How does Psalm 51:7 relate to the concept of original sin? Text of Psalm 51:7 “Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.” Immediate Literary Context Psalm 51 is David’s penitential song after his sin with Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11–12). Verses 1–6 confess guilt; verses 7–12 plead for inward cleansing; verses 13–19 vow renewed worship and witness. Verse 7 therefore stands at the hinge: it looks back to the pollution David inherited (vv. 3-5) and forward to the cleansing only God can effect (vv. 8-12). Implicit Testimony to an Inherited Sin Nature Verse 7 presumes an impurity deeper than isolated misdeeds. David has already confessed, “Surely I was brought forth in iniquity; in sin my mother conceived me” (Psalm 51:5). The plea “purify me” only makes sense if corruption precedes conscious choice—classic language for what later theology labels “original sin.” Canonical Links: Psalm 51:7 and Original Sin Elsewhere in Scripture • Genesis 6:5—“Every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil continually.” • Job 14:4—“Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? No one.” • Romans 5:12—“Just as sin entered the world through one man…so death spread to all men.” • Ephesians 2:3—“By nature children of wrath.” These passages echo the same anthropology: humans are born spiritually defiled. Psalm 51:7 supplies the individual cry that matches the corporate diagnosis. Historical-Theological Reception • Second-Temple Judaism used Psalm 51 in Day-of-Atonement liturgy, anticipating corporate need for cleansing. • Early fathers (e.g., Augustine, Confessions 1.7) cited Psalm 51:5-7 to prove innate sinfulness. • Reformation confessions (e.g., Westminster 6.3) quote Psalm 51 to ground original sin biblically. The continuity across ages demonstrates that the text, not later philosophy, drives the doctrine. Christological Fulfillment Hyssop reappears at the cross (John 19:29). The True David is offered sour wine on hyssop while shedding blood that “cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). Hebrews 9:13-14 explicitly contrasts animal-blood-hyssop rites with Christ’s superior purgation, showing Psalm 51:7’s petition answered in the resurrection-validated sacrifice of Jesus. Practical Application 1. Humility: Recognize inherited corruption; no moral pedestal exists. 2. Hope: God invites the defiled to petition for cleansing. 3. Holiness: Cleansed hearts pursue purity (Psalm 51:10, 13). Conclusion Psalm 51:7 is a microcosm of the doctrine of original sin: inherited impurity, helplessness to self-cleanse, and dependence on divine atonement. It prepares the ground for the gospel by declaring every human in need of the cleansing only God provides, ultimately accomplished through the risen Christ. |
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