ECUMENICAL PRE-6TH CENTURY BC

Psalm 51

Also known as The Miserere · Have Mercy on Me, O God

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice. Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you. Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, O God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

Other forms

Traditional Latin opening (Miserere)

Miserere mei, Deus, secundum magnam misericordiam tuam; et secundum multitudinem miserationum tuarum, dele iniquitatem meam.

About this prayer

Psalm 51 is the great penitential psalm of the Christian and Jewish traditions. Its superscription associates it with David's repentance after the prophet Nathan confronted him about his adultery with Bathsheba and the arranged death of her husband Uriah (2 Samuel 11-12). Whether David wrote it or not, the psalm gives voice to the experience of deep moral failure and the plea for divine forgiveness and restoration. It is the fourth of the seven Penitential Psalms identified by the early church. The psalm moves through four movements: the plea for mercy and acknowledgment of sin, the confession that sin is ultimately against God, the request for inner renewal, and the vow to teach others and offer true worship. The Latin opening, "Miserere mei Deus" ("Have mercy on me, O God"), gives the psalm its traditional liturgical name.

When it's said

In Catholic practice, Psalm 51 is appointed for Lauds (Morning Prayer) every Friday in the Liturgy of the Hours, making it one of the most regularly recited psalms in monastic and clerical life. In the Anglican BCP it is among the psalms appointed for Ash Wednesday and is used throughout Lent. In Orthodox practice it is recited at the beginning of nearly every service as a penitential opening. The Miserere setting by Gregorio Allegri (c. 1638 AD) is one of the most famous pieces of sacred choral music, traditionally performed in the Sistine Chapel during Holy Week.

Notes on the text

Verses 18-19, which ask God to build up the walls of Jerusalem and accept sacrifices, are sometimes understood as a later addition to the psalm reflecting the needs of a community in exile. The main body of the psalm (verses 1-17) is internally consistent in its theology that God desires a broken and contrite heart rather than external religious observance. The text above follows the English Standard Version (ESV) and covers verses 1-17, the form most used in liturgy.

Common questions

Why is Psalm 51 called 'the Miserere'?

'Miserere' is the Latin opening of the psalm: 'Miserere mei, Deus,' meaning 'Have mercy on me, O God.' The psalm takes its alternative name from these first words. Many composers have set the psalm under the title 'Miserere,' most famously Gregorio Allegri's 'Miserere mei, Deus' (c. 1638), which is sung in the Sistine Chapel during Holy Week.

Who wrote Psalm 51?

The superscription in the Hebrew text attributes Psalm 51 to King David and connects it specifically to his repentance after the prophet Nathan confronted him about his adultery with Bathsheba and the death of her husband Uriah (2 Samuel 11-12). Modern biblical scholarship varies on whether David personally composed the psalm or whether the attribution was made later. In Christian usage the psalm is read as the great prayer of repentance in the Bible.

Why is Psalm 51 used in Lent and on Ash Wednesday?

Psalm 51 is the most explicit prayer of confession and repentance in the Psalter, and the Christian liturgical tradition has used it during seasons of penitence since the earliest centuries. It is the central penitential psalm of Ash Wednesday and is read or sung throughout Lent in Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, and Lutheran services. It is also one of the seven Penitential Psalms identified by the Christian tradition for use in personal devotion.

Source

Psalm 51 (Old Testament). Attributed to David in its superscription. English text from the English Standard Version (ESV), 2001. Public domain biblical text.

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Last reviewed: May 2026 against primary source.