Psalms 51:8 (LSB)

Passage

Make me to hear joy and gladness, Let the bones which You have crushed rejoice.

Nearby Context

Psalms 51:6 Behold, You delight in truth in the innermost being, And in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom.

Psalms 51:7 Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Psalms 51:8 Make me to hear joy and gladness, Let the bones which You have crushed rejoice.

Psalms 51:9 Hide Your face from my sins And blot out all my iniquities.

Psalms 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "make", "hear", "gladness", "bones", "crushed", and "rejoice". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "make" and "hear", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 7's "Purify me with hyssop and I shall..." into verse 9's "Hide Your face from my sins And...", so "make" and "hear" 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 "make" and "hear" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.