Psalm 19:12 kjv
Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults.
Psalm 19:12 nkjv
Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults.
Psalm 19:12 niv
But who can discern their own errors? Forgive my hidden faults.
Psalm 19:12 esv
Who can discern his errors? Declare me innocent from hidden faults.
Psalm 19:12 nlt
How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart?
Cleanse me from these hidden faults.
Psalm 19 12 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Lev 4:2 | "If anyone sins unintentionally against any of the LORD’s commandments... he shall bring a sin offering..." | Sin offerings for unintentional errors. |
| Num 15:27-28 | "If one person sins unintentionally, he shall offer a female goat a year old... the priest shall make atonement..." | Atonement for unintentional sin. |
| Heb 9:7 | "...the high priest alone goes, once a year, not without blood, which he offers for himself and for the unintentional sins..." | High Priest offers for people's unknown sins. |
| Ps 51:2 | "Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!" | Prayer for thorough cleansing from sin. |
| Ps 51:7 | "Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow." | Desire for divine purification. |
| Isa 1:16 | "Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes..." | Call to internal cleansing from sin. |
| Jer 17:9-10 | "The heart is deceitful above all things... I the LORD search the heart..." | God alone discerns the heart's hidden sin. |
| 1 Sam 16:7 | "...for the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart." | God perceives the true internal state. |
| Ps 139:23-24 | "Search me, O God, and know my heart!... See if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!" | Prayer for God to reveal hidden faults. |
| 1 Jn 1:7-9 | "...the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin... If we confess our sins, he is faithful... to cleanse us..." | Christ's blood cleanses all sin, even unknown. |
| 1 Cor 4:4 | "For I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me." | Conscience alone is insufficient judge. |
| Job 9:2 | "Indeed, I know that this is true: But how can a man be in the right before God?" | Recognition of human inability to be perfect. |
| Ecc 7:20 | "Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins." | Universality of sin. |
| Rom 3:23 | "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," | Universal need for righteousness/cleansing. |
| Rom 6:23 | "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." | Consequence of sin, need for salvation. |
| Tit 3:5 | "...he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration..." | Cleansing and salvation by grace, not works. |
| Ez 36:25 | "I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses..." | Prophetic promise of thorough spiritual cleansing. |
| Phil 3:12 | "Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own..." | Acknowledgment of ongoing need for purification. |
| Jas 3:2 | "For we all stumble in many ways..." | Human tendency to error. |
| Ps 19:13 | "Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me..." | Next verse's prayer against intentional sin. |
| Heb 4:12 | "For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit..." | God's Word reveals innermost thoughts/intentions. |
| Jn 16:8 | "And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment:" | Holy Spirit reveals sin and provides conviction. |
Psalm 19 verses
Psalm 19 12 Meaning
Psalm 19:12 is a humble and earnest prayer from the psalmist, acknowledging the profound depths of human sinfulness. It first expresses the difficulty, if not impossibility, for any human being to fully understand or identify their own errors, particularly those committed unintentionally. Following this realization, it becomes a heartfelt plea for divine cleansing and purification from these "hidden faults," sins that may be unknown even to the person themselves, underscoring a complete dependence on God for discernment and deliverance.
Psalm 19 12 Context
Psalm 19 begins by proclaiming God's glory through His general revelation in creation (vv. 1-6), likening the sun's journey to the dependable grandeur of the heavens. It then transitions to God's special revelation through His Law, or Torah (vv. 7-11), extolling its perfection, ability to revive the soul, make wise the simple, rejoice the heart, enlighten the eyes, and guide with truth and righteousness. The Law is presented as invaluable, "more to be desired than gold" and "sweeter also than honey." Verse 12 immediately follows this profound affirmation of the Law's divine purity and power. This juxtaposition reveals a key theological point: the very perfection and illuminating power of God's Law serve to expose the imperfection and deep-seated sinfulness of humanity, including errors unknown to oneself. Thus, the verse moves from celebrating God's glorious revelation to a humble recognition of personal deficiency and a desperate plea for divine purification.
Psalm 19 12 Word analysis
- Who can discern his errors?:
- "Who can discern" (mî yābîn): This is a rhetorical question, indicating the inherent limitation of human ability. "Yābîn" (from the root bîn) means to understand, perceive, consider, or discern with insight. The question highlights that complete self-knowledge, particularly concerning spiritual deficiencies, is beyond human capability, emphasizing the necessity of divine illumination for true self-awareness.
- "his errors" (šĕḡî’ôṯ ʾēlayw): This term refers to unintentional sins, mistakes, or slips (from šāḡâ, to go astray, err). These are transgressions committed due to ignorance, oversight, or lack of proper attention, rather than deliberate defiance. The accompanying "ʾēlayw" ("pertaining to him" or "from him") means pertaining to oneself, indicating that even a person's own mistakes are difficult to fully recognize without external aid.
- Cleanse me from hidden faults:
- "Cleanse me" (naqqênî): An urgent imperative verb (from nāqâ), meaning to purify, absolve, clear, or declare innocent. It signifies a fervent, personal prayer for purification, recognizing that self-cleansing is insufficient. This is an active appeal for God's direct intervention in removing guilt and stain.
- "from hidden faults" (min-nistarōṯ): Refers to sins that are concealed or secret. "Nistarōṯ" (from sātar, to hide, conceal) describes things kept hidden, not necessarily through deliberate intention to deceive others, but often by self-deception, spiritual blind spots, ignorance of the full extent of God's Law, or unconscious biases. These are deep-seated or unnoticed transgressions that only God's perfect knowledge can detect and purge.
- Word-Group Analysis:
- "Who can discern his errors? Cleanse me...": This transition from a question highlighting human limitation to a direct plea for divine intervention underscores the psalmist's humility and absolute dependence on God for spiritual purity and self-understanding. It bridges the intellectual recognition of inability with a fervent, personal request.
- "errors" and "hidden faults": These two phrases illustrate the layered nature of human sin. "Errors" might refer to known but unintended slips, while "hidden faults" delve deeper into the subconscious or entirely unknown areas of sinfulness, underscoring the comprehensive nature of sin's pervasiveness in human lives.
Psalm 19 12 Bonus section
The distinction between "errors" (šĕḡî’ôṯ) and "hidden faults" (min-nistarōṯ) in this verse is significant. "Errors" generally imply sins committed due to inadvertence, lack of diligence, or incomplete knowledge. "Hidden faults" suggests something more profound, perhaps sins stemming from deeper, unrecognized motivations, ingrained habits not perceived as sin, or spiritual blind spots that elude even the most rigorous self-examination. Only God's omniscience can penetrate these deepest recesses of the heart. This prayer thus signifies an understanding that true spiritual purity is far more extensive than merely abstaining from obvious, known transgressions. It also sets a theological groundwork for understanding that all sin, even unknowingly committed, still requires atonement and cleansing, perfectly accomplished through the shed blood of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
Psalm 19 12 Commentary
Psalm 19:12 profoundly highlights the illuminating nature of God's perfect Law. By its very standards, it exposes not only known transgressions but also those deep-seated, often unconscious "errors" and "hidden faults" that human self-awareness cannot fully grasp. The psalmist's prayer acknowledges an inability to fully audit one's own spiritual condition, recognizing that true purification and liberation from sin must come from God alone, who sees and understands the heart perfectly. This prayer cultivates spiritual humility, fostering complete reliance on God's omniscient discernment and merciful cleansing, rather than trusting in one's own perception of blamelessness. It anticipates the ultimate cleansing provided through the sacrifice of Christ, who atoned for all sins, both known and unknown.
- Example: Just as a pristine home might still harbor dust particles only made visible by a beam of strong sunlight, so a seemingly righteous heart may hold spiritual 'dust'—hidden sins—that only the piercing light of God's perfect Law and His Holy Spirit can reveal and cleanse.