Psalm 51:6 kjv
Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.
Psalm 51:6 nkjv
Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom.
Psalm 51:6 niv
Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb; you taught me wisdom in that secret place.
Psalm 51:6 esv
Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.
Psalm 51:6 nlt
But you desire honesty from the womb,
teaching me wisdom even there.
Psalm 51 6 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Sam 16:7 | ...the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. | God judges the heart, not just external looks. |
| Prov 4:23 | Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life. | Emphasizes the crucial importance of guarding inner purity. |
| Ps 24:3-4 | Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord?... He who has clean hands and a pure heart. | Internal purity as a prerequisite for God's presence. |
| Ps 26:2 | Examine me, O Lord, and prove me; try my mind and my heart. | A prayer for divine examination of one's inner being. |
| Jer 17:9-10 | The heart is deceitful above all things... I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind. | God's unique ability to know and judge the heart. |
| Matt 5:8 | Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God. | Linking internal sincerity and purity to seeing God. |
| Matt 15:18-19 | But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. | Highlighting the heart as the source of sin and defilement. |
| Rom 2:28-29 | ...circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit... whose praise is not from men but from God. | True spiritual reality is an internal work of the Spirit. |
| Jer 31:33 | I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts. | God's New Covenant promise of internalizing His law. |
| Heb 8:10 | For this is the covenant that I will make... I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts. | New Covenant confirms internal inscription of God's laws. |
| Prov 2:6 | For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding. | Acknowledges God as the ultimate source of all wisdom. |
| James 1:5 | If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God... and it will be given to him. | Encourages seeking and receiving wisdom from God. |
| Eph 1:17 | ...that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ... may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation... | A prayer for God to grant spiritual insight and wisdom. |
| Col 2:2-3 | ...in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. | Christ is the embodiment and source of all divine wisdom. |
| Rom 7:22 | For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. | A regenerate heart's desire to obey God's law from within. |
| Eph 3:16 | ...that He would grant you... to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man. | Divine power strengthening the deepest spiritual core of a person. |
| 1 Pet 3:4 | ...rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit... | Emphasizes inner, spiritual beauty over outward adornment. |
| Job 38:36 | Who has put wisdom in the inward parts? Or given understanding to the mind? | A rhetorical question acknowledging God as the giver of inner wisdom. |
| Ps 139:23-24 | Search me, O God, and know my heart... See if there is any wicked way in me... | David's humble plea for God to examine his innermost self. |
| Prov 20:27 | The spirit of a man is the lamp of the Lord, searching all the inner depths of the heart. | God's Spirit illuminating the deepest motivations of the heart. |
| Ps 51:16-17 | For You do not desire sacrifice... The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart. | Reinforces God's preference for inner humility over mere external rites. |
| Phil 2:13 | For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. | God's active internal work enabling spiritual obedience. |
Psalm 51 verses
Psalm 51 6 Meaning
This verse reveals God's profound desire for authenticity and integrity deep within the human heart, beyond mere external appearance or actions. It further asserts that God actively imparts spiritual wisdom to us, enlightening our innermost being concerning His truth and righteous ways.
Psalm 51 6 Context
Psalm 51 is a fervent prayer of repentance, famously attributed to King David following his egregious sins of adultery with Bathsheba and the calculated murder of her husband, Uriah, as narrated in 2 Samuel chapters 11-12. Confronted by the prophet Nathan, David's profound remorse is captured in this Psalm. The earlier verses express David's deep need for divine mercy and cleansing, alongside a full and open confession of his pervasive sinfulness. Verse 6 marks a pivotal point, as David transitions from focusing on the extent of his own transgression to acknowledging the very nature of God: God desires internal integrity. David realizes that his outward acts of sin sprang from an underlying internal corruption. Therefore, he understands that true righteousness must originate from within, and only God can implant such vital wisdom in the "hidden parts" of his heart, guiding him towards genuine, inner conformity to God's ways rather than just outward, superficial adherence to religious law.
Psalm 51 6 Word analysis
- Behold (הֵן, hen): An exclamatory particle that commands attention, highlighting the profound and essential truth that follows concerning God's nature and demands.
- You desire (חָפַצְתָּ, chafatzta): Indicates God's deep delight, pleasure, or strong affection for something. It signifies that God is not indifferent to the inner state but genuinely values and seeks internal truth.
- truth (אֱמֶת, emet): Encompasses more than factual correctness; it refers to integrity, faithfulness, reliability, and inner consistency with God's nature and reality. It speaks of genuine authenticity and an unadulterated spiritual state.
- in the inward parts (בַּטֻּחוֹת, batuḥot): Refers to the hidden, innermost depths of a person—often associated with the reins or loins. Biblically, these are understood as the seat of one's conscience, emotions, thoughts, and core character, distinct from outward behavior.
- And in the hidden part (וּבְסָתֻם, uvesatum): This phrase echoes and intensifies the idea of "inward parts," specifically emphasizing the concealed, private, and most intimate recesses of the heart and mind, which are accessible only to God.
- You will make me to know (תּוֹדִיעֵנִי, todi'eni): A Hiphil verb indicating causation, meaning God actively causes or enables understanding. It signifies a divine impartation of knowledge, implying that true spiritual insight is supernaturally given by God, not achieved through human effort alone.
- wisdom (חָכְמָה, chochmah): In the biblical sense, this term signifies more than intellectual intelligence. It denotes practical skill in godly living, ethical discernment, the ability to apply divine truth to one's life, and to live righteously in alignment with God's revealed will.
- You desire truth in the inward parts: This declaration underscores God's insistence on absolute authenticity and integrity at the very core of a person's being. It asserts that God looks beyond superficial religious practice or outward conformity, demanding a heart that is truly aligned with His truth. This highlights His perfect holiness and the standard by which He judges all.
- And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom: This reveals God's divine grace and transformative power. It acknowledges that human beings cannot achieve true internal wisdom on their own. Instead, God takes the initiative to illuminate the deepest, most concealed areas of the heart, imparting the spiritual insight and practical discernment necessary to live righteously and according to His divine design. It is a work of divine enlightenment.
Psalm 51 6 Bonus section
This verse articulates a core distinction often missed: the difference between external ritual and internal transformation. It rejects any notion that God is satisfied with mere outward religious performances without a corresponding internal truth and integrity. This deep insight aligns with the consistent message throughout Scripture that God looks at the heart (1 Sam 16:7), not merely the appearance. The "wisdom" God imparts is not a passive reception of facts, but an active, lived understanding that informs the very nature of one's inner being, leading to ethical purity and moral clarity where previously there was deceit or ignorance. This highlights God's sovereignty over the human spirit, demonstrating His capacity to reveal divine truth in the most hidden parts, ultimately bringing about genuine, lasting spiritual renewal.
Psalm 51 6 Commentary
Psalm 51:6 encapsulates a central truth about God's character and His requirements for humanity. David, having been confronted with the true depth of his sin, recognized that God's concern extended far beyond his outward actions. God does not merely seek behavioral compliance; He deeply desires "truth in the inward parts"—an authentic, uncorrupted sincerity and integrity rooted in the very core of a person. This truth is the foundation of genuine communion with God. David also understood that such internal purity and true wisdom cannot be self-generated. Therefore, the second part of the verse, "in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom," expresses a plea for, and trust in, God's active, divine intervention. It is God Himself who illumines the concealed depths of the heart, teaching practical, moral wisdom that leads to a life aligned with His righteousness. This verse thus stands as a profound testament to God's demand for internal transformation and His gracious provision to enable it.