Psalm 51:15 kjv
O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise.
Psalm 51:15 nkjv
O Lord, open my lips, And my mouth shall show forth Your praise.
Psalm 51:15 niv
Open my lips, Lord, and my mouth will declare your praise.
Psalm 51:15 esv
O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.
Psalm 51:15 nlt
Unseal my lips, O Lord,
that my mouth may praise you.
Psalm 51 15 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Psa 51:10-12 | Create in me a clean heart... restore... uphold... | Inner change precedes outer expression |
| Psa 40:3 | He put a new song in my mouth... | God enables new praise after deliverance |
| Isa 6:5-7 | Woe is me...unclean lips... then He touched my mouth... | God's purification for divine speech |
| Jer 1:9 | Then the LORD put out his hand and touched my mouth... | God empowers prophets to speak His words |
| Ezek 3:27 | But when I speak with you, I will open your mouth... | Divine enablement for God's message |
| Dan 10:16 | Then one like a son of man touched my lips... then I opened my mouth... | God empowers and restores ability to speak |
| Hos 14:2 | Take with you words and return to the LORD; say to him, “Take away all iniquity... so will we render the fruit of our lips." | Repentance leads to grateful speech |
| Matt 15:8 | This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. | Contrast: lip-service without heart is empty |
| Luke 1:64 | And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed... and he spoke, blessing God. | Zacharias's mouth opened to praise God |
| Luke 6:45 | The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. | Heart-mouth connection |
| Rom 10:9-10 | If you confess with your mouth... and believe in your heart... | Confession links mouth and heart |
| 1 Pet 2:9 | ...that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him... | Purpose of redeemed life is to declare God |
| Heb 13:15 | Through Him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips... | Sacrifice of praise as lip's fruit |
| Isa 43:21 | the people whom I formed for myself that they might declare my praise. | Humanity created to declare God's praise |
| Ps 34:1 | I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. | Commitment to perpetual praise |
| Ps 71:8 | My mouth is filled with your praise, and with your glory all the day. | Continuous overflow of God's praise |
| Ps 145:21 | My mouth will speak the praise of the LORD, and let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever. | Universal call to praise from personal declaration |
| Neh 9:5 | Stand up and bless the LORD your God from everlasting to everlasting. Blessed be your glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise. | Invitation to communal praise for God's name |
| Joel 2:26 | ...and you shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God, who has dealt wondrously with you. | Praise after restoration and provision |
| Eph 5:19-20 | ...addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always for everything to God the Father... | Praising and thanking God collectively |
Psalm 51 verses
Psalm 51 15 Meaning
Psalm 51:15 expresses a profound desire for God to remove any impediment to authentic worship and proclamation. Following deep confession and a plea for spiritual renewal, David prays for his ability to articulate God's praise. It signifies that true praise is not merely a human effort but a divinely enabled response to God's gracious cleansing and restoration. The "opening of lips" implies the breaking of the spiritual silence and inability to worship that sin causes, leading to a joyful, public declaration of God's character and mighty works.
Psalm 51 15 Context
Psalm 51 is a deeply penitential psalm of King David, composed after the prophet Nathan confronted him about his grievous sins involving Bathsheba and Uriah (as recorded in 2 Sam 11-12). The verses immediately preceding Psalm 51:15 express David's profound contrition, his confession of sin against God, and his desperate plea for purification and renewal (Psa 51:1-14). He recognizes that true cleansing is from God alone, not by outward ritual. Within this context of spiritual restoration, verse 15 serves as a turning point where David moves from pleading for an inner spiritual transformation to asking for the outward expression of that renewed heart – a heart that naturally overflows with praise to God. His silence due to guilt and shame must be broken by God Himself so that a Spirit-filled proclamation can flow forth.
Psalm 51 15 Word analysis
- O Lord (אֲדֹנָי - Adonai): This term emphasizes God's sovereign authority and David's humble submission. It's a prayer directed to the divine Master, recognizing that only He possesses the power to enable what is sought. The address implies a personal relationship and reliance on God's will.
- open (תִּפְתַּח - tiftach): From the root patah, meaning "to unclose," "to loose," "to enable." It implies divine action to remove a barrier, an inhibition, or a state of spiritual dormancy. David acknowledges he cannot simply force himself to praise rightly; God must initiate the "opening," suggesting freedom from the spiritual paralysis caused by sin.
- my lips (שְׂפָתַי - s'fatay): Refers to the physical lips, but metonymically stands for the entire capacity for speech and vocal expression. It highlights the organ of articulation for praise. Lips are key for public proclamation.
- and my mouth (וּפִי - u-fi): From peh, encompassing the mouth as the complete organ of utterance. This is not mere redundancy but an intensification and broader scope than "lips." It signifies the totality of David's verbal being given over to God's purpose, encompassing not just sound but meaning, substance, and power in speech.
- will declare (יַגִּיד - yaggid): From nagad, meaning "to proclaim," "to tell," "to make known," often implying public proclamation, testimony, or witness. It's not a whisper or a private thought but a confident and open announcement. It denotes an act of making known God's works or character.
- your praise (תְּהִלָּתֶךָ - t'hillatecha): From tehillah, signifying "praise," "laudation," often referring to a hymn or song of praise. It’s praise directed to God for who He is (His character) and what He has done (His works, His steadfast love, His righteousness, His forgiveness).
Words-group analysis:
- "O Lord, open my lips": This phrase is a humble and urgent petition for divine intervention. It conveys the idea that David’s spiritual lips are "sealed" by the burden of sin and shame. He is unable to truly express the worship due to God without God's enabling grace to break that spiritual silence. It is a plea for liberation from the spiritual paralysis that follows sin, anticipating the ability to worship God truly and freely.
- "and my mouth will declare your praise": This forms the consequential result and purpose of the preceding plea. It articulates David's renewed purpose in life: to make known God’s glory and worth. This declaration is a testimony to God's forgiveness and restorative power. The active voice "will declare" indicates not just a possibility, but a confident assurance that once God "opens," the praise will naturally and certainly flow forth. This implies that true worship is the inevitable outcome of God's redemptive work in a life.
Psalm 51 15 Bonus section
The inability to praise, for David, was a significant aspect of his brokenness after sin. In ancient Near Eastern thought, one who was disgraced or shamed often went into a period of mourning or silence. For a king, whose voice should be one of leadership and adoration, this silence was profound. This verse beautifully demonstrates the transition from the silent despair of unconfessed sin to the liberated declaration of God’s glory made possible by His mercy. The spiritual act of opening implies God not only pardoning but empowering, restoring the voice of His servant to its rightful purpose. This restoration of a "voice" of praise is fundamental to the life of a forgiven believer, demonstrating that sin silences, but grace empowers spiritual song.
Psalm 51 15 Commentary
Psalm 51:15 captures the profound truth that authentic praise to God is a divine gift, not merely a human endeavor. David, burdened by his profound sin, recognizes that his lips are, in essence, sealed by guilt and shame. His prior transgressions had disrupted his communion with God and silenced his spiritual capacity for worship. Therefore, he cannot simply will himself to offer sincere praise; he requires God's active intervention to "open his lips." This opening symbolizes the breaking of the spiritual barrier, the release from the spiritual deadness caused by sin. Once God, in His mercy and grace, restores and purifies the heart (as prayed for in earlier verses), then genuine praise naturally overflows. The mouth then becomes an instrument not of confession of sin, but of "declaring God's praise," a public proclamation of His forgiveness, faithfulness, and character. This verse reminds believers that true worship stems from a cleansed heart and is a direct consequence of God’s grace liberating them to speak freely and joyfully of Him. It also implies a responsibility: when God opens the way for worship, our lives should respond by proclaiming His excellence.