Psalms · Chapter 51 · Forgiveness

Psalms 51:17 — Bible Verse Meaning & Context

What has been forgiven, you can forgive.

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Topics #forgiveness

Read in chapter context · Psalms 51

Both translations, side by side

WEB · World English Bible

"The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit. A broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise."

KJV · King James Version

"The sacrifices2077 of God430 are a broken7665 spirit7307: a broken7665 and a contrite1794 heart3820, O God430, thou wilt not despise959."

How the translations differ: The WEB is a modern public-domain revision of the 1901 ASV; the KJV dates to 1611. The KJV uses thou, wilt, while the WEB renders these as you, will. Both translate the same underlying Greek or Hebrew text — the differences are stylistic, not theological.

In context

Psalms 51:17 in Psalms 51

A Bible verse rarely stands alone. Here is Psalms 51:17 read with the verses immediately before and after — the surrounding flow of Psalms 51. Read the full chapter →

v.15 Lord, open my lips. My mouth shall declare your praise.
v.16 For you don’t delight in sacrifice, or else I would give it. You have no pleasure in burnt offering.
v.17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit. A broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
v.18 Do well in your good pleasure to Zion. Build the walls of Jerusalem.
v.19 Then you will delight in the sacrifices of righteousness, in burnt offerings and in whole burnt offerings. Then they will offer bulls on your altar.

Book background

About the Book of Psalms

Testament: Old Testament
Genre: Hebrew poetry
Author: David (73 psalms), Asaph, Sons of Korah, Solomon, Moses, others
Date written: c. 1410–430 BC (compiled over a millennium)
Audience: All of Israel's worshipping community — and the church
Chapters: 150

The Psalms are 150 inspired songs and prayers covering every emotion the human heart knows — praise, lament, confession, thanksgiving, anger, longing. About half are attributed to David. The book is divided into five "books," each ending with a doxology. The Psalms shape Christian prayer more than any other Old Testament book and are quoted in the New Testament more than any other.

Setting: 150 sacred songs used in temple worship; the Bible's songbook.

Key themes: worship · lament · trust · kingship · thanksgiving

Read Psalms from the beginning →

Memorisation aid

How to memorise Psalms 51:17

Psalms 51:17 contains 19 words in 4 clauses. Learn one clause at a time, then chain them. The first-letter mnemonic (FLM) under each clause is a memory hook — once you can speak the FLM from memory, the full clause follows.

1

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit

TSOGAA
2

A broken and contrite heart

ABACH
3

O God

OG
4

you will not despise.

YWND

Frequently asked

FAQ about Psalms 51:17

What does Psalms 51:17 say?

Psalms 51:17 reads: "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit. A broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise." — from the Old Testament, Psalms (Hebrew poetry). The full verse is shown above with both the World English Bible (WEB) and King James Version (KJV) translations side by side.

What book of the Bible is Psalms 51:17 in?

Psalms 51:17 is in the book of Psalms, traditionally attributed to David (73 psalms), Asaph, Sons of Korah, Solomon, Moses, others and written around c. 1410–430 BC (compiled over a millennium). Psalms is hebrew poetry in the Old Testament, originally addressed to All of Israel's worshipping community — and the church. Best known for Psalm 23 ("The LORD is my shepherd") and Psalm 51.

What is Psalms 51:17 about?

Psalms 51:17 is primarily a Bible verse about Forgiveness. Within Psalms, The Psalms are 150 inspired songs and prayers covering every emotion the human heart knows — praise, lament, confession, thanksgiving, anger, longing. Read the full passage above with surrounding context.

What is the difference between Psalms 51:17 in WEB and KJV?

Psalms 51:17 in the World English Bible (WEB) reads: "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit. A broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.". The King James Version (KJV) reads: "The sacrifices2077 of God430 are a broken7665 spirit7307: a broken7665 and a contrite1794 heart3820, O God430, thou wilt not despise959.". The WEB is a modern public-domain translation that updates the KJV's 1611 English while keeping a similar formal-equivalence style. Both render the same underlying Greek or Hebrew text.

How long is Psalms 51:17?

Psalms 51:17 is 19 words in the WEB translation (100 characters), broken into 4 clauses. It is short and well-suited to memorisation. Estimated reading time is about 6 seconds.

How can I memorise Psalms 51:17?

To memorise Psalms 51:17, split it into its 4 natural clauses and learn one at a time. Repeat the full verse out loud five times, then write it from memory. Saving the verse as a photo wallpaper using our verse image studio helps daily review — the visual association with a memorable background dramatically improves recall.

Why does Psalms 51:17 matter in Psalms?

How can I apply Psalms 51:17 today?

Many readers use Psalms 51:17 as a daily reminder verse — saving it as a phone wallpaper, sharing it on Pinterest, or memorising it for prayer. The verse studio on this page lets you download Psalms 51:17 on 52 different backgrounds for free. Pair the verse with the surrounding chapter context shown above to understand its full meaning before applying it.

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