Psalm 51:8 kjv
Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.
Psalm 51:8 nkjv
Make me hear joy and gladness, That the bones You have broken may rejoice.
Psalm 51:8 niv
Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
Psalm 51:8 esv
Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice.
Psalm 51:8 nlt
Oh, give me back my joy again;
you have broken me ?
now let me rejoice.
Psalm 51 8 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Psa 32:3-4 | When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning... | Unconfessed sin drains strength and causes spiritual/physical suffering. |
| Psa 30:5 | Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. | God replaces sorrow with joy after a period of lament. |
| Psa 43:4 | Then I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy... | Joy found in direct communion and worship with God. |
| Psa 16:11 | In Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. | God is the ultimate source of joy. |
| Prov 17:22 | A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. | The spiritual state impacts the physical; guilt brings decay. |
| Isa 51:11 | Therefore the redeemed of the Lord shall return and come with singing to Zion...joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. | God's redemption brings lasting joy and removal of distress. |
| Jer 31:13 | Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance... I will turn their mourning into joy. | God transforms sorrow and mourning into celebration and joy. |
| Hab 3:17-18 | Though the fig tree may not blossom... Yet I will rejoice in the Lord... | Finding joy in God regardless of outward circumstances. |
| Rom 15:13 | May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing... | The Holy Spirit is the source of joy for believers through faith. |
| Phil 4:4 | Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! | Believers are called to find joy continually in Christ. |
| 1 Pet 1:8-9 | Whom having not seen you love... you rejoice with inexpressible and glorious joy. | Spiritual joy comes from relationship with Christ, leading to salvation. |
| Gal 5:22 | But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering... | Joy is an intrinsic manifestation of God's Spirit at work in a life. |
| Job 5:18 | For He wounds, but He binds up; He shatters, but His hands heal. | God's sovereign power to both afflict and heal is emphasized. |
| Deut 32:39 | I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal. | God as the ultimate sovereign over life, death, pain, and healing. |
| Hos 6:1 | Come, let us return to the Lord; For He has torn us, but He will heal us. | A call to return to God, trusting in His healing after discipline. |
| Heb 12:6 | For whom the Lord loves He disciplines, and scourges every son whom He receives. | God's chastening is an act of love to refine and correct His children. |
| Lam 1:13 | From above He sent fire into my bones; it spread through them. | God's judgment affecting the very core of one's being. |
| Joel 2:23 | Be glad then, you children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God. | Encouragement to rejoice in God's goodness and restoration. |
| Matt 5:4 | Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. | Divine comfort follows a period of sincere sorrow for sin. |
| Luke 15:32 | It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again. | Illustration of the joy of spiritual restoration and return to life from spiritual death. |
| Rom 5:3 | Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance. | Rejoicing even amidst trials, as they can lead to spiritual growth. |
Psalm 51 verses
Psalm 51 8 Meaning
Psalm 51:8 expresses King David's profound desire for inner spiritual restoration after acknowledging his grievous sin. It is a cry for God to return to him the joy and delight that sin had extinguished, allowing the very core of his being, metaphorically his "broken bones," to find celebration and renewed life in God's presence. It reflects the deep physical and spiritual agony caused by his transgression and the conviction that only divine grace can heal and transform such pain into gladness.
Psalm 51 8 Context
Psalm 51 is David’s prayer of repentance after being confronted by the prophet Nathan concerning his adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of Uriah the Hittite, as recorded in 2 Samuel 11-12. Following his confession in previous verses, David, in Psalm 51:8, articulates the devastating personal cost of his sin, depicting his suffering as "broken bones"—a vivid metaphor for profound inner pain, anguish, and spiritual brokenness. He longs for the return of God’s favor, which brings authentic joy and a complete restoration of his being, indicating that genuine repentance seeks not merely forgiveness, but a full recovery of fellowship with God and the internal peace it bestows.
Psalm 51 8 Word analysis
- "Make me hear" (הַשְׁמִיעֵ֤נִי - hashmiʿeni): This is a Hiphil imperative form of the Hebrew verb שָׁמַע (shama'), meaning "to hear." The Hiphil stem makes it causative, thus "cause me to hear" or "let me hear." It emphasizes that the desired "joy and gladness" are not something David can generate himself; they must be a direct impartation or gift from God, restoring his inner receptivity and experience. This underscores God's active role in restoration.
- "joy" (שָׂשׂ֣וֹן - sasone): This word signifies an exultant, jubilant joy, often associated with great events like feasts, deliverances, and acts of worship. It speaks to a deep, overflowing delight.
- "and gladness" (וְשִׂמְחָ֔ה - veśimchah): Coupled with sasone, simchah indicates a more general sense of inner happiness, mirth, and delight. Together, these two words comprehensively describe the fullness of emotional and spiritual well-being David craves, signifying a complete reversal of his prior despair.
- "Let the bones" (עֲצָמֶ֣יךָ - 'atsamaycha): "My bones" in the sense of the very core or structure of his being. In ancient Hebrew thought, bones were not just physical structures but metaphors for the deepest essence of a person's life, strength, and health. The implication is that his deepest self was affected.
- "You have broken" (דִּכִּ֖יתָ - dikkiṯa): This is the Qal perfect of דָּכָא (daka'), meaning "to crush," "to break in pieces," or "to bruise." It's a powerful word conveying total crushing or destruction, not just a simple break. David acknowledges that his inner suffering is a direct consequence, or divine judgment, from God due to his sin, highlighting the severity of divine displeasure and the painful toll of sin.
- "rejoice" (תָגֵֽלְנָה - tagēlnāh): A Qal imperfect of גִּיל (gil), meaning "to rejoice," "to exult," or "to be joyful." The personification of "bones" rejoicing powerfully conveys the total, internal, and spiritual renewal that David desires—the complete transformation of his utter despair and brokenness into vibrant life and exuberant worship.
- "Make me hear joy and gladness": This phrase highlights David's dependency on God for emotional and spiritual renewal. His capacity for joy was dulled by guilt; he needs God to re-enable it. It implies a restoration not just to peace but to delight in God.
- "Let the bones You have broken rejoice": This is a powerful expression of profound suffering and hope. The "broken bones" symbolize David's deep, painful, spiritual, and possibly physical ailment caused by his unconfessed sin and God's disciplinary hand. The desire for these same "bones" to "rejoice" shows his longing for complete and holistic restoration, where the very sources of his former pain are now transformed into springs of new life and praise.
Psalm 51 8 Bonus section
The concept of "bones" as the core of one's being and health is pervasive in ancient Near Eastern thought and is seen throughout the Psalms and wisdom literature, emphasizing the holistic effect of spiritual realities on the physical person. David's experience in this verse underscores a theological truth: sin impacts not just the soul but the body and emotional well-being. Furthermore, this verse highlights the active role of God in both the judgment for sin and the subsequent restoration of joy. He "breaks" through conviction and consequences, and He "causes to hear joy," demonstrating His complete sovereignty over the human condition and the profound efficacy of His redemptive work in bringing new life out of brokenness. This psalm serves as a timeless pattern for genuine repentance and the expectation of divine solace.
Psalm 51 8 Commentary
Psalm 51:8 is a profound cry from the heart of a repentant sinner, deeply aware of the crushing impact of his transgression. David understands that the weight of unconfessed sin has broken his spirit, bringing a desolation so deep it feels like his very bones are fractured. This suffering is not just internal; David perceives it as God's disciplinary hand, directly linking his spiritual decay to divine displeasure. He acknowledges that only God, who wounded him by allowing sin's consequences to take their toll, can truly heal and restore. The desire for his "broken bones" to "rejoice" encapsulates a longing for holistic restoration—for the return of a spiritual vitality so profound that the very seat of his anguish would be filled with praise and exultation. It teaches that authentic repentance leads not to continued sorrow, but to a desperate plea for, and ultimately, a gracious impartation of, God-given joy. Practically, it underscores that enduring inner peace and true happiness following sin come from acknowledging God's justice, confessing entirely, and then waiting for His gracious restoration, rather than attempting to manufacture joy through self-effort.