Psalm 51:7
New International Version
Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

New Living Translation
Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

English Standard Version
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Berean Standard Bible
Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

King James Bible
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

New King James Version
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

New American Standard Bible
Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean; Cleanse me, and I will be whiter than snow.

NASB 1995
Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

NASB 1977
Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Legacy Standard Bible
Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Amplified Bible
Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean; Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

Christian Standard Bible
Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

American Standard Version
Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Contemporary English Version
Wash me with hyssop until I am clean and whiter than snow.

English Revised Version
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Purify me from sin with hyssop, and I will be clean. Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

Good News Translation
Remove my sin, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

International Standard Version
Purge me with hyssop, and I will be clean. Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

Majority Standard Bible
Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

NET Bible
Sprinkle me with water and I will be pure; wash me and I will be whiter than snow.

New Heart English Bible
Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean. Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

Webster's Bible Translation
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

World English Bible
Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean. Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
You cleanse me with hyssop and I am clean, "" Wash me, and I am whiter than snow.

Young's Literal Translation
Thou cleansest me with hyssop and I am clean, Washest me, and than snow I am whiter.

Smith's Literal Translation
Thou wilt purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: thou wilt wash me and I shall be white above snow.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Thou shalt sprinkle me with hyssop, and I shall be cleansed: thou shalt wash me, and I shall be made whiter than snow.

Catholic Public Domain Version
You will sprinkle me with hyssop, and I will be cleansed. You will wash me, and I will be made whiter than snow.

New American Bible
Cleanse me with hyssop, that I may be pure; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

New Revised Standard Version
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Sprinkle me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Sprinkle me with hyssop and I am pure; wash me in it and I shall be whiter than snow.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Thou shalt sprinkle me with hyssop, and I shall be purified: thou shalt wash me, and I shall be made whiter than snow.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Create in Me a Clean Heart, O God
6Surely You desire truth in the inmost being; You teach me wisdom in the inmost place. 7Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. 8Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones You have crushed rejoice.…

Cross References
Isaiah 1:18
“Come now, let us reason together,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are as red as crimson, they will become like wool.

1 John 1:7
But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.

Hebrews 9:14
how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished to God, purify our consciences from works of death, so that we may serve the living God!

Revelation 7:14
“Sir,” I answered, “you know.” So he replied, “These are the ones who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

Numbers 19:18-19
Then a man who is ceremonially clean is to take some hyssop, dip it in the water, and sprinkle the tent, all the furnishings, and the people who were there. He is also to sprinkle the one who touched a bone, a grave, or a person who has died or been slain. / The man who is ceremonially clean is to sprinkle the unclean person on the third day and on the seventh day. After he purifies the unclean person on the seventh day, the one being cleansed must wash his clothes and bathe in water, and that evening he will be clean.

Titus 3:5
He saved us, not by the righteous deeds we had done, but according to His mercy, through the washing of new birth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 6:11
And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

Ezekiel 36:25
I will also sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. I will cleanse you from all your impurities and all your idols.

Jeremiah 33:8
And I will cleanse them from all the iniquity they have committed against Me, and will forgive all their sins of rebellion against Me.

Malachi 3:2-3
But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He will be like a refiner’s fire, like a launderer’s soap. / And He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver. Then they will present offerings to the LORD in righteousness.

Ephesians 5:26
to sanctify her, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word,

John 15:3
You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.

Leviticus 14:4-7
the priest shall order that two live clean birds, cedar wood, scarlet yarn, and hyssop be brought for the one to be cleansed. / Then the priest shall command that one of the birds be slaughtered over fresh water in a clay pot. / And he is to take the live bird together with the cedar wood, scarlet yarn, and hyssop, and dip them into the blood of the bird that was slaughtered over the fresh water. ...

Zechariah 13:1
“On that day a fountain will be opened to the house of David and the people of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity.

Acts 22:16
And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized, and wash your sins away, calling on His name.’


Treasury of Scripture

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Purge

Leviticus 14:4-7,49-52
Then shall the priest command to take for him that is to be cleansed two birds alive and clean, and cedar wood, and scarlet, and hyssop: …

Numbers 19:18-20
And a clean person shall take hyssop, and dip it in the water, and sprinkle it upon the tent, and upon all the vessels, and upon the persons that were there, and upon him that touched a bone, or one slain, or one dead, or a grave: …

Hebrews 9:19
For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book, and all the people,

and

Hebrews 9:13,14
For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: …

1 John 1:7
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

Revelation 1:5
And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,

whiter

Isaiah 1:18
Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

Ephesians 5:26,27
That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, …

Revelation 7:13,14
And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? …

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Clean Cleanse Free Hyssop Purge Purify Sin Snow Wash Washed Washest Whiter
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Clean Cleanse Free Hyssop Purge Purify Sin Snow Wash Washed Washest Whiter
Psalm 51
1. David prays for remission of sins, whereof he makes a deep confession
6. He prays for sanctification
16. God delights not in sacrifice, but in sincerity
18. He prays for the church














Purify me with hyssop
In ancient Israel, hyssop was a plant used in ceremonial cleansing, particularly in the purification rites described in Leviticus 14:4-7 and Numbers 19:18. It was employed to sprinkle blood or water, symbolizing spiritual cleansing and purification from sin. The use of hyssop in this verse connects to the Passover in Exodus 12:22, where it was used to apply the blood of the lamb to the doorposts, signifying protection and deliverance. This imagery foreshadows the sacrificial work of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, whose blood purifies believers from sin (John 1:29, Hebrews 9:14).

and I will be clean
The plea for cleansing reflects a deep awareness of sin and the need for divine forgiveness. In the Old Testament, cleanliness was not only a physical state but also a spiritual condition necessary for worship and fellowship with God (Psalm 24:3-4). This phrase underscores the belief that only God can truly cleanse and forgive sin, a theme echoed in 1 John 1:9, where confession leads to purification through Christ's atoning sacrifice.

wash me
The metaphor of washing signifies a thorough cleansing from sin, akin to the ritual washings required for priests and worshippers in the temple (Exodus 30:18-21). This imagery is further developed in the New Testament, where baptism symbolizes the washing away of sins and the believer's new life in Christ (Acts 22:16, Titus 3:5). The request for washing highlights the psalmist's desire for renewal and transformation.

and I will be whiter than snow
Snow, in its purest form, represents absolute purity and innocence. This comparison emphasizes the complete and transformative nature of God's forgiveness. Isaiah 1:18 uses similar imagery to convey the promise of redemption: "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow." This transformation is ultimately fulfilled in Christ, who presents believers as spotless before God (Ephesians 5:25-27, Revelation 7:14).

Persons / Places / Events
1. David
The author of Psalm 51, King David wrote this psalm as a prayer of repentance after the prophet Nathan confronted him about his sin with Bathsheba.

2. Nathan the Prophet
The prophet who confronted David about his sin, leading to David's repentance and the writing of this psalm.

3. Bathsheba
The woman with whom David committed adultery, which is the sin that prompted the writing of this psalm.

4. Hyssop
A plant used in ancient Israelite rituals for purification, symbolizing cleansing and purification from sin.

5. Jerusalem
The city where David reigned as king and where the events leading to this psalm took place.
Teaching Points
The Need for Purification
Recognize that sin creates a barrier between us and God, and we need His cleansing to restore our relationship with Him.

Symbolism of Hyssop
Understand the significance of hyssop as a symbol of purification and how it points to the ultimate cleansing through Jesus Christ.

God's Promise of Forgiveness
Trust in God's promise to cleanse us from sin when we come to Him with a repentant heart.

The Depth of God's Mercy
Reflect on the depth of God's mercy and grace, which can make us "whiter than snow" despite our sins.

Living a Life of Repentance
Embrace a lifestyle of continual repentance and reliance on God's grace for daily cleansing and renewal.(7) Hyssop.--The mention of this connects this verse with the priestly ordinances concerning leprosy and contact with a dead body (Leviticus 14; Numbers 19); but generally it is a repetition of the former prayer to have the breach made in the covenant - relationship healed. (Comp. Isaiah 1:18.)

Verse 7. - Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean. "Hyssop" alone could by the Levitical Law cleanse from contact with a corpse (Numbers 19:18) or from the defilement of leprosy (Leviticus 14:4). David recognizes that his impurity is of the extremest kind, and needs the remedy which has the greatest purifying power. Legally, this was the hyssop, with its "blood of sprinkling" (Leviticus 14:6, 7); spiritually, it was the blood of Christ, which was thus symbolized. Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Again the word is used which corresponds to the Greek πλῦνον. "Wash me as garments are washed by the fuller" (see the comment on ver. 2).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Purify
תְּחַטְּאֵ֣נִי (tə·ḥaṭ·ṭə·’ê·nî)
Verb - Piel - Imperfect - second person masculine singular | first person common singular
Strong's 2398: To miss, to sin, to forfeit, lack, expiate, repent, lead astray, condemn

me with hyssop,
בְאֵז֣וֹב (ḇə·’ê·zō·wḇ)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 231: Hyssop

and I will be clean;
וְאֶטְהָ֑ר (wə·’eṭ·hār)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 2891: To be clean or pure

wash me,
תְּ֝כַבְּסֵ֗נִי (tə·ḵab·bə·sê·nî)
Verb - Piel - Imperfect - second person masculine singular | first person common singular
Strong's 3526: To trample, to wash

and I will be whiter
אַלְבִּֽין׃ (’al·bîn)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 3835: To be, white, to make bricks

than snow.
וּמִשֶּׁ֥לֶג (ū·miš·še·leḡ)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7950: Snow


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OT Poetry: Psalm 51:7 Purify me with hyssop and I will (Psalm Ps Psa.)
Psalm 51:6
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