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.
Bullocks of the lips match the “sacrifice of praise, the fruit of the lips” in Hebrews 13:15. In the millennial kingdom of God, both literal sacrifices and the praise they represent will be given to God in the temple built in Jerusalem. This is only possible because of v17, the sacrifice of Christ who was “broken [in] spirit” when he was bruised/broken” for our iniquities (compare the Hebrew of Isaiah 53:5).