Ver. 1. Have mercy upon me, O God] It was wont to be, O my God, but David had now sinned away his assurance, wiped off his comfortables; he dares not plead propriety in God, nor relation to him, as having forfeited both. At another time, when he had greatly offended God by numbering the people, God counted him but plain David, “Go and say to David,” 2 Samuel 24:12, whereas before, when he purposed to build God a temple, then it was, “Go tell my servant David,” 2 Samuel 7:5. Sin doth much impair and weaken our assurance of God’s favour; like as a drop of water falling on a burning candle dimmeth the light thereof. The course that David taketh for recovery of this last evil is confession of sin, and hearty prayer for pardoning and purging grace. In the courts of men it is safest (saith Quintilian) to plead Non feci, Not guilty; not so here, but Ego feci, miserere miserrimi peccatoris, misericors Deus. Guilty, Lord, have mercy, &c. Per miserere mei tollitur ira Dei. According to the multitude of thy tender mercies] They are a multitude of them, and David needeth them all, for the pardon of his many and mighty sins; that where sin had abounded grace might superabound, it may have a superpleonasm, 1 Timothy 1:14. Blot out my transgressions] Out of thy debtbook; cross out the black lines of my sins with the red lines of Christ’s blood; cancel the bond, though written in black and bloody characters.
Ver. 2. Wash me throughly from mine iniquity] Heb. Multiply, wash me; so Isaiah 55:7. God is said to multiply pardon as much as we multiply sin. David apprehended his sin so exceeding sinful, his stain so inveterate, so engrained, that it would hardly be ever gotten out till the cloth were almost rubbed to pieces; that God himself would have somewhat to do to do it. He had been in a deep ditch, Proverbs 23:27, and was pitifully defiled; he therefore begs hard to be thoroughly rinsed, to be bathed in that blessed fountain of Christ’s blood, that is opened for sins and for uncleanness, Zechariah 13:1; to be cleansed not only from outward defilements, but from his swinish nature; for though a swine be washed never so clean, if she retain her nature, she will be ready to wallow in the next guzzle. The time of our being here is αιων λουτροφορος, as Nazianzen calleth it, i.e. our washing time. Wash thy heart, O Jerusalem, that thou mayest be clean, Jeremiah 4:14, not by thinking to set off with God, and to make amends by thy good deeds for thy bad; this is but lutum luto purgare, to wash off one filth with another; but by the practice of mortification, and by faith in Christ’s meritorious passion; for he hath washed us from our sins in his own blood, Revelation 1:5. Other blood defileth, but this purifieth from all pollutions of flesh and spirit, 1 John 1:7. And cleanse me from my sin] In like manner as the leper under the law was cleansed. Leprosy, frenzy, heresy, and jealousy, are by men counted incurable; Sed omnipotenti medico nullus insanabilis occurrit morbus, saith Isidore, to an Almighty physician no disease is incurable. There is indeed a natural Novatianism in the timorous consciences of convinced sinners, to doubt and question pardon for sins of apostasy, and falling after repentance; but there need be no such doubting, since God, who hath bidden us to forgive a repenting brother seventy times seven times in one day, will himself much more. All sins and blasphemies shall be forgiven to the sons of men, &c., Matthew 12:31.
Ver. 3. For I acknowledge my transgressions] And therefore look for pardon, according to thy promise. Homo agnoseit, Deus ignoscit. And my sin] My twisted sin and sadly accented; mine accumulative sin, voluminous wickedness, that hath so many sins bound up in it, as Cicero saith of parricide. Is ever before me] To my great grief and regret, my conscience twitteth me with it, and the devil layeth it in my dish. This maketh him follow God so close, resolved to give him no rest till he hath registered and enrolled the remission of his sins in the book of life, with the bloody lines of Christ’s soul saving sufferings, and golden characters of his own eternal love.
Ver. 4. Against thee, thee only, have I sinned] This he spake in respect of the secresy of his sins, say some; whence also it followeth, “And done this evil in thy sight.” David sent for Bathsheba by his servants, but they knew not wherefore he sent for her, saith Kimchi; neither knew any one why letters were sent to Joab to kill Uriah; but because he refused to obey the king, bidding him go home to his house, &c. Others thus, Against thee only, that is, thee mainly; for every sin is a violation of God’s law; the trespass may be against man, but the transgression is ever against God. Others again thus, Against thee, &c., that is, against thee, so good a God, have I thus heinously offended, giving thereby thine enemies occasion to blaspheme thee. This, I take it, is the true meaning. And done this evil in thy sight] Which was to despise thee, 2 Samuel 12:10, not caring though thou lookedst on. That thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, &c.] i.e. Declared to be just, whatever thou hast denounced against me or shalt inflict upon me. The unrighteousness of man commendeth the righteousness of God, Romans 3:4,5. To thee, O Lord God, belongeth righteousness, but unto us confusion of face, saith Daniel, Psalms 9:7.