Psalms 51:14

WEB

Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, the God of my salvation. My tongue shall sing aloud of your righteousness.

KJV

Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.

Commentary

Deliver me from blood guiltiness,.... Or "from bloods" (q); meaning not the corruption of nature; see Eze 16:6 ; though to be rid of that, and to be free from the guilt and condemnation of it, is very desirable, Rom 7:24 ; but either from capital punishment in his family, the effusion of blood and slaughter in it, threatened him on account of his sin, Sa2 12:10 . So the Targum is, "deli ver me from the judgment of slaying or killing;'' or rather from the guilt of the blood of Uriah, and other servants of his, he had been the occasion of shedding, and was chargeable with, being accessary thereunto, Sa2 11:15 ; which lay heavy upon his conscience, pressed him on every side, as if he was in prison, and brought upon him a spirit of bondage to fear; and therefore he prays to be delivered from it, by the application of pardoning grace, which would be like proclaiming liberty to the captive; O God, thou God of my salvation; who has contrived it for his people, chosen them to it, secured it for them in covenant, and provided his Son to be the author of it, and sends his Spirit to apply it. The psalmist knew, that being God he could pardon his sin, remove his guilt, and free him from obligation to punishment, which none else could; and being the "God of his salvation", and his covenant God, he had reason to hope and believe he would; and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness; goodness, grace, and mercy, in forgiving sin; for "righteousness" sometimes designs clemency, goodness, and mercy; see Psa 31:1 ; and faithfulness in making good the divine promise to forgive such who are sensible of sin, and repent of it, acknowledge it, and ask for mercy; or the righteousness of Christ, well known to David, Rom 4:6 ; which justifies from all sin, removes the guilt of it, and fills the soul with joy and gladness, Isa 61:10 . (q) "de sanguinibus", V. L. Pagninus, Montanus, Tigurine version, Vatablus, Musculus; so Ainsworth.