Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.
It is a plea for God to turn His face away from looking on sin and to erase and remove all guilt and iniquity completely. It is the prayer of Israel's exalted king after the Lord reproved him through His prophet, offered with sincere and deep contrition and humility, bowing without stubbornness or rebellion against rebuke. It seeks not pardon alone but cleansing, a pure heart, a renewed right spirit, and restored communion and joy in God's presence. Pardon is hoped for through God's mercy found in Christ, whose intercession and love and cleansing blood receive the humble penitent back into covenant relation. It therefore gives assurance and courage to fallen, guilty, and despairing souls to repent and return, for sins are blotted out when sinners repent and are converted, and the restored then teach transgressors the way back.
David's Penitent Prayer
This is David's prayer as the exalted and honored king of Israel after the Lord reproved him for his sin through His prophet. His guilt had been exposed by sharp rebuke and chastisement, and he bowed under it without cherishing stubborn resistance or rising in rebellion against reproof. He did not lose confidence in God who had put the stern rebuke in the mouth of His prophet, and he bore no hatred toward the reprover.
His repentance was sincere and deep, with contrition as profound as his guilt and deep humility under the sense of his sin. He acknowledged the enormity and defilement of his sin, greatly humbled though he had erred greatly. His strength lay not in always resisting temptation but in contrition of soul and sincere penitence.
In the verse he asks God to hide His face and turn away from looking on his sins. He pleads for God to blot out, erase, and remove all his iniquities and guilt. It is the appeal of a contrite heart and of true penitence seeking cleansing and forgiveness.
When convicted of sin he poured out his soul before God in penitence and humiliation without delay to seek mercy and pardon. He felt he could endure the loss of his crown but could not be deprived of the favor of God. He valued God's favor more than his crown.
He made the prayer a sacred song to be sung in the public assemblies of his people. It was to be sung before priests and judges and princes and warriors, and in the presence of princes and men of war. In it he recounted his sin, his repentance, and his hope of pardon through mercy. He refused to conceal his guilt, choosing that others be instructed by the sad history of his fall. So the knowledge of his fall was preserved to the latest generation.
Pardon and Renewal
The prayer asks for far more than legal pardon; it asks for cleansing, a pure heart, and restored communion and fellowship with God. It belongs together with pleading to be purged with hyssop and washed whiter than snow, to hear joy and gladness, to receive a clean heart and a renewed right spirit, to remain in God's presence with His Holy Spirit, and to have the joy of salvation restored while being upheld by God. The plea to turn away from looking on sins and to erase every iniquity comes from a contrite heart seeking renewal.
When one has departed from the Lord, the course is to confess sin, humble the heart, and declare God to be just in all His dealings. His decision is to be accepted as just and merciful, His mercy relied upon, and Himself trusted more than man. The counsel of men who sin against God is to be refused, no hatred is to be borne toward the reprover who brings stern rebuke, and confidence in God is not to be lost even under sharp rebuke and chastisement.
The hope of pardon rests on God's mercy, found through Christ. It rests on Jesus making intercession with the Father, on His broad and deep love seen at the cross of Calvary, and on His blood cleansing from all sin, with certainty that He loves and receives sinners now. David's humble repentance was accepted, he was forgiven though he suffered for his transgression, and he was received again into covenant relation.
That answered prayer brings assurance and comfort to the discouraged, doubting person tempted to talk darkness and stay away from Jesus because of mistakes, neglected duty, and sinfulness. It is assurance and comfort to all who come to God believing they will be received, and a call to put its lessons into practice by seeking purity and Christlikeness rather than relying on merely nominal profession. Through all ages it encourages fallen souls struggling under guilt and ready to despair, proving mercy is still extended to the fallen and giving courage to repent, seek pardon without delay, and try again to walk in the way of God's commandments.
Sins are blotted out when people repent and are converted, and this is connected with the time of judgment and the coming times of refreshing from the Lord. The restored one then teaches transgressors God's ways so that sinners are converted. The prayer is presented as a model, including for parents to begin the work of guiding their households by seeking God's cleansing and renewing work in their own hearts.
It is a plea for God to turn His face away from looking on sin and to erase and remove all guilt and iniquity completely. It is the prayer of Israel's exalted king after the Lord reproved him through His prophet, offered with sincere and deep contrition and humility, bowing without stubbornness or rebellion against rebuke. It seeks not pardon alone but cleansing, a pure heart, a renewed right spirit, and restored communion and joy in God's presence. Pardon is hoped for through God's mercy found in Christ, whose intercession and love and cleansing blood receive the humble penitent back into covenant relation. It therefore gives assurance and courage to fallen, guilty, and despairing souls to repent and return, for sins are blotted out when sinners repent and are converted, and the restored then teach transgressors the way back.
David's Penitent Prayer
This is David's prayer as the exalted and honored king of Israel after the Lord reproved him for his sin through His prophet. His guilt had been exposed by sharp rebuke and chastisement, and he bowed under it without cherishing stubborn resistance or rising in rebellion against reproof. He did not lose confidence in God who had put the stern rebuke in the mouth of His prophet, and he bore no hatred toward the reprover.
His repentance was sincere and deep, with contrition as profound as his guilt and deep humility under the sense of his sin. He acknowledged the enormity and defilement of his sin, greatly humbled though he had erred greatly. His strength lay not in always resisting temptation but in contrition of soul and sincere penitence.
In the verse he asks God to hide His face and turn away from looking on his sins. He pleads for God to blot out, erase, and remove all his iniquities and guilt. It is the appeal of a contrite heart and of true penitence seeking cleansing and forgiveness.
When convicted of sin he poured out his soul before God in penitence and humiliation without delay to seek mercy and pardon. He felt he could endure the loss of his crown but could not be deprived of the favor of God. He valued God's favor more than his crown.
He made the prayer a sacred song to be sung in the public assemblies of his people. It was to be sung before priests and judges and princes and warriors, and in the presence of princes and men of war. In it he recounted his sin, his repentance, and his hope of pardon through mercy. He refused to conceal his guilt, choosing that others be instructed by the sad history of his fall. So the knowledge of his fall was preserved to the latest generation.
Pardon and Renewal
The prayer asks for far more than legal pardon; it asks for cleansing, a pure heart, and restored communion and fellowship with God. It belongs together with pleading to be purged with hyssop and washed whiter than snow, to hear joy and gladness, to receive a clean heart and a renewed right spirit, to remain in God's presence with His Holy Spirit, and to have the joy of salvation restored while being upheld by God. The plea to turn away from looking on sins and to erase every iniquity comes from a contrite heart seeking renewal.
When one has departed from the Lord, the course is to confess sin, humble the heart, and declare God to be just in all His dealings. His decision is to be accepted as just and merciful, His mercy relied upon, and Himself trusted more than man. The counsel of men who sin against God is to be refused, no hatred is to be borne toward the reprover who brings stern rebuke, and confidence in God is not to be lost even under sharp rebuke and chastisement.
The hope of pardon rests on God's mercy, found through Christ. It rests on Jesus making intercession with the Father, on His broad and deep love seen at the cross of Calvary, and on His blood cleansing from all sin, with certainty that He loves and receives sinners now. David's humble repentance was accepted, he was forgiven though he suffered for his transgression, and he was received again into covenant relation.
That answered prayer brings assurance and comfort to the discouraged, doubting person tempted to talk darkness and stay away from Jesus because of mistakes, neglected duty, and sinfulness. It is assurance and comfort to all who come to God believing they will be received, and a call to put its lessons into practice by seeking purity and Christlikeness rather than relying on merely nominal profession. Through all ages it encourages fallen souls struggling under guilt and ready to despair, proving mercy is still extended to the fallen and giving courage to repent, seek pardon without delay, and try again to walk in the way of God's commandments.
Sins are blotted out when people repent and are converted, and this is connected with the time of judgment and the coming times of refreshing from the Lord. The restored one then teaches transgressors God's ways so that sinners are converted. The prayer is presented as a model, including for parents to begin the work of guiding their households by seeking God's cleansing and renewing work in their own hearts.