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, a poignant declaration within David's prayer of repentance, reveals a profound truth about God's priorities: He does not primarily desire outward religious rituals or animal sacrifices, but rather a contrite and sincere heart. In the aftermath of his grievous sin, David recognizes that no mere external act can atone for the depth of his transgression, anticipating that God seeks something far more profound and internal than the prescribed offerings of the Mosaic Law.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** Psalms 51 is a deeply personal and penitential psalm, traditionally attributed to David after his sin with Bathsheba and the murder of Uriah, as recounted in [2 Samuel 11-12](/2_samuel/11 "2 Samuel 11-12 - David's Sin and Nathan's Confrontation"). The psalm opens with David's desperate plea for mercy and cleansing ([Psalms 51:1-2](/psalms/51-1 "Psalms 51:1-2 - David's Plea for Mercy")), followed by a profound confession of his sin's magnitude and its offense against God alone ([Psalms 51:3-6](/psalms/51-3 "Psalms 51:3-6 - David's Confession")). He then cries out for inner purification and restoration of joy and a steadfast spirit ([Psalms 51:7-12](/psalms/51-7 "Psalms 51:7-12 - David's Prayer for Cleansing and Restoration")). Verse 16 serves as a pivotal point, articulating David's realization that traditional sacrifices are insufficient for his particular sin, setting the stage for the revelation in [Psalms 51:17](/psalms/51-17 "Psalms 51:17 - The Sacrifice God Desires") of what God truly desires: a broken and contrite heart.

* **Historical & Cultural Context:** During David's time, the Mosaic Law prescribed various animal sacrifices for different purposes, including sin offerings, guilt offerings, burnt offerings, and peace offerings. These rituals were central to Israelite worship and atonement for unintentional sins or breaches of the covenant. However, the Law also implicitly, and sometimes explicitly, taught that certain high-handed or premeditated sins, like murder and adultery (David's transgressions), did not have a prescribed animal sacrifice for atonement. Such sins required divine mercy and a spiritual transformation. David, as king, would have been intimately familiar with these sacrificial practices. His statement in [Psalms 51:16](/psalms/51-16 "Psalms 51:16 - God Desires a Contrite Heart") reflects a profound spiritual insight, recognizing that for sins of such depth and intentionality, mere ritualistic performance was inadequate to restore his broken relationship with a holy God. This understanding foreshadows the prophetic critiques of empty ritualism found in later books like Isaiah and Amos.

* **Key Themes:** This verse contributes significantly to several key themes within Psalms 51 and the broader biblical narrative. Firstly, it underscores the theme of **God's preference for sincerity over ritual**. It highlights that God values the internal disposition of the heart—genuine repentance, humility, and obedience—far more than the mere outward performance of religious duties or offerings. This resonates with the principle articulated in [1 Samuel 15:22](/1_samuel/15-22 "1 Samuel 15:22 - Obedience is Better than Sacrifice"), where Samuel tells Saul that "to obey is better than sacrifice." Secondly, it emphasizes the **inadequacy of sacrifice alone** for certain sins, particularly those committed with a high hand or a defiant spirit. While sacrifices were divinely ordained, David understands that for a sin of his magnitude, animal sacrifice cannot fully atone or restore the profound relational breach. This points to the need for a deeper, spiritual cleansing and a radical transformation of the heart. Lastly, it contributes 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 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, _ḥāfēṣ'_):** This verb means "to delight in," "to take pleasure in," "to desire," or "to be pleased with." When applied to God, it indicates His preference or what brings Him satisfaction. In this context, David declares that God's ultimate pleasure or desire is not found in the mere act of sacrifice, implying that something deeper is sought.
* **Sacrifice (Hebrew, _zebaḥ'_):** A general term for an animal sacrifice, often referring to a peace offering or fellowship offering, where part of the animal was given to God and part consumed by the worshipper. While commanded by the Law, David understands that for his specific sin, this type of offering does not fulfill God's deepest desire.
* **Burnt offering (Hebrew, _ʿōlāh'_):** This refers to a "whole burnt offering," where the entire animal was consumed on the altar, symbolizing complete dedication, atonement, or propitiation for sin. The fact that God does not "delight" in even this most comprehensive offering in David's situation underscores the spiritual nature of the atonement God truly seeks.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"For thou desirest not sacrifice;":** David begins by articulating God's non-preference for ritualistic sacrifice in this particular context. It is not a blanket rejection of the sacrificial system, which was divinely instituted, but rather an acknowledgment that for the profound moral and spiritual breach he has committed, mere external performance is not what God truly seeks or takes pleasure in. The emphasis is on the *nature* of God's desire—He looks beyond the outward act to the heart.
* **"else would I give [it]:":** This clause reveals David's utter willingness to provide whatever God might demand if it would truly bring restoration. It highlights his desperation and his understanding that if animal sacrifice were sufficient, he would spare no expense. This underscores the depth of his repentance and his dawning realization that his sin requires a different kind of offering—one that cannot be bought or performed externally.
* **"thou delightest not in burnt offering.":** This second clause functions as a synonymous parallelism, reinforcing and intensifying the first statement. By specifically mentioning the "burnt offering" (ʿōlāh), which was a sacrifice of complete consumption and often associated with comprehensive atonement, 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 that God's pleasure is not found in the ritual itself, but in the spiritual condition of the worshipper.

#### Literary Devices
Psalms 51:16 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 reinforces the meaning of the first clause ("For thou desirest not sacrifice;"). This repetition emphasizes God's disinterest in external ritual when the heart is unrepentant, driving home the central point. The verse also functions as a form of **Anticipation** or **Rhetorical Refutation**, where David anticipates the common understanding that sacrifices appease God and then refutes it, setting the stage for the profound revelation in the very next verse ([Psalms 51:17](/psalms/51-17 "Psalms 51:17 - The Sacrifice God Desires")) about what God *does* desire. This creates a powerful contrast, highlighting the spiritual depth of God's requirements.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Psalms 51:16 is a foundational text for understanding the biblical emphasis on internal righteousness over external ritual. It articulates a truth that permeates both the Old and New Testaments: God's ultimate desire is not for mere religious performance, but for a genuine relationship rooted in a sincere heart, true repentance, and obedience. David's profound realization that animal sacrifices, while commanded, were insufficient for his deep moral failure, foreshadows the prophetic critiques of empty worship (e.g., Isaiah 1:11-17; Amos 5:21-24) and lays the groundwork for a deeper understanding of atonement that transcends the 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 above all 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 convicting reminder that our relationship with God is not predicated on outward performance, religious rituals, or even generous offerings alone. While corporate worship, acts of service, and giving are important expressions of faith, this verse challenges us to examine the heart from which these actions spring. Are our spiritual disciplines driven by genuine love for God, sincere repentance, and a desire for holiness, or are they merely obligations, traditions, or attempts to earn favor? David's profound understanding that God looks beyond the external act to the internal attitude compels us to cultivate a heart that is truly devoted, humble, and repentant. True worship, as this verse implies and the subsequent verse confirms, involves offering ourselves—our brokenness, our humility, and our lives—to God, allowing Him to transform us from the inside out.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **What does Psalms 51:16 reveal about God's priorities in worship, and how might this challenge our modern understanding of religious practice?**
* **In what ways might we, like David, be tempted to offer external acts or religious performance instead of a truly repentant and sincere heart to God?**
* **How can we cultivate a heart that genuinely desires God's will and spiritual transformation over mere religious obligation or tradition?**

### FAQ
**Does this verse mean God doesn't want sacrifices at all, or that the Old Testament sacrificial system was 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 and served a crucial purpose in God's covenant with Israel, providing a means for atonement for certain sins and a framework for worship. However, [Psalms 51:16](/psalms/51-16 "Psalms 51:16 - God Desires a Contrite Heart") highlights a deeper truth: God's ultimate desire is not for the *ritual itself*, but for the *heart* behind the ritual. For sins of the magnitude David committed (adultery and murder), the Mosaic Law did not prescribe an animal sacrifice for atonement. David's insight here is that for such profound 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: "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise." This verse emphasizes that true worship and reconciliation with God stem from internal humility and genuine repentance, which are far more valuable 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 and glorious fulfillment in Jesus Christ. The Old Testament sacrificial system, while divinely ordained, was always a temporary measure, a 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 inadequacy of animal blood to truly cleanse the conscience ([Hebrews 10:4](/hebrews/10-4 "Hebrews 10:4 - The Inadequacy of Animal Sacrifices")) is precisely what David intuited. Jesus, through His perfect obedience, sinless life, and voluntary death on the cross, offered the ultimate 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, but the embodiment of a perfectly broken and contrite heart, fully surrendered 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 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 work inaugurates the New Covenant, where the law is written not on tablets of stone but 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, we are called to offer "spiritual sacrifices" ([1 Peter 2:5](/1_peter/2-5 "1 Peter 2:5 - Spiritual Sacrifices")) and 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 and devotion that David 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.