The first part is a prayer for the forgiveness of sins. After that he explains the right kind of sin. Finally, he adds some promises, as [v. 19]: "The sacrifices that please God" 2c.
*Note of the original: He interpreted this psalm in Torgau when the prince was ill. The Elector John was dangerously ill in Torgau in February 1532. "Luther, although himself very much suffering, made two visits to the sick lord in Torgau, one lasting several days towards the end of that month" (Köstlin, M. Luther, Vol. II, 269).
V. 3. God, have mercy on me.
(3) He saith not, Behold my hair shirt, my fasting, my sacrifice.
According to your kindness.
4. not according to my satisfaction.
V. 4. Wash me well from my mssethat.
Oh, if only I were free from sins! Help me, dear Lord God, to be clean from them.
And cleanse me from my sin.
6. he summarizes at the same time the original sin and the real sin. Wash me," he says, "not only from the sin of adultery, the blasphemy of the name of God 2c., but also purge me from the sap and roots from which these real sins originate. Forget not only this of my adultery, but cleanse me completely, so that I may never again commit such or such a sin; for if you would not cleanse me, I might well fall into just such danger again tomorrow. In sum, he desires not only forgiveness of sins, but purity of heart. For sin is forgiven in two ways: First, through the forgiveness of sins, and second, through purification. So here he confesses that his sin is forgiven, but he is not yet cleansed. Therefore he says: "Cleanse me", make me clean; because I see that I sin daily.
V. 5 For I know my iniquity. And my sin is always before me.
That is, I see and realize that there is nothing good about me.
V. 6: In you alone have I sinned and done evil in your sight.
8. though I am righteous, that is, pious, in the sight of the world, yet I am a sinner before thee, and a very great sinner. For you are the right man to find sin in me. Even though I am not an adulterer, as I am, yet before you my heart is unclean, full of unbelief and evil desire, without fear of God, without trust in God; therefore
I would like to be washed clean and ask not only for forgiveness of sins, but also for complete cleansing.
On you.
9 So he is not only talking about the sin of adultery, but also about the origin of sin, and about the tree with the fruit. Adultery is the fruit that I have wrought. From where? Before I committed the sin, I caused Uriah to be strangled first and blasphemed God. If such wickedness is in me, I can see what kind of a herbalist I am. Today or tomorrow I could fall like that again.
That you may be right in your words and pure when you are judged.
(10) No one wants to confess that God is not satisfied that one is a carthorse, that he sacrifices 2c., but where God says that we are sinners, they punish and judge God as if He were unjust, because He does not want to look at good works. But I will confess it; therefore I desire, dear GOD, that you cleanse me. Here you see David's experience, which he himself made, namely that he had many against him, with whom he had to quarrel, because they taught that one had to propitiate God with sacrifices and works of the law, as is still happening today 2c. This is a true confession: Oh Lord God, why should I quarrel with you, because there is nothing good in me from my mother's womb on! The tree with the fruit is corrupt. This I confess, because you say it, "that you may be right" 2c.
V. 7. Behold, I am begotten of sinful seed.
There is no more powerful text in the Old Testament about original sin than this verse.
And my mother conceived me in sins.
(12) Even in the womb it is a vain sin not to know God, to forget God, to be ungrateful to Him, to despise Him.
V. 8. Behold, you delight in the truth that is hidden; you let me know the secret wisdom.
This is an amendment that is totally against hypocrisy. Their piety, worship and religion is false pretense. Outwardly it seems fine; but "the truth that lieth in secret," that is, in the heart, teaches what sin is. This is the right knowledge of sin, when one almost despairs because of sin. This is the righteously crushed heart that the world does not know, and this is the hidden truth that pleases God. The pope also teaches truth; but only external righteousness, not that which is hidden; as, from fasting, not eating meat, confessing sins 2c.; but when death approaches, despair follows. In sum, right knowledge of sins means feeling the power of the law and the sting of death. This is "the truth that is hidden," namely, when one knows what the knowledge of sin and the forgiveness of sin are, one knows what fear and faith are. Our opponents [the papists] are right in saying that Christ died for the sins of the world, but this is not the truth in secret, for they cannot punish or comfort.
V. 9. Defile me with hyssop, that I may be clean; wash me, that I may be white as snow.
14 Here he seizes the false appearance of the work saints. I see well that the priests sprinkle the people with ysopen, with blood 2c. But I would like you to sprinkle me. Moses and Aaron do nothing with their sprinkling, but your sprinkling will do it. He would like to be free from sin. Forgive, he says, and cleanse. He would like to feel no sin at all, but be completely happy. Who would have a good hyssop here, who could sprinkle so that the whole heart would be clean! Who now would have refreshment, as he said, whom one wanted to drown, for evil drink! He would like to have peace in his conscience.
V. 10. Let me hear joy and gladness, that the bones you have crushed may rejoice.
There is no leg so strong that it can hold. Even those who boast much about the gospel and teach others know nothing about it.
This happened through the recognition of sin, when Nathan spoke to him: "You are the man" 2c. "I have sinned" 2c. "You do not die" [2 Sam. 12, 7, 13].
V. 11. Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities.
(16) He cannot stand the remembrance of sin, that is, there is no joy with me unless God turns away His face from my sins.
Redemption.
17 With a wet rag. He almost stops, repeats and presses on it, would like to be pure.
V. 12. Create in me, O God, a pure heart, and give me a new and certain spirit.
He does not want God the Lord to look at his sin at all. These are vain thunderbolts against pardons, and now goes even deeper; for he speaks of the cleansing of sin. To forgive sin is to believe. He wanted to grasp the forgiveness of sins with a strong faith in his heart. It is true that my sin is forgiven, but who can believe it? No one, unless God gives it to him. He asks for such a right and certain faith here.
Heart.
(19) That God alone may look upon him who is merciful and forgives sin, and not upon him who punishes sin.
V. 13. Do not cast me away from your presence.
The first gift is that God may give the spirit that teaches to cleanse sin and to know grace, that is: Give me the gift of faith, and that in such a way that I may certainly believe; give me certain, confident faith, that sin may never tempt me, that in this faith I may stand against the devil and his temptation, that faith may not doubt nor waver. For he (David) has been in battle, therefore he speaks these things from experience. After this also give me steadfastness, that I may so persevere in the faith, that thou shalt not depart from me.
turn away the face of your anointed one [Ps. 132:10, Vulg.]. Never take me away again.
V. 14. And do not take your Holy Spirit from me. Comfort me again with your help, and the joyful spirit contain me.
(21) Namely, the spirit that casteth out of me the rest of sin, that I may live in certain faith, discipline, and honor. First, the spirit of assurance, which makes certain that faith is without doubt. Second, that which purifies and sanctifies body and soul. Third, the spirit of gladness, 1) which preacheth freely and confidently, and feareth not. It takes a joyful and bold man, who is helped. That is, give me a free, defiant spirit, which may say, Ye desperate boys of Aaron 2c. who dare, though he be strangled at it, as follows. He shall punish the wicked; but it is the most dangerous thing of all, to punish princes and kings of the world. One must dare over it. The Spirit is first righteous in heart; secondly, in body; thirdly, a teacher in deeds; therefore he is wholly perfect.
V. 15. I will teach the transgressors thy ways, that sinners may turn unto thee.
(22) These are not servants and maidservants, but those who, in outward appearance, are most holy, and will not confess that they are in sins. Therefore a courageous spirit belongs to them, which asks nothing of them when they are angry.
V. 16. Save me from blood debts, O God, who art my God and Savior, that my tongue may praise your righteousness.
He deserved death because he wanted to preach. The devil said, "You are a murderer and you are still leading the people astray, wanting to lead them to grace.
"Freidigkeit," which has been changed to "Freudigkeit" in our Bibles. It means, as Dietz states in his dictionary: "unäueia, Kühnheit, Muth, Freimüthigkeit, Dreistigkeit, Zuversicht." In the Latin translation of the Bible attributed to Luther (Walch, old edition, vol. XIV), it is rendered Läueiu throughout. Only once, Apost. 4, 13, oonLclsntia.
V. 17. Open my lips, O Lord, that my mouth may declare your glory.
(24) But one does not suffer to praise God's righteousness, that is, that God may help him out. If the saints of works will give me to death, that then my tongue may praise grace.
Lord, open my lips, that my mouth may be open 2c.
Make me bold. As Paul says in the letter to the Ephesians 2) [Cap. 6, 19.]: "Let the word be given to me with a joyful opening of my mouth." When they attack one, one might well stifle; but still God must open his mouth. If you open your mouth, I will fill it, that is, only preach freely.
V.18. For you have no desire for sacrifice, otherwise I would give it to you, and burnt offerings are not pleasing to you.
26 That is, you would rather preach than sacrifice. Go and preach this in Jerusalem, and to the pope, that the mass is nothing!
V. 19. The sacrifices that please God are a troubled spirit; a troubled and bruised heart you, God, will not despise.
(27) An exceedingly sweet and beautiful promise. If only someone could believe that our tribulations are the most pleasing sacrifices to God. First, preaching, second, suffering and being afflicted; these please our Lord God and are the highest sacrifices. But he is not speaking here of the sacrifice of thanksgiving. Humiliation (humiliatio) is the greatest sacrifice, for it kills the old man. There are the slayers [who slaughter the sacrifice], the law, all teachers of the law, terrors of sin 2c. When I preach, I do it to praise our Lord GOD, that I may have the morning and evening sacrifice [2 Kings 16:15. Ps. 141:2]. For he is pleased to be preached of. Every sermon is the highest sacrifice. So Paul says Rom. 15, 16: "To sacrifice the gospel of GOD", that is, the sacrifice of preaching. Philip often said to me, since I do not like to preach: "Go and praise".
2) In the original: ,,aü Darin."
our Lord GOD. For if one preaches rightly, one must praise our Lord God. If one is thrown into prison over it, he also does the other sacrifice. Thus our afflictions please God, that one affliction is worth as much before God as a thousand sacrifices. The afflicted spirit is a greater sacrifice than the whole Levitical sacrifice; yes, who could believe it! Of this I will tell our prince 1). Take all the sacrifices of the law, all the ceremonies of the pope, and the procession to Augsburg on Corpus Christi; one tribulation of a believer is worth more.
V. 20. Do good to Zion according to your grace; build the walls of Jerusalem.
28. keep it in the building; for so it is better translated. Hitherto he has asked for himself; but now he extends it also further to the
1) Compare the first note on this Psalm.
all the people and prays for them. He saw how the priests and chief priests were very insistent on the righteousness of the works, so that the truth was obscured in secret, that is why he prayed so diligently.
Farewell, Lord.
(29) Let the kingdom and the priesthood remain in the right knowledge, and keep and preserve them within. This is all against hypocrisy.
V. 21. Then the sacrifices of righteousness, the burnt offerings and whole sacrifices, will be pleasing to you; then they will offer bullocks on your altar.
(30) Then will come the right sacrifices, namely, to continue in prayer and preaching; these are the highest sacrifices. But the moral virtues our Lord God throws into [the] Rapus, like wine, bread 2c.