Psalms 51

Which worship songs are based on Psalms 51?

  1. Be Gracious (Psalm 51) — Aaron Shust (2023) Psalms 51:1

    The song closely reproduces David's appeals for mercy, cleansing, inward renewal, restored joy, and a willing spirit from Psalm 51. Its title and sustained correspondence with the psalm make the connection unmistakable.

  2. Father Please — OBED (2025) Psalms 51:1

    The song explicitly identifies Psalm 51 and adopts its opening appeal for God’s mercy. Its confessional posture also reflects David’s penitential prayer.

  3. LNB — Anendlessocean (2024) Psalms 51:1

    The description of God erasing the speaker's transgression closely follows David's plea for mercy and cleansing in this penitential psalm.

  4. Wash Me Clean — Josh Garrels (2020) Psalms 51:2

    The opening prayer closely follows David's requests for purification from iniquity and for a cleansed heart. The combined language of washing, iniquity, cleansing, and inward renewal makes the connection specific rather than merely thematic.

  5. Dear Christians, One and All, Rejoice! — Brian Sauvé (2025) Psalms 51:5

    The lyrics reflect the concept of being born into sin, echoing the sentiment found in Psalm 51:5, which speaks of sin being inherent from birth.

  6. God and I Know — ApologetiX (2022) Psalms 51:7

    The combination of washing away sin and becoming whiter than snow closely paraphrases David's plea for cleansing in this penitential psalm.

  7. ALIVE — Forrest Frank (2024) Psalms 51:7

    The description of God cleansing the soul to snowy whiteness closely echoes David's plea for divine washing and purification from sin.

  8. I Just Love You - Live — Gateway Worship (2022) Psalms 51:10

    The song combines Psalm 51's requests for a clean heart with its description of a contrite heart as the sacrifice God receives.

  9. All Of Me/All Of You — John Van Deusen (2025) Psalms 51:10

    The first verse directly adopts David's prayer for God to create inner moral purity, fitting the song's confession and desire for transformation.

  10. Belong — Ryan Ofei & Eugy Official (2025) Psalms 51:11

    The plea to not have God's spirit taken away directly references Psalm 51:11, where David asks for the Holy Spirit to remain with him, highlighting a deep yearning for divine presence.

  11. At Your Altar (Live) — UPPERROOM & Raffi Greco & Sarahbeth Smith (2025) Psalms 51:17

    The opening identifies a broken spirit and contrite heart as the sacrifice God desires, closely reproducing the language and sacrificial contrast of this psalm.

Psalms 51 (King James Version)

1 Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.

2 Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.

3 For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.

4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.

5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.

6 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.

7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

8 Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.

9 Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.

10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.

12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.

13 Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.

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

15 O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise.

16 For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering.

17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

18 Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion: build thou the walls of Jerusalem.

19 Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering: then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar.