Psalms 51:9 (LSB)

Passage

Hide Your face from my sins And blot out all my iniquities.

Nearby Context

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.

Psalms 51:11 Do not cast me away from Your presence And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "iniquities", "hide", "face", "sins", and "blot". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "iniquities" and "hide", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 8's "Make me to hear joy and gladness..." into verse 10's "Create in me a clean heart O...", so "iniquities" and "hide" 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 "iniquities" and "hide" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.