Psalms 51:2 — Word Study
WLCהֶ֭רֶב כַּבְּסֵ֣נִי מֵעֲוֹנִ֑י וּֽמֵחַטָּאתִ֥י טַהֲרֵֽנִי׃
BSALebobôwʼ to(wards)ʼêl NathanNâthân prophetnâbîyʼ whichʼăsher Lebobôwʼ to(wards)ʼêl BathshebaBath-Shebaʻ BathshebaBath-Shebaʻ
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| הֶ֭רֶב | increase | Verb, Hiphil, imperative second person masculine singular |
| כַּבְּסֵ֣נִי | wash me | Verb piel imperative second person masculine singular, suffix |
| מֵעֲוֹנִ֑י | from iniquity my | Preposition, noun common masculine singular construct, suffix |
| וּֽמֵחַטָּאתִ֥י | and from sin my | Conjunction, preposition, noun common feminine singular construct |
| טַהֲרֵֽנִי׃ | cleanse me | Verb piel imperative second person masculine singular, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | Wash me clean of my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. |
| KJV | Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. |
| ASV | Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin. |
| YLT | Thoroughly wash me from mine iniquity, And from my sin cleanse me, |
| WEB | Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity. Cleanse me from my sin. |
| BBE | Let all my wrongdoing be washed away, and make me clean from evil. |
The translations agree on the essential meaning of the verse, emphasizing the need for washing and cleansing.
The main verb governs the plea, with two phrases detailing what David seeks to be washed and cleansed from, highlighting the dual aspect of his request.







8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbבְּ
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Psalms 51:2
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — A Plea for Mercy and Cleansinggenerated
Psalm 51:2 captures David's heartfelt plea for God's mercy. After his sin with Bathsheba, David recognizes his need for cleansing from both iniquity and sin, emphasizing his desire for a pure heart and a renewed spirit. This psalm is a profound expression of repentance and the need for divine forgiveness, reflecting themes found throughout the Scriptures.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalm 51:7 | Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. |
| 2 | Ezekiel 36:25 | I will also sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. I will cleanse you from all your impurities and all your idols. |
| 3 | Zechariah 13:1 | “On that day a fountain will be opened to the house of David and the people of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity. |
| 4 | 1 Corinthians 6:11 | And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. |
| 5 | Hebrews 9:13–14 | For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that their bodies are clean, |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 11 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — כַּבְּסֵ֣נִי, ka.be.Se.nigenerated
The verb כַּבַּס (kabac) means to wash, specifically by treading or stamping, often associated with the work of a fuller. In this context, it conveys David's urgent request for God to wash away his moral stains and guilt.
The imperative form indicates a direct plea to God for action, highlighting David's recognition of his need for divine intervention to cleanse him from his iniquity and sin.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb כַּבְּסֵ֣נִי, wash me, governs the sentence with two phrases following it: one describing what David wants to be washed from and the other what he wants to be cleansed from. The structure emphasizes the dual nature of his request for both washing and cleansing.
The use of the conjunction וּ (and) connects the two requests, indicating that both actions are equally important to David's plea for forgiveness.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates כַּבַּס as πρὸς, indicating a direction towards cleansing, which emphasizes the action of washing as a means to achieve a state of purity.
The LXX's rendering shows a consistent understanding of the need for purification, aligning with the themes of repentance and divine mercy found in the Hebrew text.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Psalm 51:2 shows David asking God to wash him clean from his wrongdoing and to cleanse him from his sin. This plea highlights David's understanding of his guilt and his desire for purification, which is a central theme in this psalm.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
In this context, 'iniquity' refers to moral evil or sin that David acknowledges in his heart, highlighting his need for God's forgiveness.
David recognizes that sin separates him from God, and he desires to be restored to a state of purity and closeness with the Lord.
Washing symbolizes the removal of guilt and the restoration of purity, which is essential for David's relationship with God.
This verse exemplifies true repentance, where David acknowledges his wrongdoings and earnestly seeks God's mercy and cleansing.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what areas of my life do I need to seek God's cleansing and forgiveness?
- How can I cultivate a heart that is sensitive to sin and seeks repentance like David?
- What steps can I take to ensure I am living in a way that honors God's desire for purity?
- How does understanding my own sinfulness deepen my appreciation for God's mercy?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Early Church Fathers have commented on this psalm, particularly focusing on the themes of repentance and divine mercy, as seen in the quotation from Augustine of Hippo.
"More and more wash me from mine unrighteousness" [Psalms 51:2]. What is, "More and more wash"? One much stained. More and more wash the sins of one knowing.Early Church Fathers on Psalms 51 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Psalms 51:2 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleWash me thoroughly from mine iniquity,.... Which supposes defilement by sin, and that very great, and such as none can remove but the Lord himself; who, when he takes it in hand, does it effectually
Read John Gill on Psalms 51 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryWash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. Wash me throughly from mine iniquity - (cf.
Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 51 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleWash me throughly, Heb. multiply to wash me; by which phrase he implies the greatness of his guilt, and the insufficiency of all legal washings, and the absolute necessity of some other and better thing to wash him, even of God’ s grace, and the blood of Christ; which as Abraham saw by faith, , so did David, as is sufficiently evident (allowing for the darkness of the dispensation and expressions of the Old Testament) from divers passages of the Psalms, of which I have spoken in their proper places; and his earnest and passionate desire of pardon, which he desires above all other things; wherein he showeth himself to be a true penitent, because his chief care and desire was to obtain God’ s…
Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 51 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsPsalms 51:2 Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.Ver. 2. Wash me throughly from mine iniquity] Heb. Multiply, wash me; so Isaiah 55:7. God is said to multiply pardon as much as we multiply sin. David apprehended his sin so exceeding sinful, his stain so inveterate, so engrained, that it would hardly be ever gotten out till the cloth were almost rubbed to pieces; that God himself would have somewhat to do to do it. He had been in a deep ditch, Proverbs 23:27, and was pitifully defiled; he therefore begs hard to be thoroughly rinsed, to be bathed in that blessed fountain of Christ’ s blood, that is opened for sins and for uncleanness, Zechariah 13:1; to be cleansed…
Read John Trapp on Psalms 51 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(2) Wash me thoroughly.—Literally, Wash me much, whether we follow the Hebrew text or the Hebrew margin. The two clauses of the verse are not merely antithetic. The terms wash and cleanse seem to imply respectively the actual and the ceremonial purification, the former meaning literally to tread, describing the process of washing clothes (as blankets are washed to this day in Scotland) by trampling them with the feet, the latter used of the formal declaration of cleanliness by the priest in the case of leprosy (Leviticus 13:6-34). (For the iniquity and sin, see Psalms 32:1.)
Read Charles John Ellicott on Psalms 51 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 2. Wash me throughly] הרבה כבסני harbeh cabbeseni, "Wash me again and again, - cause my washings to be multiplied." My stain is deep; ordinary purgation will not be sufficient.
Read AdamClarke on Psalms 51 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges1–4. Prayer for forgiveness and cleansing: its ground, God’s grace; its condition, man’s repentance.
Read Cambridge on Psalms 51 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleWash me throughly from mine iniquity - literally, “Multiply to wash me.” The word rendered “throughly” is a verb, either in the infinitive or imperative mood, and suggests the idea of “multiplying”
Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 51 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
Wash me clean of my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity. Cleanse me from my sin.
Wash me clean of my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.
Wash away my wrongdoing! Cleanse me of my sin!
Tyndale line
Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin.
Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
Wash me throughly from mine iniquitie, and clense me from my sinne.
Strictly literal
Wash me fully from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
Thoroughly wash me from mine iniquity, And from my sin cleanse me,
Thoroughly wash me from my iniquity, || And cleanse me from my sin,
(51:4) Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.
From the Latin
When Doeg the Edomite came and told Saul David went to the house of Achimelech. [1 Kings 22]
Simplified
Wash away all my guilt; cleanse me from my sin.
Let all my wrongdoing be washed away, and make me clean from evil.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text aligns with the Septuagint in the main structure of the verse, confirming the essential elements of David's plea. Both witnesses reflect the same core request for washing and cleansing, though the Dead Sea Scrolls show some textual variations with words supplied by editors.
הֶ֭רֶב כַּבְּסֵ֣נִי מֵעֲוֹנִ֑י וּֽמֵחַטָּאתִ֥י טַהֲרֵֽנִי׃
5 of the 5 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
בבוא אלי׳ו נתן הנביא כאשר בא [אל] בת שבע
8 words on the leather — 1 supplied entire by an editor.
[בבוא] [אלי׳ו] [נתן] [הנביא] [כאשר] [בא] [אל] בת [שבע]
1 word on the leather — 8 supplied entire by an editor.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Psalms 51:2
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
רָבָה (rabah) is a Hebrew verb meaning to increase or multiply, encompassing ideas of becoming great, numerous, or abundant. It has various forms, including Qal (to become many), Piel (to make large), and Hiphil (to make much). The word also appears in a context related to shooting in Genesis 21:20. There is a noted Aramaic equivalent, רְבָה.
[רָבָה] 225 vb. be, or become, much, many, great
Qal 59
become many, numerous
be great
grow great (Aramaism)
Pi. 4 make large, increase
Hiph. 162
H7235a רָבָה be, or become, much, many, great .. become many, numerous
. . be great
. grow great (Aramaism)
. make large, increase
. . make much or many
. make great, obj. pers.
H7235b רָבָה shoot
7235 rabah raw-baw'
a primitive root; to increase (in whatever respect):--(bring
in) abundance (X -antly), + archer (by mistake for 7232), be
in authority, bring up, X continue, enlarge, excel,
exceeding(-ly), be full of, (be, make) great(-er, -ly,
X -ness), grow up, heap, increase, be long, (be, give, have,
make, use) many (a time), (any, be, give, give the, have) more
(in number), (ask, be, be so, gather, over, take, yield) much
(greater, more), (make to) multiply, nourish, plenty(-eous), X
process (of time), sore, store, thoroughly, very.
see HEBREW for 07232
רָבָה (ra.vah) — to multiply.
1) be or become great, be or become many, be or become much, be or become numerous
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to become many, become numerous, multiply (of people, animals, things)
1a2) to be or grow great
1b) (Piel) to make large, enlarge, increase, become many
1c) (Hiphil)
1c1) to make much, make many, have many
1c1a) to multiply, increase
1c1b) to make much to do, do much in respect of, transgress greatly
1c1c) to increase greatly or exceedingly
1c2) to make great, enlarge, do much
Aramaic equivalent: re.vah (רְבָה "to grow great" H7236)
רָבָה (ra.vah) — to shoot.
(Qal) to shoot
HVhv2ms — Verb · Hiphil · imperative second person masculine singularHVhv2ms
in'-kres, (noun), in-kres' (verb): Employed in the English Bible both as verb and as noun, and in both cases to represent a number of different words in the original. As a verb it is used in the ordinary sense of the term. As a noun it is usually used of plant life, or of the herds and flocks, to denote the fruitage or the offspring; more rarely of money, to denote the interest. As examples of the different terms translated by this word, students who read Hebrew or Greek may compare De 7:22; Pr 16:21; Job 10:16 the King James Version; Job 12:23; Nu 18:30; De 7:13…
כָּבַס (kabac) means to wash, specifically by treading, and is associated with the work of a fuller. It can refer to both literal washing of garments or people and figurative uses. The entries note various forms, including participles and different verb stems, indicating actions like washing and being washed.
[כָּבַס] 51 vb. (tread), wash
Qal highway of fuller’s (= treader’s, washer’s) field
Pi.
wash garments (i.e. by treading)
wash person
Pu. be washed, of garment
Hothp. after the plague is washed out
base
H3526 כָּבַס (tread), wash
3526 kabac kaw-bas'
a primitive root; to trample; hence, to wash (properly, by
stamping with the feet), whether literal (including the
fulling process) or figurative:--fuller, wash(-ing).
כָּבַס (ka.vas) — Washer's.
This name means to wash (by treading)
כָּבַס (ka.vas) — to wash.
1) to wash (by treading), be washed, perform the work of a fuller
1a) (Qal) washer, fuller, treader (participle)
1b) (Piel) to wash (garments, person)
1c) (Pual) to be washed
1d) (Hothpael) to be washed out
HVpv2ms/Sp1bs — Verb piel imperative second person masculine singular · suffixHVpv2ms/Sp1bs
עָוֹן (avon) refers to iniquity, guilt, or the punishment associated with iniquity. It encompasses concepts of moral evil, such as perversity and depravity, and includes the consequences or punishment for these actions. The term appears in contexts like 2 Kings 7:9 and Psalm 51:5, highlighting its significance in discussions of sin and guilt.
עָוֹן n.m. iniquity, guilt, or punishment of iniquity
base
H5771 עָוֹן iniquity, guilt, or punishment of iniquity
5771 `avon aw-vone'
or oavown (2 Kings 7:9; Psalm 51:5 (7)) {aw-vone'}; from
5753; perversity, i.e. (moral) evil:--fault, iniquity,
mischeif, punishment (of iniquity), sin.
see HEBREW for 07
see HEBREW for 05753
עָוֺן (a.van) — iniquity: crime.
: crime
1) perversity, depravity, iniquity, guilt or punishment of iniquity
1a) iniquity
1b) guilt of iniquity, guilt (as great), guilt (of condition)
1c) consequence of or punishment for iniquity
עָוֺן (a.van) — iniquity: guilt.
: guilt
1) perversity, depravity, iniquity, guilt or punishment of iniquity
1a) iniquity
1b) guilt of iniquity, guilt (as great), guilt (of condition)
1c) consequence of or punishment for iniquity
עָוֺן (a.van) — iniquity: punishment.
: punishment
1) perversity, depravity, iniquity, guilt or punishment of iniquity
1a) iniquity
1b) guilt of iniquity, guilt (as great), guilt (of condition)
1c) consequence of or punishment for iniquity
HR/Ncmsc/Sp1bs — Preposition · noun common masculine singular construct · suffixHR/Ncmsc/Sp1bs
חַטָּאָה (chatta'ah) refers to sin and encompasses various aspects such as the condition of sin, guilt, punishment, and sin-offering. It can denote both the act of sinning and the consequences, including purification from ceremonial uncleanness. The term is built from the root word for offense and is used in contexts relating to sin and its expiation.
H2403a חַטָּאָה sin, sin-offering(?) . sin
. sin-offering
H2403b חַטָּאת sin, sin-offering . sin
. condition of sin, guilt of sin
. punishment for sin
. sin-offering
. purification from sins of ceremonial uncleanness
2403 chatta'ah khat-taw-aw'
or chattacth {khat-tawth'}; from 2398; an offence (sometimes
habitual sinfulness), and its penalty, occasion, sacrifice, or
expiation; also (concretely) an offender:--punishment (of
sin), purifying(-fication for sin), sin(-ner, offering).
see HEBREW for 02398
חַטָּאָה (chat.ta.ah) — sin.
sin, sinful thing
חַטָּאת (chat.tat) — sin.
: sin
1) sin, sin offering
1a) sin
1b) condition of sin, guilt of sin
1c) punishment for sin
1d) sin-offering
1e) purification from sins of ceremonial uncleanness
חַטָּאת (chat.tat) — sin: sin offering.
: sin_offering
1) sin, sin offering
1a) sin
1b) condition of sin, guilt of sin
1c) punishment for sin
1d) sin-offering
1e) purification from sins of ceremonial uncleanness
חַטָּאת (chat.tat) — sin: punishment.
: punishment/purification
1) sin, sin offering
1a) sin
1b) condition of sin, guilt of sin
1c) punishment for sin
1d) sin-offering
1e) purification from sins of ceremonial uncleanness
HC/R/Ncfsc/Sp1bs — Conjunction · preposition · noun common feminine singular construct · suffixHC/R/Ncfsc/Sp1bs
טָהֵר (taher) means to be clean or pure, covering physical, ceremonial, and moral aspects of purity. It can refer to being free from disease, ceremonially clean, or morally innocent. The verb has various forms, including Qal (to be clean), Piel (to cleanse), and Hithpael (to purify oneself). Brown-Driver-Briggs notes a specific instance of miraculous cleansing related to leprosy.
טָהֵר vb. be clean, pure
Qal
be clean, i.e. (miraculously) freed from leprosy by washing in the Jordan
be clean ceremonially
be clean morally
Pi.
cleanse, purify
pronounce clean, ceremonially
perform the ceremony of cleansing
Pu. a land not cleansed
Hithp.
purify oneself
present oneself for purification
base
H2891 טָהֵר be clean, pure
2891 taher taw-hare'
a primitive root; properly, to be bright; i.e. (by
implication) to be pure (physical sound, clear, unadulterated;
Levitically, uncontaminated; morally, innocent or holy):--be
(make, make self, pronounce) clean, cleanse (self), purge,
purify(-ier, self).
טָהֵר (ta.her) — be pure.
1) to be clean, be pure
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to be clean (physically-of disease)
1a2) to be clean ceremonially
1a3) to purify, be clean morally, made clean
1b) (Piel)
1b1) to cleanse, purify
1b1a) physically
1b1b) ceremonially
1b1c) morally
1b2) to pronounce clean
1b3) to perform the ceremony of cleansing
1c) (Pual) to be cleansed, be pronounced clean
1d) (Hithpael)
1d1) to purify oneself
1d1a) ceremonially
1d1b) morally
1d2) to present oneself for purification
HVpv2ms/Sp1bs — Verb piel imperative second person masculine singular · suffixHVpv2ms/Sp1bs
