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    In Context

    Psalm 51:10 in Context

    Psalm 51:10 read in its full chapter context. See the verses before and after, plus historical setting and flow of thought.

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

    — Psalm 51:10 (KJV)

    Where This Verse Sits

    Psalm 51:10 appears in Psalms chapter 51, verse 10. David wrote this psalm after the prophet Nathan confronted him about his adultery with Bathsheba and murder of Uriah, around 990 BC. It is the most famous penitential psalm in Scripture. David didn't just ask for forgiveness—he asked for recreation, using the Hebrew word 'bara' (create), which is used exclusively for divine creative acts.

    The Verse Itself

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

    — Psalm 51:10 (KJV)

    Flow of the Passage

    To grasp Psalm 51:10 fully, read it inside the surrounding paragraph. The verses before set up the argument, and the verses after show its outworking. Psalms 51 as a whole carries forward the theme of repentance, and this single verse is one beat in that larger movement.

    David prays for inner transformation after his sin with Bathsheba. He asks God to create—a word used for divine creative power—a pure heart and renewed spirit.

    Cross-References

    Psalm 51:1-2
    Ezekiel 36:26
    2 Corinthians 5:17

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