Psalm 51 5

Psalm 51:5 kjv

Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.

Psalm 51:5 nkjv

Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me.

Psalm 51:5 niv

Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.

Psalm 51:5 esv

Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.

Psalm 51:5 nlt

For I was born a sinner ?
yes, from the moment my mother conceived me.

Psalm 51 verses

Psalm 51 5 Meaning

Psalm 51:5 expresses King David's profound understanding of his inherent sinful nature, acknowledging that sin is not merely a matter of his actions but originates from his very being from the moment of conception and birth. He confesses that he was brought forth and conceived in a state of iniquity and sin, underscoring humanity's pervasive fallen condition and the deep-rooted source of all actual transgression.

Psalm 51 5 Context

Psalm 51 is King David's heartfelt prayer of repentance after being confronted by the prophet Nathan regarding his grievous sins of adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of Uriah (2 Sam 11-12). David, overcome with guilt and sorrow, confesses the enormity of his transgressions not merely as isolated acts but as flowing from a deeper, inherent spiritual brokenness.

Verse 5, specifically, serves as a profound confession that anchors his subsequent pleas for cleansing and renewal. David realizes that his specific sins against God and man are not aberrations in an otherwise pure nature but rather symptoms of a fundamental flaw ingrained from the very beginning of his existence. This statement elevates his confession beyond specific acts to a recognition of his pervasive sinful state. The historical context of David, Israel's beloved king and "a man after God's own heart," committing such horrific acts makes this confession all the more striking, highlighting that even the most favored human is subject to the fallen human condition. The original audience would have understood sin not just as legal transgression but as a state of impurity requiring ritual cleansing and a radical divine intervention for restoration, setting the stage for the New Covenant understanding of regeneration.

Psalm 51 5 Word analysis

• Behold (הֵן – hen): This particle serves as an emphatic interjection, calling attention to the profound and startling truth about to be revealed. It underscores the weight and significance of David's confession about his fundamental nature.
• I was brought forth (חוֹלַלְתִּי – chollaleti): This passive verb derives from a root meaning "to writhe in labor," or "to give birth." Its use in the passive implies that David was born into this condition; it was his initial state, not something he acquired later. It points to his existence from the very beginning of life outside the womb.
• in iniquity (בְעָוֹן – be'avon):
  • ’Avon (עָוֹן): Refers to moral evil, perversity, guilt, or twistedness. It emphasizes a distortion or deviation from God's righteous standard. It signifies a state of being morally crooked or burdened by guilt, rather than just an outward action. David asserts he was brought into existence within this very condition.
• and in sin (וּבְחֵטְא – uv'chet'):
  • Chet' (חֵטְא): A common Hebrew term for sin, literally meaning "to miss the mark," to fall short of a standard, or to go astray. Paired with ’avon, it comprehensively describes humanity's innate disposition to fail God's commands. It highlights an inherent defect in human nature that inevitably leads to wrongdoing.
• my mother conceived me (הֵחֱמַתְנִי אִמִּי – hechematsni immi):
  • Hechematsni: This verb typically means "to conceive" or "to make warm" or "to heat up," in this context, it is associated with the warmth of the womb and the earliest stages of gestation. It extends the origin of this sinful state back even before birth, to the very moment of conception.
  • Immi: "My mother," emphasizing his human origin and the universality of this inherited state. It signifies that this condition is passed down through human procreation, affecting all descendants of Adam.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity": This phrase asserts that from the very beginning of his life in the world, David was already within the realm and condition of ’avon. It suggests a fundamental moral impairment present at birth, making all subsequent actions inherently inclined toward sin. This is not about specific acts but about a predisposed nature.
• "and in sin my mother conceived me": This deepens the assertion, tracing the presence of sin even earlier than birth—to the very moment of conception. This points to the inherited, foundational defect of human nature that precedes any conscious act of sin. It highlights that sinfulness is intrinsic, a condition passed down through the natural process of human procreation, affecting the entire lineage of mankind since Adam. It underscores that humans are not only born into a sinful world but are born with a sinful nature.

Psalm 51 5 Bonus section

David's declaration in Psalm 51:5 is a confession of human depravity rather than an accusation against his mother. It is crucial to understand that David is not attributing sinfulness to the act of procreation or to his mother's personal sin during his conception. Instead, he is expressing his recognition of the pervasive fallenness of humanity—that every human being born into the world, descending from Adam, carries a sinful nature. This truth emphasizes that human beings are "by nature children of wrath" (Eph 2:3), highlighting an inherited spiritual condition rather than individual guilt at birth. It means that the tendency to rebel against God and deviate from His righteous path is an intrinsic part of our makeup, rendering us inherently unrighteous before a holy God. This foundational state necessitates divine intervention for redemption, emphasizing that salvation is entirely a work of God's grace, as no one can earn righteousness from such a polluted beginning. It underpins the biblical doctrine of Total Depravity, which asserts that every part of human being (mind, will, emotions) is affected by sin, even if humans can perform outwardly good acts.

Psalm 51 5 Commentary

Psalm 51:5 stands as a cornerstone verse articulating the concept of original or inherited sin within biblical theology. David, under the conviction of his specific transgressions, plumbs the depths of his being to confess that his sinful actions were not an anomaly but rather sprang from a deeply corrupted nature, present from his very earliest existence. He is not making an excuse for his actions, but offering a radical and thorough confession that traces his culpability back to his very origin. This profound admission indicates that sin is not merely a behavioral problem but an ontological one, affecting the very essence of human being from conception.

This verse reveals a crucial understanding: humanity is born with a propensity toward sin (iniquity or perversity) and a predisposition to miss God's standard (sin or missing the mark). This inherent condition, rooted in the Fall of Adam, means that every human being enters the world not as a blank slate, but with a fallen nature that inclines towards unrighteousness. Therefore, the remedy for sin cannot be merely outward moral correction but requires a complete, supernatural work of God, a radical regeneration and spiritual cleansing that purifies from the inside out (as David subsequently prays for in Psa 51:7, 10). It highlights the universal need for God's saving grace and the necessity of the "new birth" described in the New Testament (John 3:3-7).