The Penitential Psalms are a group of seven psalms within the Book of Psalms that express sorrow for sin and a desire for repentance. These psalms have been traditionally used in both Jewish and Christian liturgies as prayers of confession and supplication for divine mercy. The seven Penitential Psalms are Psalm 6, 32, 38, 51, 102, 130, and 143.

Psalm 6: This psalm is a plea for mercy in the midst of suffering and distress. The psalmist cries out to the LORD for healing and deliverance, acknowledging personal weakness and the need for divine intervention. "Be merciful to me, LORD, for I am frail; heal me, LORD, for my bones are in agony" (Psalm 6:2).

Psalm 32: A psalm of David, it celebrates the joy of forgiveness and the relief that comes from confessing sin. The psalmist contrasts the burden of unconfessed sin with the freedom found in God's forgiveness. "Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered" (Psalm 32:1).

Psalm 38: This psalm is a lament over personal sin and its physical and emotional consequences. The psalmist describes the heavy hand of God's discipline and pleads for relief and restoration. "O LORD, do not rebuke me in Your anger or discipline me in Your wrath" (Psalm 38:1).

Psalm 51: Perhaps the most famous of the Penitential Psalms, Psalm 51 is attributed to David after his sin with Bathsheba. It is a profound expression of repentance and a request for a clean heart. "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me" (Psalm 51:10).

Psalm 102: This psalm is a prayer of an afflicted person who is overwhelmed with trouble. It combines personal lament with a broader vision of God's eternal nature and faithfulness to His people. "Hear my prayer, O LORD; let my cry for help come before You" (Psalm 102:1).

Psalm 130: Known as "De Profundis" from its opening words in Latin, this psalm is a cry from the depths of despair, seeking God's mercy and redemption. It emphasizes hope and trust in the LORD's unfailing love. "Out of the depths I cry to You, O LORD" (Psalm 130:1).

Psalm 143: This psalm is a plea for deliverance from enemies and a request for guidance and teaching. The psalmist seeks God's faithfulness and righteousness to bring relief and instruction. "Hear my prayer, O LORD; give ear to my pleas for mercy" (Psalm 143:1).

The Penitential Psalms have been used throughout history in personal devotion and corporate worship, particularly during times of reflection such as Lent. They serve as a powerful reminder of human frailty, the seriousness of sin, and the boundless mercy of God. These psalms encourage believers to approach God with humility, seeking His forgiveness and restoration.Psalm 6:1
O LORD, rebuke me not in your anger, neither chasten me in your hot displeasure.
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Psalm 25:1
To you, O LORD, do I lift up my soul.
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Psalm 32:1
Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.
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Psalm 38:1
O lord, rebuke me not in your wrath: neither chasten me in your hot displeasure.
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Psalm 51:1
Have mercy on me, O God, according to your loving kindness: according to the multitude of your tender mercies blot out my transgressions.
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Psalm 102:1
Hear my prayer, O LORD, and let my cry come to you.
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Psalm 130:1
Out of the depths have I cried to you, O LORD.
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Psalm 143:1
Hear my prayer, O LORD, give ear to my supplications: in your faithfulness answer me, and in your righteousness.
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Psalms
... (6) Imprecatory Psalms, lviii, lix., lxix., lxxxiii., cix., cxxxvii. (7) Penitential
Psalms, vi., xxxii., xxxviii., li., cii., cxxx., cxliii. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/mcfadyen/introduction to the old testament/psalms.htm

Subject Index
... of, [2626]Dropped from the Burial Order, [2627]Evening Prayer, [2628]Linked in worship,
[2629]Morning Prayer, [2630]Penitential Psalms, [2631]Shorter Psalms ...
/.../luckock/studies in the book of common prayer/subject index.htm

Introduction
... to edify his congregation and to lead it to Christ when, in 1517, he published his
first independent work, the Explanation of the Seven Penitential Psalms. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/luther/a treatise on good works/introduction.htm

The Christian View of the Old Testament
... Patriarchal age, 154; narratives, 238 f. Pekah, 135. Penitential Psalms, 168.
Pentateuch, authorship of, 88 f. Permanent value, 59 ff., 227 ff. ...
/.../eiselen/the christian view of the old testament/index 2.htm

The Catechisms of the Church of England. AD 1549 and 1662.
... It contains Matins and Hours of our Lady; Evensong and Compline; the seven Penitential
Psalms; the Psalmi graduales (Psalm 120.CXXXIV.); the Litany; Placebo ...
/.../ 83 the catechisms of.htm

Of Temptations
... A friar said to Brother Giles: "Father, I have read that St Bernard once said the
seven Penitential Psalms with so great devotion and tranquility of mind, that ...
/.../the little flowers of st francis of assisi/chapter ix of temptations.htm

Psalm VI.
... vp 200.--C.]. [157] [The first of the Seven Penitential Psalms, which are Psalm
6. xxxii., xxxviii., li., cii., cxxx., cxliii.--C.]. [158] Acts 1:7. ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/augustine/exposition on the book of psalms/psalm vi.htm

Close of the Colonial Era --The German Churches --The Beginnings ...
... in tears, and (he says) "took up Watts's version of the Psalms, and opened it ... was
the germ of a future system of theology, in the penitential confession which ...
/.../bacon/a history of american christianity/chapter xii close of the.htm

Confession of Sin Illustrated by the Cases of Dr. Pritchard and ...
... before the eye of the all-seeing One, acknowledging all the evil of his ways in
language such as you read in the fifty-first and other penitential Psalms. ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 11 1865/confession of sin illustrated by.htm

True Revivals.
... Then let there be a prayerful reading and re-reading of the Penitential Psalms,
the seventh chapter of Romans, the fifty-third of Isaiah, the fifteenth of Luke ...
/.../the way of salvation in the lutheran church/chapter xxvii true revivals.htm

Who are the authors of the book of Psalms? | GotQuestions.org

Why is the book of Psalms divided into five books? | GotQuestions.org

How many psalms did David write? | GotQuestions.org

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