A. (1) Have mercy upon me, O God,
according to thy lovingkindness:
according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies
blot out my transgressions.
B. (2a) Wash me throughly from mine iniquity,
(2b) and cleanse me from my sin.
C. (3) For I acknowledge my transgressions:
(3b) and my sin is ever before me.
(4) Against thee, thee only, have I sinned,
and done this evil in thy sight:
D. that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest,
and be clear when thou judgest.
C’. (5) Behold, I was shapen in iniquity;
and in sin did my mother conceive me.
( 6) Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts:
and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.
B’. (7) Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean:
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
A’. (8-9) Make me to hear joy and gladness;
that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.
Hide thy face from my sins,
and blot out all mine iniquities.
A.(8) Make me to hear joy and gladness;
that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.
B. (9) Hide thy face from my sins,
and blot out all mine iniquities.
C. (10) Create in me a clean heart, O God;
C’. and renew a right spirit within me.
B’. (11) Cast me not away from thy presence;
and take not thy holy spirit from me.
A’. (12) Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation;
and uphold me with thy free spirit.
A. (13) Then will I teach transgressors thy ways;
and sinners shall be converted unto thee.
B. (14) Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God,
B’. thou God of my salvation:
A’. and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.
(15) O Lord, open thou my lips;
and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise.
A. (16) For thou desirest not sacrifice;
else would I give it:
B. thou delightest not in burnt offering.
C. (17) The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit:
a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
D. (18) Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion:
D’ . build thou the walls of Jerusalem.
C’. (19) Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness,
B’. with burnt offering and whole burnt offering:
A’. then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar.
Note: Wendland suggests the following overall pattern in https://www.academia.edu/36065502/An_Exegetical_Overview_of_Psalm_51_A_Prayer_for_Forgiveness.
A. Prologue—Appeal for God’s mercy in individual forgiveness (vv. 1-2)
B. Personal confession of sinfulness (3-6)
C. Prayer for forgiveness and renewed joy (7-9)
C’ Prayer for purity and renewed joy (10-12)
B’ Personal profession of consecration (13-17)
A’ Epilogue—Appeal for God’s communal blessing upon Zion (18-19)
Psalm 51 is poetry. Each verse is either a chiasm or a parallel. The following breaks it into 4 parts. It does not use verses 8&9 twice as in the current analysis.
I. Plea for mercy after confessing sin and the good judgement of God
A 1 Have mercy upon me,
O God, according to thy lovingkindness:
according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies
blot out my transgressions.
B 2 Wash me throughly
from mine iniquity,
and cleanse me
from my sin.
C 3 For I acknowledge
my transgressions:
and my sin
is ever before me.
D 4 Against thee, thee only,
have I sinned,
and done this evil
in thy sight:
E that thou mightest be justified
when thou speakest,
and be clear
when thou judgest.
D 5 Behold, I was shapen
in iniquity;
and in sin
did my mother conceive me.
C’ 6 Behold, thou desirest truth
in the inward parts:
and in the hidden part
thou shalt make me to know wisdom.
B’ 7 Purge me with hyssop,
and I shall be clean:
wash me,
and I shall be whiter than snow.
A’ 8 Make me to hear
joy and gladness;
that the bones which thou hast broken
may rejoice.
II. Plea to regain his relationship with God and his spirit
A 9 Hide thy face
from my sins,
and blot out
all mine iniquities.
B 10 Create in me
a clean heart, O God;
and renew a right spirit
within me.
B’ 11 Cast me not away
from thy presence;
and take not thy holy spirit
from me.
A’ 12 Restore unto me
the joy of thy salvation;
and uphold me
with thy free spirit.
III. Promise to preach the Lord’s ways if forgiven (bargain with the Lord)
A 13 Then will I teach transgressors
thy ways;
and sinners shall be converted
unto thee.
B 14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness,
O God,
thou God
of my salvation:
A’ and my tongue
shall sing aloud
of thy righteousness.
15 O Lord,
open thou
my lips;
and my mouth
shall shew forth
thy praise.
IV. Plea for God to accept a contrite heart and the sacrifices
A 16 For thou desirest not sacrifice;
else would I give it:
thou delightest not in burnt offering.
B 17 The sacrifices of God are
a broken spirit: [spiritual strength]
a broken and a contrite heart,
O God, thou wilt not despise.
B’ 18 Do good in thy good pleasure
unto Zion:
build thou
the walls of Jerusalem. {spiritual walls}
A’ 19 Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness,
with burnt offering
and whole burnt offering:
then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar.