For I know my transgressions,
Psalm 51:3-7
and my sin is ever before me.
Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you may be justified in your words
and blameless in your judgment.
Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
and in sin did my mother conceive me.
Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being,
and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Introduction
Psalm 51:5 is often used as a proof-text in support of the doctrine of original sin. According to proponents of original sin, David is declaring that he was born a guilty sinner (not just born with a propensity to sin, but with actual sin guilt upon him). Upon inspection, however, it can be shown that David is not saying that he and all others are born with the guilt of sin. He is instead using poetic language to express his exceeding sinfulness and corruption, specifically in regards to his actions with Bathsheba and Uriah.
What We Mean by “Original Sin”
By “original sin” we are referring to the idea that the guilt of Adam’s sin is inherited by each individual at conception and each person is therefore under the wrath of God from conception. That we are born with a propensity to sin is beyond doubt, and certainly we are born with the consequences of others’ sins (including physical death), but that does not mean we are born as sinners, guilty of Adam’s (or anyone else’s) sin.
Poetry, not Prose
A very important aspect of reading poetry is to remember that we are reading poetry. Those promoting the concept of original sin, far from taking Psalm 51:5 as a poetic statement, take it very literally and assert that David “confesses that he was formed in sin, and that he was a transgressor ere he saw the light of this world” (Calvin). To take David’s statement in such a woodenly literal way is to ignore the poetic nature of the Psalms.
Compare Other Poetic Statements
The Psalms, as to their genre, are first and foremost poetry. Therefore, hyperbole, metaphor, and other non-literal elements should be expected when reading the Psalms. Consider a few examples of other non-literal statements in the Psalms.
Psalm 51:6 & 7
Beginning with the Psalm under review, verse 6 of Psalm 51 reads:
you teach me wisdom in the secret heart
David, as far as can be told, only had one heart and does not have an additional secret heart. Nor does his heart have learning capacities, that is the function of the brain.
Likewise, verse 7 of Psalm 51 reads:
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
David is not wanting to be physically washed or for his skin color to become lighter. Rather, David is asking God to forgive the sins he has committed. David is simply expressing himself in visual, poetic language.
Psalm 23:1
Even the oft quoted Psalm 23 begins with a metaphorical statement:
The Lord is my shepherd
Humans are not literal sheep, nor is the Lord a literal shepherd. However, we sometimes act with the intelligence of sheep, and the Lord guides and protects us in the nature of a shepherd.
Psalm 58:3-4
Consider also Psalm 58, another Psalm sometimes used to support the doctrine of original sin. Psalm 58:3-4 reads,
The wicked are estranged from the womb;
they go astray from birth, speaking lies.
They have venom like the venom of a serpent,
like the deaf adder that stops its ear,
Again, this is clearly poetic language – the wicked do not have literal venom, nor do they come out of the womb speaking lies. As we understand Psalm 58:3-4 to be poetic, so ought we understand Psalm 51:5.
Poetic Hyperbole, Not Scientific Precision
David, in Psalm 51, is not declaring that he is born with the guilt of Adam’s sin imputed to him. David is expressing his sinfulness in poetic language. He is declaring his exceeding sinfulness in light of his actions with Uriah and Bathsheba. He feels the weight of his guilt so heavily, that it is as if he is the product of sin.
Does David have a propensity to sin that is part of his fallen human nature? Yes. But that does not mean that he is guilty of Adam’s sin at the point he is conceived. As Tremper Longman III points out, “the psalmist owns the fact that he is a sinner. It would be wrong, however, to use this hyperbolic poetic verse as a proof-text for the doctrine of original sin” (220).
A Curious Omission
If Psalm 51:5 is such a strong statement on original sin, it is curious that it is not used anywhere in the New Testament to make such a claim (Grogan, 107). For sure, it is not necessary for the New Testament to quote an Old Testament verse in order for us to draw a theological conclusion from it. However, the fact that Psalm 51:5 is nowhere quoted in the NT, especially in NT passages supposedly teaching original sin, seems to be a strike against the idea of Psalm 51:5 teaching original sin.
Psalm 51:5 and Romans 5
Take Romans 5 for example. This is another primary text used to support the doctrine of original sin. Let’s assume, for sake of argument, that Paul is in fact teaching original sin in Romans 5. If Psalm 51:5 is such a clear statement on original sin, it is noteworthy that Paul doesn’t make use of Psalm 51:5 in his argumentation. This omission is even more striking since Paul quotes the Psalms extensively throughout the book of Romans and even quotes Psalm 51:4 in Romans 3.
Limited, but Noteworthy
We are limited on what conclusions can be drawn from omissions, but again, the omission of Psalm 51:5 from the NT, especially from NT texts supposedly teaching original sin, would seem to weaken the strength of Psalm 51:5 as a flagship proof-text for original sin.
Conclusion
Psalm 51:5 is not the strong proof-text for original sin that it is often held up to be. We do not want to diminish the universality of sin or minimize sin’s consequences, but that does not require us to declare that each individual is born guilty of sin. That mankind has a propensity to sin is beyond question; whether or not each individual is born a guilty sinner is up for debate.
Don’t Outrun the Text
To read a declaration of original sin into Psalm 51:5 is definitely going further than what the text actually says. David is expressing his sin and guilt and is doing so in poetic language. He is so overwhelmed by his sin that it is as if he is himself the product of sin. Albert Barnes’ conclusions regarding Psalm 51:5 are worth including here:
The points, therefore, which are established by this expression of the psalmist, so far as the language is designed to illustrate how human nature is conceived, are (1) that people are born with a propensity to sin; and (2) that this fact does not excuse us in sin, but rather tends to aggravate and deepen our guilt.
The language goes no further than this in regard to the question of original sin or native depravity. (86)
A Weak Foundational Text for Original Sin
In Psalm 51:5, David is expressing his sinfulness and guilt in light of his sinful actions, not declaring that he was born guilty of sin from the womb. The fact that Psalm 51:5 is one of the primary texts used to support the doctrine of original sin, and yet is itself so flimsy in that regard, should cause us to reconsider the overall strength of original sin’s biblical foundation.
Bibliography
Barnes, Albert, Psalms vol. II. 3 vols. Notes on the Old Testament Explanatory and Practical. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1964.
Calvin, John. “Commentary on Psalms 51”. “Calvin’s Commentary on the Bible”. https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/cal/psalms-51.html. 1840-57.
Grogan, Geoffrey W., Psalms. The Two Horizon Old Testament Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2008.
Longman III, Tremper, Psalms. Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2014.
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