Psalms 51:1

Psalms 51:1. Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.

Observe he appeals to mercy, and mercy only - to mercy, abounding mercy in its tenderest and kindest aspect. "According to thy tender mercies." Note here David does not use his name. He does not say, "Lord remember David": he is ashamed of his name. And he does not seem to want God to remember that, but to remember mercy: and to have pity upon this nameless sinner. He does not say, "Save the son of thine handmaid," or "Deliver thy servant," as he was wont to do; he just appeals to mercy, and that is all. And observe it is not "Have mercy upon me, oh! my God." He is far off now: he has lost the comfortable assurance of the covenant of grace, and so it is rather more like the cry of the prodigal when he returned and said, "I am not worthy to be called thy son": have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy loving-kindness - according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out - (or as more correctly it might be rendered, "wash out" - "wipe out") - my transgressions. The allusion is rather to a dish - wipe it out, turn it upside down, and turn out all that is in it, sweep it away - wipe out all my transgressions. Or it may be as a withdrawal of a record in court when the indictment is withdrawn, "Lord be pleased to quash the indictment against me; blot out all my transgressions."