Psalms 51:7 (GNV)

Passage

Purge me with hyssope, and I shalbe cleane: wash me, and I shalbe whiter then snowe.

Nearby Context

Psalms 51:5 Beholde, I was borne in iniquitie, and in sinne hath my mother conceiued me.

Psalms 51:6 Beholde, thou louest trueth in the inwarde affections: therefore hast thou taught mee wisedome in the secret of mine heart.

Psalms 51:7 Purge me with hyssope, and I shalbe cleane: wash me, and I shalbe whiter then snowe.

Psalms 51:8 Make me to heare ioye and gladnes, that the bones, which thou hast broken, may reioyce.

Psalms 51:9 Hide thy face from my sinnes, and put away all mine iniquities.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "purge", "hyssope", "shalbe", "cleane", "wash", "whiter", and "snowe". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "purge" and "hyssope", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 6's "Beholde thou louest trueth in the inwarde..." into verse 8's "Make me to heare ioye and gladnes...", so "purge" and "hyssope" 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 "purge" and "hyssope" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.