Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.

PSALMS 51:9KJV
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Psalms 51:9 (KJV)

What does Psalms 51:9 mean?

Psalms 51:9 is a plea from the psalmist asking God not to look upon his sins and to completely erase his wrongdoing. The verse expresses a deep desire for forgiveness and for God to remove any record or memory of the psalmist’s moral failures.

King David is speaking to God after being confronted about his sin with Bathsheba. In this verse, David is not just asking for pardon but for his sins to be so thoroughly dealt with that God would “hide” His face from them and “blot out” all his iniquities. The language shows David’s awareness of the seriousness of his actions and his longing for a restored relationship with God.

The Hebrew behind Psalms 51:9

  • “Hide” (סָתַר, satar): This word means to conceal or cover. David is asking God to turn away or not to focus on his sins, emphasizing his hope that God will not hold them against him.
  • “Face” (פָּנִים, panim): In Hebrew thought, God’s “face” represents His presence or attention. David’s request for God to hide His face from his sins shows he wants God’s attention turned away from his wrongdoing, not from himself as a person.
  • “Sins” (חֵטְא, chet’): This word refers to acts of missing the mark or falling short. David acknowledges specific failures and does not minimize them.
  • “Blot out” (מָחָה, machah): This verb means to wipe away or erase, like removing writing from a scroll. David is asking for a complete removal of his iniquities, not just a covering up.
  • “Iniquities” (עָוֹן, avon): This word often refers to guilt or twisted wrongdoing. David’s use of both “sins” and “iniquities” highlights the depth and seriousness of his confession.

Why Psalms 51:9 matters

  • Psalms 51:9 clarifies that forgiveness in the Bible is not just about overlooking sin but about a deep cleansing and removal of guilt.
  • The verse shows the emotional and spiritual weight David feels, helping readers understand the seriousness with which the Bible treats personal wrongdoing.
  • This request for God to “hide” His face from sin, rather than from the sinner, connects to the wider Psalm 51 theme of seeking restoration and not just relief from consequences.

Where else these words appear

“out” Hebrew H4229 · used in 32 verses

  • Genesis 6:7 And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.
  • Deuteronomy 25:19 Therefore it shall be, when the LORD thy God hath given thee rest from all thine enemies round about, in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it, that thou shalt blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven; thou shalt not forget it.
  • Psalms 109:13 Let his posterity be cut off; and in the generation following let their name be blotted out.

“sins” Hebrew H2399 · used in 33 verses

  • Genesis 41:9 Then spake the chief butler unto Pharaoh, saying, I do remember my faults this day:
  • Deuteronomy 19:15 One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established.
  • Psalms 103:10 He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.

“Hide” Hebrew H5641 · used in 80 verses

  • Genesis 4:14 Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me.
  • Psalms 10:11 He hath said in his heart, God hath forgotten: he hideth his face; he will never see it.
  • Proverbs 28:28 When the wicked rise, men hide themselves: but when they perish, the righteous increase.