Psalms 51:9

KJV

Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.

KJV (with Strong's)

Hide {H5641}{H8685)} thy face {H6440} from my sins {H2399}, and blot out {H4229}{H8798)} all mine iniquities {H5771}.

Complete Jewish Bible

Turn away your face from my sins, and blot out all my crimes.

Berean Standard Bible

Hide Your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquities.

American Standard Version

Hide thy face from my sins, And blot out all mine iniquities.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Psalms 51:9 is a profound and poignant plea from King David, expressing his desperate desire for God to completely and mercifully remove the record and stain of his sins. Following his grievous transgressions involving Bathsheba and Uriah, David seeks not merely a superficial pardon but a radical, divine cleansing that would obliterate the memory and guilt of his iniquities from God's sight, reflecting a deep understanding of God's holiness and His capacity for complete forgiveness.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** Psalm 51 is a penitential psalm, traditionally attributed to David after his sin with Bathsheba and the murder of Uriah, as recounted in [2 Samuel 11](/2_samuel/11 "2 Samuel 11 - David's Sin with Bathsheba") and the subsequent confrontation by the prophet Nathan in [2 Samuel 12](/2_samuel/12 "2 Samuel 12 - Nathan Confronts David"). This psalm follows David's initial confession in [Psalms 51:1-2](/psalms/51-1 "Psalms 51:1-2 - Plea for Mercy and Cleansing"), where he cries out for God's mercy and cleansing. Verse 9 specifically articulates a two-fold request: for God to turn His gaze away from the defilement of sin and to completely erase the record of wrongdoing. This plea for obliteration of sin sets the stage for David's subsequent requests for a renewed spirit and a restored relationship with God in [Psalms 51:10-12](/psalms/51-10 "Psalms 51:10-12 - Prayer for a Clean Heart and Steadfast Spirit"), demonstrating a progression from confession to a desire for transformation.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** David's actions in [2 Samuel 11](/2_samuel/11 "2 Samuel 11 - David's Sin with Bathsheba") were a severe breach of the Mosaic Law, encompassing adultery, deception, and murder. In ancient Israel, sin was understood not only as a violation of divine law but also as a defilement that separated individuals from a holy God and brought communal guilt. The concept of "face" (פָּנִים, *panim*) in Hebrew culture often represented presence, favor, or attention. Thus, for God to "hide His face from my sins" was a plea for God to not acknowledge or count the sins against David, to avert His holy gaze from the defilement they represented. The act of "blotting out" (מָחָה, *machah*) was a common ancient practice, referring to wiping ink from a scroll, erasing a name from a register, or annulling a debt from a ledger, signifying complete removal and non-existence in record. This cultural understanding underscores the radical nature of David's request for God's comprehensive forgiveness.
* **Key Themes:** Psalms 51:9 contributes significantly to several overarching themes within the psalm and broader biblical narrative. Firstly, it highlights the theme of **Divine Forgiveness**, emphasizing God's immense capacity for mercy and His willingness to forgive even the most heinous sins when met with genuine repentance, as seen in His response to David's confession. Secondly, the request to "blot out" powerfully conveys the theme of **Complete Cleansing** and **Total Eradication of Sin's Record**. It speaks to God's power not merely to cover sin but to make a person truly clean, removing the guilt and shame associated with past actions, a concept echoed in [Isaiah 43:25](/isaiah/43-25 "Isaiah 43:25 - God Blots Out Transgressions"). Thirdly, "Hide thy face from my sins" underscores the theme of **God's Aversion to Sin** due to His holy nature. Yet, it simultaneously functions as a desperate plea for God to turn His gaze away from the transgression itself and instead look upon the penitent heart, offering grace and reconciliation, which is a core aspect of God's redemptive character throughout scripture, culminating in the New Covenant's promise of forgotten sins in [Hebrews 8:12](/hebrews/8-12 "Hebrews 8:12 - God Forgets Sins in the New Covenant").

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

#### Key Word Analysis
* **Hide (Hebrew, _sātar'_):** The Hebrew verb סָתַר (*sātar*) means "to hide, conceal, or keep secret." In this context, it is used in the imperative, "hide thy face," which is an idiom. It implies a plea for God to avert His gaze, to not look upon or consider David's sins. It's not about God literally being unable to see, but about His holy nature refusing to acknowledge or dwell upon the defilement of sin, and thus, not holding it against the penitent. It's a request for God's merciful non-reckoning of sin.
* **Blot out (Hebrew, _māḥāh'_):** The Hebrew verb מָחָה (*māḥāh*) is a powerful term meaning "to wipe away, erase, obliterate, or annul." This word evokes vivid imagery: wiping ink from a scroll, removing a name from a register, or erasing a debt from a ledger. It signifies a complete and permanent removal of the offense, making it as if it never existed in God's record. This is a profound request for total divine amnesia regarding the sin, not just a covering or overlooking.
* **Iniquities (Hebrew, _ʿāwōn'_):** The Hebrew noun עָוֹן (*ʿāwōn*) refers to perversity, guilt, or the moral distortion of sin. Unlike *pesha* (transgression, rebellion) or *ḥaṭṭāʾt* (missing the mark), *ʿāwōn* emphasizes the crookedness, twistedness, or deviation from God's righteous standard. It highlights the inherent wrongness and moral culpability of David's actions, and the resultant guilt. David is asking for the complete removal of this deep-seated moral stain and its accompanying guilt.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"Hide thy face from my sins":** This clause is a desperate plea from David to God. It acknowledges God's absolute holiness, which cannot tolerate or countenance sin. David is asking God, in His mercy, to turn His divine gaze away from the defilement of David's transgressions. It's not that God is unaware of the sins, but rather a request that He would not reckon them against David, that His holy presence would not be offended or alienated by them, and that He would instead look upon David's penitent heart.
* **"and blot out all mine iniquities":** This second clause intensifies the first, specifying the desired outcome of God's averted gaze. David is asking for a complete and total eradication of his iniquities—the perversity, guilt, and moral stain of his actions. The imagery of "blotting out" suggests a permanent removal, as if written on a ledger and then completely erased, leaving no trace. This signifies a desire for full forgiveness, where the sin is not merely covered but utterly removed from God's remembrance and record, along with its associated guilt and consequences.

#### Literary Devices
Psalms 51:9 masterfully employs several literary devices to convey David's profound contrition and desire for cleansing. **Metaphor** is central, particularly in the phrase "Hide thy face from my sins." God does not literally have a face that can be turned, but this metaphor vividly portrays His holy aversion to sin and David's plea for God's merciful non-reckoning. The powerful imagery of "blot out" also functions as a **Metaphor**, drawing on the common ancient practice of erasing written records to convey the complete removal of sin and guilt. Furthermore, the verse exhibits **Synonymous Parallelism**, where the two clauses express similar ideas using different but reinforcing language. "Hide thy face from my sins" and "blot out all mine iniquities" both convey the desire for divine non-remembrance and removal of sin, with the second clause intensifying and clarifying the first. The sins and iniquities are treated almost as entities from which God can turn or which He can erase, a subtle form of **Personification** that emphasizes the tangible weight and defilement of David's transgressions.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Psalms 51:9 stands as a powerful testament to the biblical truth of God's character as a merciful and forgiving God who is willing to completely pardon and cleanse those who genuinely repent. David's plea for God to "hide His face from my sins" and "blot out all mine iniquities" underscores the radical nature of divine forgiveness, which goes beyond mere overlooking to a complete obliteration of the record of sin. This concept is foundational to the covenant relationship between God and His people, demonstrating that despite human failure, God's grace can restore and purify. It speaks to the hope of a fresh start, where the past is truly put behind, and the guilt of sin is removed. This profound desire for complete cleansing foreshadows the ultimate solution to sin found in the New Covenant.

* [Isaiah 43:25](/isaiah/43-25 "God Blots Out Transgressions")
* [Acts 3:19](/acts/3-19 "Repentance and Blotting Out Sins")
* [Hebrews 8:12](/hebrews/8-12 "God Forgets Sins in the New Covenant")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Psalms 51:9 offers profound comfort and instruction for believers today, reminding us of the unfathomable depth of God's mercy and His readiness to offer complete forgiveness when we approach Him with a truly repentant heart. David's raw honesty in seeking not just leniency but a divine erasure of his transgressions serves as a model for our own confession. We are assured that through sincere confession and repentance, God offers a full pardon, removing the guilt and shame associated with our past actions, and restoring our relationship with Him. This verse encourages us to pursue not just relief from consequences, but a deep, divine cleansing that grants us a fresh start and a clear conscience, enabling us to walk in renewed fellowship with our holy God. It calls us to trust in God's power to make us truly clean, regardless of the magnitude of our past failures.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **What does David's plea to "hide thy face from my sins" reveal about the nature of God's holiness and His relationship to human sin?**
* **How does the imagery of "blotting out" challenge or deepen your understanding of God's forgiveness compared to simply "overlooking" sin?**
* **In what areas of your life do you need to confess and ask God to "blot out" your iniquities, trusting in His complete cleansing?**
* **How does understanding God's capacity for complete forgiveness in this verse impact your willingness to forgive yourself and others?**

### FAQ
**Does God literally "hide His face" or "forget" our sins when we repent?**

Answer: The phrases "hide thy face from my sins" and "blot out" are powerful anthropomorphisms and metaphors used to convey the completeness of God's forgiveness. God, being omniscient, does not literally forget in the human sense of losing memory. Rather, "hiding His face" signifies that He chooses not to acknowledge or reckon the sins against the penitent individual, averting His holy gaze from the defilement. "Blotting out" means that the sins are removed from His record, annulled, and no longer held against us. It signifies a complete legal and spiritual erasure of the guilt and condemnation associated with those sins, as if they never occurred in terms of their power to separate us from Him. This is a promise of divine non-remembrance in the context of judgment and relationship, as seen in [Hebrews 8:12](/hebrews/8-12 "God Will Not Remember Sins").

**What is the difference between "sins" and "iniquities" in this verse?**

Answer: While often used interchangeably in English translations, the Hebrew words convey distinct nuances. "Sins" (חַטָּאָה, *ḥaṭṭāʾt*) broadly refers to "missing the mark" or failing to meet God's standard, often implying an act of transgression. "Iniquities" (עָוֹן, *ʿāwōn*), as discussed in the Key Word Analysis, carries the connotation of perversity, guilt, or the moral distortion inherent in the sin. It emphasizes the crookedness or deviation from God's righteous path, and the resulting culpability and burden of guilt. By asking God to "hide His face from my sins" and "blot out all mine iniquities," David is making a comprehensive plea for the removal of both the specific acts of transgression and the deep-seated moral corruption and guilt associated with them. He desires a total cleansing of both the outward actions and the inward stain.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Psalms 51:9, with David's desperate plea for the complete removal and obliteration of his sins, finds its ultimate and perfect fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. David's longing for God to "blot out all mine iniquities" is precisely what God accomplished through the atoning sacrifice of His Son. While David could only pray for divine amnesia concerning his transgressions, Christ's death on the cross actually paid the penalty for sin, satisfying divine justice and making true spiritual erasure possible. The New Testament declares that God, through Christ, has "blotted out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us...nailing it to his cross" in [Colossians 2:14](/colossians/2-14 "Colossians 2:14 - Blotting Out the Record of Debt"). The blood of Jesus, the [Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world](/john/1-29 "John 1:29 - Jesus, the Lamb of God"), cleanses us from all unrighteousness ([1 John 1:7](/1_john/1-7 "1 John 1:7 - Cleansing by Jesus' Blood")). David's prayer for God to "hide His face from my sins" is answered in Christ, who became sin for us, allowing God's wrath to fall upon Him instead of us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him ([2 Corinthians 5:21](/2_corinthians/5-21 "2 Corinthians 5:21 - Christ Became Sin for Us")). Through faith in Jesus, our sins are not merely covered, but truly blotted out, remembered no more by God, and we are granted a new heart and a right spirit, fulfilling David's deepest desires for cleansing and restoration ([Hebrews 10:17](/hebrews/10-17 "Hebrews 10:17 - Sins Remembered No More")).

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.