Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

PSALMS 51:10KJV
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Psalms 51:10 (KJV)

What does Psalms 51:10 mean?

Psalms 51:10 is a prayer asking God to create a pure heart and to renew a steadfast spirit within the person praying. The verse expresses a deep desire for inner cleansing and a fresh start, relying on God’s power to bring about real change inside.

King David is speaking to God after being confronted about his sin. David’s words show his awareness that true purity and strength of character come from God, not from his own efforts. The verse sits at the heart of a psalm where David is seeking forgiveness and restoration after personal failure.

The Hebrew behind Psalms 51:10

  • "Create" (בָּרָא, bara, H1254) is a word used in the Bible for God’s creative acts, like in Genesis 1. David is not asking for a minor fix but for something entirely new within him.
  • "Clean" (טָהוֹר, tahor, H2889) means pure or free from moral guilt. David is asking for more than just forgiveness—he wants his heart to be made truly clean.
  • "Renew" (חָדַשׁ, chadash, H2318) means to make new or restore. David is asking God to refresh his inner life, not just patch up the old.
  • "Right" (כּוֹן, kun, H3559) carries the sense of being firm or steadfast. David wants a spirit that is unwavering and reliable, not easily shaken.

Why Psalms 51:10 matters

  • Psalms 51:10 clarifies that real change and purity are seen as acts of God, not just human willpower or effort.
  • The verse highlights that David is not only seeking forgiveness for past actions but is also asking for ongoing strength and stability in his character.
  • This prayer connects to the whole psalm’s theme of repentance, showing that restoration involves both cleansing from guilt and the creation of something new within a person.

Where else these words appear

“renew” Hebrew H2318 · used in 10 verses

  • 1 Samuel 11:14 Then said Samuel to the people, Come, and let us go to Gilgal, and renew the kingdom there.
  • 2 Chronicles 24:12 And the king and Jehoiada gave it to such as did the work of the service of the house of the LORD, and hired masons and carpenters to repair the house of the LORD, and also such as wrought iron and brass to mend the house of the LORD.
  • Psalms 104:30 Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created: and thou renewest the face of the earth.

“Create” Hebrew H1254 · used in 46 verses

  • Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
  • Psalms 89:47 Remember how short my time is: wherefore hast thou made all men in vain?
  • Isaiah 45:12 I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded.

“clean” Hebrew H2889 · used in 87 verses

  • Genesis 7:2 Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens, the male and his female: and of beasts that are not clean by two, the male and his female.
  • Exodus 39:25 And they made bells of pure gold, and put the bells between the pomegranates upon the hem of the robe, round about between the pomegranates;
  • Numbers 19:19 And the clean person shall sprinkle upon the unclean on the third day, and on the seventh day: and on the seventh day he shall purify himself, and wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and shall be clean at even.