Psalms 51:4 (ASV)

Passage

Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, And done that which is evil in thy sight; That thou mayest be justified when thou speakest, And be clear when thou judgest.

Nearby Context

Psalms 51:2 Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin.

Psalms 51:3 For I know my transgressions; And my sin is ever before me.

Psalms 51:4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, And done that which is evil in thy sight; That thou mayest be justified when thou speakest, And be clear when thou judgest.

Psalms 51:5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity; And in sin did my mother conceive me.

Psalms 51:6 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts; And in the hidden part thou wilt make me to know wisdom.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "justified", "against", "thee", "only", "sinned", "done", "evil", and "sight". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "justified" and "against", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 3's "For I know my transgressions And my..." into verse 5's "Behold I was brought forth in iniquity...", so "justified" and "against" belong inside that flow. In Psalms context, the local focus is worship, trust, the LORD's kingship, and covenant mercy.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "justified" and "against" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.