Salmos 51

Bruce Hurt · Citado em PreceptAustin

Salmos 51

From Faithlife.com Psalm 51:1 Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; According to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions. BGT Psalm 50:1 εἰς τὸ τέλος ψαλμὸς τῷ Δαυιδ 2 ἐν τῷ ἐλθεῖν πρὸς αὐτὸν Ναθαν τὸν προφήτην ἡνίκα εἰσῆλθεν πρὸς Βηρσαβεε 3 ἐλέησόν με ὁ θεός κατὰ τὸ μέγα ἔλεός σου καὶ κατὰ τὸ πλῆθος τῶν οἰκτιρμῶν σου ἐξάλειψον τὸ ἀνόμημά μου LXE Psalm 51:1 <For the end, a Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came to him, when he had gone to Bersabee.> Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy great mercy; and according to the multitude of thy compassions blot out my transgression. KJV Psalm 51:1 <To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.> Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. NET Psalm 51:1 For the music director; a psalm of David, written when Nathan the prophet confronted him after David's affair with Bathsheba. Have mercy on me, O God, because of your loyal love! Because of your great compassion, wipe away my rebellious acts! CSB Psalm 51:1 For the choir director. A Davidic psalm, when Nathan the prophet came to him after he had gone to Bathsheba. Be gracious to me, God, according to Your faithful love; according to Your abundant compassion, blot out my rebellion. ESV Psalm 51:1 To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet went to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. NIV Psalm 51:1 For the director of music. A psalm of David. When the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba. Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. NLT Psalm 51:1 For the choir director: A psalm of David, regarding the time Nathan the prophet came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba. Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. NRS Psalm 51:1 <To the leader. A Psalm of David, when the prophet Nathan came to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.> Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. NJB Psalm 51:1 For the choirmaster Of David When the prophet Nathan had come to him because he had gone to Bathsheba Have mercy on me, O God, in your faithful love, in your great tenderness wipe away my offences; NAB Psalm 51:1 For the leader. A psalm of David, 2 when Nathan the prophet came to him after his affair with Bathsheba. 3 Have mercy on me, God, in your goodness; in your abundant compassion blot out my offense. YLT Psalm 51:1 To the Overseer. -- A Psalm of David, in the coming in unto him of Nathan the prophet, when he hath gone in unto Bath-Sheba. Favour me, O God, according to Thy kindness, According to the abundance of Thy mercies, Blot out my transgressions. GWN Psalm 51:1 For the choir director; a psalm by David when the prophet Nathan came to him after David's adultery with Bathsheba. Have pity on me, O God, in keeping with your mercy. In keeping with your unlimited compassion, wipe out my rebellious acts. BBE Psalm 51:1 To the chief music-maker. A Psalm. Of David. When Nathan the prophet came to him, after he had gone in to Bath-sheba. Have pity on me, O God, in your mercy; out of a full heart, take away my sin. after he had gone in to Bathsheba: 2Sa 11:1-27 - commentary O God: Ps 25:6,7 109:21 119:124 Ex 34:6,7 Nu 14:18,19 Da 9:9,18 Mic 7:18 7:19 Ro 5:20,21 Eph 1:6-8 2:4-7 greatness of Your compassion: Ps 5:7 69:13,16 106:7,45 Isa 63:7,15 *marg: La 3:32 compassion: Ps 40:11 77:9 145:9 blot: Ps 51:9 Ne 4:5 Isa 43:25 Isa 44:22 Jer 18:23 Ac 3:19 Col 2:14 Related Passages: Psalms 51:9 Hide Your face from my sins And blot out all my iniquities. Isaiah 43:25 “I, even I, am the one who wipes out your transgressions for My own sake, And I will not remember your sins. Isaiah 44:22 “I have wiped out your transgressions like a thick cloud And your sins like a heavy mist. Return to Me, for I have redeemed you.” Acts 3:19+ “Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; Colossians 2:14+ having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Hebrews 9:14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? FROM THE SIN OF 2 SAMUEL 11-12 TO THE REPENTANCE OF PSALM 51 We could subtitle Psalm 51, "From gutter to glory!" It is the summation of the great reversal from guilt of sin to freedom of repentance. Several well-known individuals turned to Psalm 51 at the time of their death. Both Sir Thomas More and Lady Jane Grey recited this psalm when they were on the scaffold as martyrs during the reigns of Henry VIII and Queen Mary. Henry V requested it be read to him on his deathbed. William Carey requested it be the text of the sermon at his funeral. Psalm 51 is one of the so-called “penitential” psalms - Psalm 6, 32, 38, 51, 102, 130, 143. G. Campbell

Salmos 51:1-9

CLICK HERE FOR UPDATED AND REVISED COMMENTARY ON PSALM 51 Psalm 51:1 For the choir director. A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; According to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity And cleanse me from my sin. 3 For I know my transgressions, And my sin is ever before me. 4 Against You, You only, I have sinned And done what is evil in Your sight, So that You are justified when You speak And blameless when You judge. 5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me. 6 Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being, And in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom. 7 Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 8 Make me to hear joy and gladness, Let the bones which You have broken rejoice. 9 Hide Your face from my sins And blot out all my iniquities. (NASB: Lockman) **Verbs in red are imperatives Do not give fair names to foul sins. Call them what you will. They will smell no sweeter. What God sees them to be, that do you labour to feel them to be; and with all openness of heart acknowledge their real character. Observe, that David was evidently oppressed with the heinousness of his sin. It is easy to use words, but it is difficult to feel their meaning. The fifty-first Psalm is the photograph of a contrite spirit. Let us seek after the like brokenness of heart; for however excellent our words may be, if our heart is not conscious of the hell-deservingness of sin, we cannot expect to find forgiveness. The title - For the choir director. A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba - To fully grasp the gravity of David's penitential spirit in Psalm 51 the reader is advised to study his sin and cover-up in 2Samuel 11:1-27 and his reproof by Nathan, his contrition, his confession and his repentance in 2Samuel 12:1-18. As Derek Kidner remarks "The power of God’s word is nowhere more strikingly evident than in this transformation." (Ed: From the Sin of 2Samuel to the repentance of Psalm 51) (Psalms 1-72 Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries or Logos) In other words, the Word of God David had despised (2Sa 12:9, 10) was the Word that brought reproof through Nathan the prophet (2Sa 12:7), which in turn bore the fruit of repentance (2Sa 12:13). A C Gaebelein quotes the following excellent summary comment on Psalm 51 from an anonymous source Well has it been said, “So profound a conviction of sin, so deep and unfeigned a penitence, so true a confession, a heart so tender, so contrite, a desire so fervent for renewal, a trust so humble, so filial in the forgiving love of God, are such as we might surely expect from ‘the man after God’s own heart.” (Psalm 51 Commentary - Brief Notes) William Barrick writes that several well-known individuals turned to Psalm 51 at the time of their death. ♦ Both Sir Thomas More and Lady Jane Grey recited this psalm when they were on the scaffold as martyrs during the reigns of Henry VIII and Queen Mary. ♦ Henry V requested it be read to him on his deathbed. ♦ William Carey requested it be the text of the sermon at his funeral. Dr. Barrick's Outline of Psalm 51 I. Confession (Ps 51:1-9) A. I Have Sinned (Ps 51:1-4) B. I Am a Sinner (Ps 51:5-9) II. Restoration (Ps 51:10-13) III. Praise (Ps 51:14-17) IV. Intercession (Ps 51:18-19) (Ps 51 Notes) Here is John MacArthur's outline… I. Plea for Forgiveness (Ps 51:1, 2) II. Proffer of Confession (Ps 51:3-6) III. Prayer for Moral Cleanness (Ps 51:7-12) IV. Promise of Renewed Service (Ps 51:13-17) V. Petition for National Restoration (Ps 51:18, 19) (MacArthur, J.: The MacArthur Study Bible Nashville: Word or Logos) Alexander divides this psalm as follows… Ps 51:1-4 Prays for pardon and cleansing, confessing the greatness of his sins Ps 51:5-8 In utter self-abasement he contrasts the corruption of his nature with the sincerity which God desires, and expresses his confident assurance that God can and will cleanse and gladden him. Ps 51:9-12 Repeating his petition for pardon, he supplicates for inward renewal for the continuance of God's favor and support. Ps 51:13-17 He resolves to employ his regained freedom in grateful service, and to express his thanksgiving by that sacrifice of the heart which God most desires. (The Book of Psalms) Psalm (04210) (mizmor from zamar = touch the strings or parts of a musical instrument, play upon it, make music, accompanied by voice, celebrate in song and music). This psalm is the classic OT passage on confession, repentance and forgiveness of sin and ranks at the head of the list of the seven great "penitential psalms" - Ps 6:1-10; Ps 32:1-11; Ps 38:1-22; Ps 102:1-28; Ps 130:1-8; Ps 143:1-12. When Nathan the prophet came to him - See 2Samuel 12:1-14 for Nathan's famous confrontation to David that "You are the man!" (2Sa 12:7) In a sense Psalm 51 is an answer to the promise to prayer in the previous psalm… And call upon Me in the day of trouble; I shall rescue you, and you will honor Me. (Ps 50:15) Comment: Indeed David has trouble of the worst kind - soul trouble! Jameison has a helpful note that… The Psalm illustrates true repentance, in which are comprised conviction, confession, sorrow, prayer for mercy, and purposes of amendment, and it is accompanied by a lively faith. Of David - 18 psalms bear David's name and 8 have titles connected with historical incidents in his life. After he had gone in to Bathsheba - This tragic transgression set in motion a chain of evil events that reverberated throughout David's family for the rest of his life! One night of indiscretion led to a lifetime of painful heartache! Oh beloved, how we need to "think before we leap" in to sin! Sin promises pleasure but obscures the pain and thus deceives the sinner (who is not an innocent victim!). Charles Horne introduces his comments on Psalm 51… In this Psalm, composed upon a sad occasion, but too well known, we have a perfect model of penitential devotion. The royal suppliant, robed in sackloth and crowned with ashes, entreats for mercy, I, 2. from a consideration of his own misery, and of the divine goodness; 3 from that of his confession; 4. of God's sole right to judge him; 5. laments the corruption of bis nature; but, 6. without pleading it as an excuse; 7. prays for gospel remission, in legal terms; 8. for spiritual joy and comfort: 9, 10. for pardoning and cleansing grace; 11, 12. for strength and perseverance, that he may, 13. instruct and convert others; 14,15. deprecates the vengeance due to blood; 16,17. beseeches God to accept an evangelical sacrifice, and, 18, 19. concludes with a prayer for the church. The penitent's first ground for hope of pardon is his own misery, and the divine mercy which rejoices to relieve that misery. The riches, the power, and the glory of a kingdom can neither prevent nor remove the torment of sin, which puts the monarch and the beggar upon a level. Every transgression leaves behind it a guilt, and a stain; the account between God and the sinner is crossed by the blood of the great propitiatory sacrifice, which removes the former; and the soul is cleansed by the Holy Spirit, which takes out the latter. (Psalm 51 Commentary) James Montgomery Boice wisely reminds us… Let us remember that everything we do affects other people, whether for good or evil. It is not true that we can sin “as long as it does not hurt anyone,” because sin always hurts someone. But it is also true that those who confess their sin find forgiveness and renewal, teach others the ways of God, and become a blessing. (I agree with Boice's comment) A person who does not have much experience studying the Bible is likely to think that a well-known passage must be easy to elaborate. “It must be easy to teach John 3:16, the twenty-third Psalm, or the Christmas story,” he might say. Actually, the opposite is the case. The well-known passages are the hardest, and some seem almost impossible to expound. This is true of Psalm 51. “This is the fourth, and surely the greatest, of the ‘penitential’ psalms,” says Derek Kidner. Yet who can properly expound it? Charles Haddon Spurgeon was the prince of expositors. He could get more out of a passage than anyone I have ever heard or read. But in the preface to the second part of his first large volume on the psalms, Spurgeon tells how he postponed working on Psalm 51 week after week and often sat down to it and got up again without having written a line. He concluded, It is a bush burning with fire yet not consumed, and out of it a voice seemed to cry to me, “Draw not nigh hither, put off thy shoes from off thy feet.” The psalm is very human, its cries and sobs are of one born of woman; but it is freighted with an inspiration all divine, as if the Great Father were putting words into his child’s mouth. Such a psalm may be wept over, absorbed into the soul, and exhaled again in devotion; but, commented on—ah! where is he who having attempted it can do other than blush at his defeat? (James Montgomery Boice, Psalms, 3 vols. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Books, 1996, 2:436) Ray Pritchard… (How Much Sin Will God Forgive) There are three parts to this great prayer. First, David confesses his sin (Ps 51:1-6). Then he prays for cleansing (Ps 51:7-12). Then he offers a prayer of consecration (Ps 51:13-19). Confession. Cleansing. Consecration. "God doesn’t forgive weakness; He only forgives sin. Warren

Salmos 51:10-19

CLICK HERE FOR UPDATED AND REVISED COMMENTARY ON PSALM 51 Ps 51:10 Create** in me a clean heart, O God, and renew** a steadfast spirit within me. 11 Do not cast me away from Your presence and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore** to me the joy of Your salvation and sustain me with a willing spirit. 13 Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners will be converted to You. 14 Deliver** me from bloodguiltiness, O God, the God of my salvation; Then my tongue will joyfully sing of Your righteousness. 15 O Lord, open my lips, That my mouth may declare Your praise. 16 For You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it; You are not pleased with burnt offering. 17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise. 18 By Your favor do good** to Zion; Build the walls of Jerusalem. 19 Then You will delight in righteous sacrifices, In burnt offering and whole burnt offering; Then young bulls will be offered on Your altar. (NASB: Lockman) Verbs in red are imperatives Words in blue link to short Strong's definition Psalm 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me: Create: 2Co 5:17 Eph 2:10 clean: Ps 73:1 Pr 20:9 Jer 13:27 32:39 Eze 11:19 18:31 36:25-27,37 Mt 5:8 Ac 15:9 1Pe 1:22 renew: Ro 12:2 Eph 4:22-24 Col 3:10 TitUS 3:5 right: or, constant, Ps 78:8,37 Jos 14:14 1Ki 15:3-5 Ac 11:23 1Co 15:58 Jas 1:8) ELOHIM, CREATOR FIXER OF HEARTS BROKEN BY SIN Create in me a clean heart is a prayer we all would do well to pray daily and even many times during the day for a clean heart is a non-negotiable condition for communion with God. When David prayed for a clean heart, God answered affirmatively. How do we know? Because the lasting legacy of David is not a man with an unclean heart, but "a man after God's own heart." (Acts 13:22). It is fitting that this verse is the "center" of Psalm 51 for it serves to emphasize the centrality of the state of our heart in all our interactions with God. Create (imperative mood) (01254) (bara') has the basic meaning "to create", to bring into existence (first use Ge 1:1) and God is the subject of the majority of the OT uses of bara' (exceptions - Josh 17:15, 18 = "clear away")! Only God can "create" out of nothing (See Genesis passages below - also Dt 4:32, Ps 89:12, 89:47, Isa 40:26, 43:1 Ezek 21:30; 28:13, 15)! In the context of cutting covenant with Israel, God says He will "perform miracles which have not been produced in all the earth." (Ex 34:10). Bara describes the "entirely new thing" God brought about by opening the earth to swallow Korah and his family into Sheol (Nu 16:30). Ps 102:18 describes a "people yet to be created" who will praise the LORD, which anticipates the divine intervention in the future on behalf of Zion (cf Ps 102:13, 16-17, cf Isa 4:5). Ps 104:30 speaks of God creating life in nature by giving breath. See Allan Ross' detailed analysis of bara at bottom of page. It should be noted that bara' does not always describe creation out of nothing (Josh 15:17, 17:18 = "cut"), but can also stress forming anew, reforming, renewing (Ps 51:10 Isa 43:15, 65:17). In most of the uses the verb bara' describes the divine activity of fashioning something new, fresh, and perfect. In Ge 2:3 the use of "created and made" suggests that bara' conveys more than just making something. The Septuagint (Lxx) translates bara' in Ps 51;10 with the Greek verb ktizo and in fact uses this same verb to translate bara' in all of the Psalms (Ps 89:12, 47, Ps 102:18, Ps 104:30, Ps 148:5e). Ktizo which means to bring something into existence or call it into being something that has not existed before. In the NT ktizo is used only of God's creativity (man = Mt 19:4, 1Co 11:19, Dt 32:6, creation = Mk 13:19, Col 1:16, Re 4:11, Ex 9:18, Dt 4:32, Creator = Ro 1:25, "re-creation" of men, of his dead spirit = regeneration = Eph 4:24, of the church = Eph 2:15). Ktizo is used in Ephesians 2:10-note "For we are His workmanship, created (ktizo) in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." All of the uses of bara' in Genesis, the book of beginnings are translated in the Septuagint (Lxx) with the verb poieo (see Vine's discussion) which basically means to make and is used by Jesus to describe God's creative activity (Mt 19:4 quoting Ge 5:2) (Gen 1:1) In the beginning God created (Lxx = poieo) the heavens and the earth. (Gen 1:21) God created (Lxx = poieo) the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarmed after their kind, and every winged bird after its kind; and God saw that it was good. (Gen 1:27) God created (Lxx = poieo) man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. (Gen 2:3) Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created (Lxx = poieo) and made (Note: Lxx translated "created and made" with a single verb poieo). (Gen 5:1) This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day when God created man, He made him in the likeness of God. (Gen 5:2) He created (Lxx = poieo) them male and female, and He blessed them and named them Man in the day when they were created. (Gen 6:7) The LORD said, “I will blot out man whom I have created (Lxx = poieo) from the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky; for I am sorry that I have made them.” In Ps 51:10, clearly David is asking for God to perform a miracle, a supernatural work in his heart, something only God can accomplish. The whole of David's spiritual being had, as it were, fallen into "moral chaos", and he was in dire need of a pure heart, a child-like assurance that he could approach His Father, a confidence that could only be brought about by a supernatural work of God. Only God can "fix" a heart that has been broken by the destructive effects of sin! Creation is an action that only God can take and so David appeals to God to “Create a pure heart out of nothing.” He is not asking God to reform him, for there is nothing in him out of which a genuinely pure heart could be formed! He was born in sin and his sin was ever before him. We are all sinners like David and thus this prayer is a plea for what we all need. Bara - 45v - brings about(1), clear(2), create(6), created(32), creates(1), creating(3), Creator(4), cut them down(1), make(2), produced(1). Ge 1:1, 21, 27; 2:3f; 5:1, 2; 6:7; Ex 34:10; Nu 16:30; Dt 4:32; Josh 17:15, 18; Ps 51:10; 89:12, 47; 102:18; 104:30; 148:5; Eccl 12:1 (Lxx = ktizo); Isa 4:5; 40:26, 28; 41:20; 42:5; 43:1, 7, 15; 45:7, 8, 12, 18; 48:7; 54:16; 57:19; 65:17, 8; Jer 31:22; Ezek 21:19, 30; 23:47; 28:13, 15; Amos 4:13; Mal 2:10 In Isaiah 57 God uses the verb bara' declaring… For thus says the high and exalted One Who lives forever, whose name is Holy, "I dwell on a high and holy place, And also with the contrite and lowly of spirit In order to revive the spirit of the lowly And to revive the heart of the contrite. For I will not contend forever, Neither will I always be angry; For the spirit would grow faint before Me, And the breath of those whom I have made. Because of the iniquity of his unjust gain I was angry and struck him; I hid My face and was angry, And he went on turning away, in the way of his heart. I have seen his ways, but I will heal him; I will lead him and restore comfort to him and to his mourners, Creating (bara') the praise of the lips. Peace, peace to him who is far and to him who is near," Says the LORD, "and I will heal him." But the wicked are like the tossing sea, For it cannot be quiet, And its waters toss up refuse and mud. There is no peace," says my God, "for the wicked." (Isa 57:15 16 17 18 19 20 21) Comment: In the context, Jehovah's creation of praise is coming from a revived heart, a contrite heart like David displayed in psalm 51. Such a heart provides the fertile soil in which Elohim does His supernatural creative work of revival and restoration. Psalm 102 (also one of the traditional penitential psalms [Ps 6,32,38,51,102,130,143]) uses bara' to describe one of the purposes of God's creation (to praise the LORD which would explain David's desire for a new heart). This will be written for the generation to come; That a people yet to be created may praise the LORD. (Ps 102:18) W E Vine - bara (בָּרָא, 01254), “to create, make.” This verb is of profound theological significance, since it has only God as its subject (Ed: Actually not the case - bara' used in Josh 17:15, 18). Only God can “create” in the sense implied by bara. The verb expresses creation out of nothing, an idea seen clearly in passages having to do with creation on a cosmic scale: “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth” (Ge. 1:1; cf. Gen. 2:3; Isa. 40:26; 42:5). All other verbs for “creating” allow a much broader range of meaning; they have both divine and human subjects, and are used in contexts where bringing something or someone into existence is not the issue. Bara is frequently found in parallel to these other verbs, such as asah, “to make” (Isa. 41:20; 43:7; 45:7, 12; Amos 4:13), yatsar, “to form” (Isa. 43:1, 7; 45:7; Amos 4:13), and kun, “to establish.” A verse that illustrates all of these words together is Isa. 45:18: “For thus saith the Lord that created [bara˒] the heavens; God himself that formed [yatsar] the earth and made [asah] it; he hath established [kun] it, he created [bara] it not in vain, he formed [yatar] it to be inhabited: I am the Lord; and there is none else.” The technical meaning of bara (to “create out of nothing”) may not hold in these passages; perhaps the verb was popularized in these instances for the sake of providing a poetic synonym. Objects of the verb include the heavens and earth (Gen. 1:1; Isa. 40:26; 42:5; 45:18; 65:17), man (Gen. 1:27; 5:2; 6:7; Dt. 4:32; Ps. 89:47; Isa. 43:7; 45:12); Israel (Isa. 43:1; Mal. 2:10); a new thing (Jer. 31:22); cloud and smoke (Isa. 4:5); north and south (Ps. 89:12); salvation and righteousness (Isa. 45:8); speech (Isa. 57:19); darkness (Isa. 45:7); wind (Amos 4:13); and a new heart (Ps. 51:10). A careful study of the passages where bara occurs shows that in the few non-poetic uses (primarily in Genesis), the writer uses scientifically precise language to demonstrate that God brought the object or concept into being from previously nonexistent material. Especially striking is the use of bara in Isaiah 40-65. Out of 49 occurrences of the verb in the OT, 20 are in these chapters. Because Isaiah writes prophetically to the Jews in Exile, he speaks words of comfort based upon God’s past benefits and blessings to His people. Isaiah especially wants to show that, since Yahweh is the Creator, He is able to deliver His people from captivity. The God of Israel has created all things: “I have made [asah] the earth, and created [bara] man upon it: I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded” (Isa. 45:12). The gods of Babylon are impotent nonentities (Isa. 44:12-20; 46:1-7), and so Israel can expect God to triumph by effecting a new creation (Isa 43:16-21; 65:17-25). Though a precisely correct technical term to suggest cosmic, material creation from nothing, bara is a rich theological vehicle for communicating the sovereign power of God, Who originates and regulates all things to His glory. (Vine's Expository Dictionary of Old Testament and New Testament Words) Some commentaries seem to suggest that David was asking God to give him his initial salvation experience but I agree with Derek Kidner who observes that "David’s early history and the language of Ps 51:11, 12 show that this is not an unregenerate man’s request, but a prayer for holiness (cf. Ps 51:11b)." Boice goes on to explain that "It is an important part of dealing with sin that we confess it and experience the cleansing of God on the basis of Christ’s atoning sacrifice. But in addition to this we need to be remade if we are to keep from sin and live to God. A great problem with many Christians is that they seem to be satisfied continuing to live as they always have, even at times much as they lived before they became believers. What we need is the creation of a new heart and its constant renewal." (Genesis: An Expositional Commentary) J