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Psalms 51:17

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

KJV

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: A broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

ASV

אֲ֭דֹנָ/י שְׂפָתַ֣/י תִּפְתָּ֑ח וּ֝/פִ֗/י יַגִּ֥יד תְּהִלָּתֶֽ/ךָ

Hebrew

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A heart broken and bruised, O God, Thou dost not despise.

YLT

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit. O God, you will not despise a broken and contrite heart.

WEB

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In the original Hebrew

6 distinct Hebrew words appear in this verse.

וֹ
v
noun · 58×
י
y
noun · 440×
י
y
noun · 496×
י
y
noun · 177×
יִּפְתַּ֖ח
yptch
verb · 144×
יַּגֶּד
ygd
verb · 369×

Themes

Historic Christian voices

10 passages from patristic writers, Reformers, and church catechisms citing this verse.

§1428Christ's call to conversion continues to resound in the lives of Christians. This second conversion is an uninterrupted task for the whole Church who, "clasping sinners to her bosom, (is) at once holy and always in need of purification, (and) follows constantly the path of penance and renewal."18 This endeavor of conversion is not just a human work. It is the movement of a "con…
§2100Outward sacrifice, to be genuine, must be the expression of spiritual sacrifice: "The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit...."17 The prophets of the Old Covenant often denounced sacrifices that were not from the heart or not coupled with love of neighbor.18 Jesus recalls the words of the prophet Hosea: "I desire mercy, and not sacrifice."19 The only perfect sacrifice…
Chapter 5.—Of the Sacrifices Which God Does Not Require, But Wished to Be Observed for the Exhibition of Those Things Which He Does Require. And who is so foolish as to suppose that the things offered to God are needed by Him for some uses of His own? Divine Scripture in many places explodes this idea. Not to be wearisome, suffice it to quote this brief saying from a psalm: “I …
Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness. This penitential Psalm, composed after David's sin with Bathsheba, is the most profound expression of repentance in all of Scripture. David pleads not his own merit but God's mercy alone. His confession — "in sin did my mother conceive me" — is not merely a personal statement but a declaration of the universal corrupti…
1. When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said "Repent," He willed that the whole life of believers should be repentance. 2. This word cannot be understood as referring to the sacrament of penance. 3. Yet it does not mean solely inner repentance; such inner repentance is worthless unless it produces various outward mortifications of the flesh. 4. The penalty of sin remains as lo…
Abba Poemen said, "If man understood the saying, 'A broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise,' that would be enough. For if a man wishes to keep all this, he needs humility."
Blessed are the poor in spirit. In the first place, who are the poor in spirit? They are those who feel themselves sinners, who feel there is no health in them, who are convinced of the deep corruption of their nature. They have a just sense of their spiritual wants and emptiness. This poverty of spirit is the foundation of all other graces.
Q. What is the dying of the old self? A. It is to be genuinely sorry for sin, to hate it more and more, and to run away from it.
For, in the first place, God preserves in those saints when they fall his imperishable seed from which they have been born again, lest it perish or be dislodged. Secondly, by his Word and Spirit God certainly and effectively renews them to repentance so that they have a heartfelt and godly sorrow for the sins they have committed; seek and obtain, through faith and with a contri…

Cross-references

  • 1Pet 2:5 — Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
  • 2Chr 33:12 — And when he was in affliction, he besought the LORD his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers,
  • 2Chr 34:27 — Because thine heart was tender, and thou didst humble thyself before God, when thou heardest his words against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, and humbledst thyself before me, and did
  • 2Kgs 22:19 — Because thine heart was tender, and thou hast humbled thyself before the LORD, when thou heardest what I spake against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, that they should become a desola
  • 2Kgs 22:19 — Because thine heart was tender, and thou hast humbled thyself before the LORD, when thou heardest what I spake against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, that they should become a desola
  • Amos 5:21 — I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies.
  • Ezek 9:3 — And the glory of the God of Israel was gone up from the cherub, whereupon he was, to the threshold of the house. And he called to the man clothed with linen, which had the writer’s inkhorn by his side
  • Ezek 9:6 — Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men which were before
  • Heb 13:16 — But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.
  • Isa 57:15 — For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of t
  • Isa 57:15 — For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of t
  • Isa 61:1 — The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and th
  • Isa 61:1 — The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and th
  • Isa 66:2 — For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.
  • Isa 66:2 — For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.
  • Job 42:6 — Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.
  • Joel 2:13 — And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.
  • John 4:24 — God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
  • Lev 23:32 — It shall be unto you a sabbath of rest, and ye shall afflict your souls: in the ninth day of the month at even, from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your sabbath.
  • Luke 4:18 — The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sig
  • Luke 7:38 — And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.
  • Luke 7:39 — Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is
  • Luke 15:2 — And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.
  • Luke 15:10 — Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.
  • Luke 15:21 — And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.
  • Luke 18:11 — The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
  • Mark 12:33 — And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and s
  • Matt 5:3 — Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
  • Matt 5:3 — Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
  • Matt 12:20 — A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory.
  • Phil 4:18 — But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God.
  • Ps 22:24 — For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither hath he hid his face from him; but when he cried unto him, he heard.
  • Ps 34:18 — The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.
  • Ps 34:18 — The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.
  • Ps 102:17 — He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer.
  • Ps 107:22 — And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his works with rejoicing.
  • Ps 138:6 — Though the LORD be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly: but the proud he knoweth afar off.
  • Ps 147:3 — He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.
  • Ps 147:3 — He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.
  • Rom 12:1 — I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.