Worship in Spirit and Truth")). Now, as believers in Christ, we are called to offer "spiritual sacrifices" ([1 Peter 2:5](/1_peter/2-5 "1 Peter 2:5 - Spiritual Sacrifices")) and to present our "bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service" ([Romans 12:1](/romans/12-1 "Romans 12:1 - Living Sacrifices")), reflecting the very heart of repentance, devotion, and surrender that David so deeply yearned for.

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Hebrews 10:5

Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:

Hebrews 10:6

In burnt offerings and [sacrifices] for sin thou hast had no pleasure.

Psalms 40:6

¶ Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required.

Hosea 6:6

For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.

1 Samuel 15:22

And Samuel said, Hath the LORD [as great] delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey [is] better than sacrifice, [and] to hearken than the fat of rams.

Psalms 51:6

Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden [part] thou shalt make me to know wisdom.

Proverbs 21:27

¶ The sacrifice of the wicked [is] abomination: how much more, [when] he bringeth it with a wicked mind?