Psalms 51:4 (YLT)

Passage

Against Thee, Thee only, I have sinned, And done the evil thing in Thine eyes, So that Thou art righteous in Thy words, Thou art pure in Thy judging.

Nearby Context

Psalms 51:2 Thoroughly wash me from mine iniquity, And from my sin cleanse me,

Psalms 51:3 For my transgressions I do know, And my sin <FI>is<Fi> before me continually.

Psalms 51:4 Against Thee, Thee only, I have sinned, And done the evil thing in Thine eyes, So that Thou art righteous in Thy words, Thou art pure in Thy judging.

Psalms 51:5 Lo, in iniquity I have been brought forth, And in sin doth my mother conceive me.

Psalms 51:6 Lo, truth Thou hast desired in the inward parts, And in the hidden part Wisdom Thou causest me to know.

Study Lenses

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

The nearby context moves from verse 3's "For my transgressions I do know And..." into verse 5's "Lo in iniquity I have been brought...", so "against" and "thee" 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 "against" and "thee" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.