Psalms 51:13 · Bible study
Psalms 51:13 Commentary: Forgiven Sinners Teach God's Ways
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
David's vow to teach transgressors after his restoration. What his example says about the ministry of forgiven sinners.
Research Summary
- Meaning: David promises that God's restoration of his soul will lead him to teach other sinners so that they too may return to God.
- Key words: “Teach” (impart knowledge and example), “transgressors” (those who rebel against God's law), “ways” (God's path of mercy and holiness), “sinners” (those who miss the mark), “converted/return” (turn back to God).
- Main debate: Whether “sinners” refers to unregenerate people needing first-time conversion (Barnes, Calvin) or to backslidden believers needing restoration (Gill, Keil & Delitzsch).
- Theological theme: The ministry of the forgiven; personal experience of grace as a foundation for teaching others.
- Best use: A source of hope for Christians who worry their past sins make them useless for God's work, and a motivation to share their testimony of forgiveness.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners will return to You.
WEB World English Bible 2000
Then I will teach transgressors your ways. Sinners will be converted to you.
KJV King James Version 1769
Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; And sinners shall be converted unto thee.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
I teach transgressors Thy ways, And sinners unto Thee do return.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
I will teach transgressors thy ways, and sinners shall return unto thee.
Translations in other languages (9 available)
Enseñaré á los prevaricadores tus caminos; y los pecadores se convertirán á ti.
Então eu ensinarei aos transgressores os teus caminhos, e os pecadores se converterão a ti.
Ne me rejette pas loin de ta face,
Ich will die Übertreter deine Wege lehren, daß sich die Sünder zu dir bekehren.
Verwerp mij niet van Uw aangezicht, en neem Uw Heiligen Geest niet van mij.
Io insegnerò le tue vie ai trasgressori, e i peccatori si convertiranno a te.
Nie odrzucaj mię od oblicza twego, a Ducha swego świętego nie odbieraj odemnie.
我就把你的道 指教 有過犯的人，罪人 必歸順 你。
Then will I make your ways clear to wrongdoers; and sinners will be turned to you.
Verse in Context
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that this verse represents David's pledge to use his experience of forgiveness as a basis for teaching others. Barnes notes that David's painful experience would show transgressors “the evil and the bitterness of sin” and encourage them to seek mercy. Gill adds that David, as a prophet, would teach “the ways of his grace” and particularly “his ways and methods in receiving and pardoning backsliders.” Keil & Delitzsch describe the sequence: David, assured of justification and fortified in new obedience, will now teach sinners, and they will be converted by his testimony. The Cambridge Bible calls this “one of the most fitting fruits of repentance,” a deliberate effort to undo the damage his sin had caused. Calvin, in his broader treatment of the psalm, sees this as the natural outcome of a restored heart. There is no dispute that the verse links personal restoration with a ministry to others, a pattern that has encouraged Christians across traditions who fear their past might disqualify them from usefulness.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Backslider restoration: Gill and Keil & Delitzsch argue that 'sinners' refers to God's own people who have fallen, and their conversion is a return to fellowship, citing Luke 22:32 and the close connection with David's own restoration.
- Evangelistic conversion: Barnes and Calvin read the verse as David teaching sinners who have never known God, with the goal of their initial conversion to the Lord.
What is clear: David's restoration leads him to a teaching ministry aimed at turning sinners back to God, and this pattern has encouraged Christians across traditions that forgiven sinners can be useful in God's work.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Identity of 'sinners' | All agree that 'sinners' refers to people who have gone astray from God, whether initially or after belief. | Barnes and Calvin see it as unregenerate sinners being converted for the first time; Gill and Keil & Delitzsch argue it refers to backslidden believers being restored, citing Luke 22:32 and the context of David's own backsliding. |
| Nature of David's teaching | David will use his testimony and instruction to point others to God's ways. | Gill and the Cambridge Bible emphasize David's role as a prophet teaching the covenant ways; Barnes focuses more on the pastoral encouragement from David's example. Some see the teaching as primarily personal testimony, others as formal instruction. |
| The means of conversion | Conversion is brought about by God through the means of David's teaching. | Whether the conversion refers specifically to repentance from backsliding (Gill) or initial saving faith (Barnes) reflects broader theological differences between covenantal and revivalist traditions. |
| The timing of the vow | David's vow follows his prayer for restoration and is contingent on receiving it. | Some traditions emphasize that the vow is part of David's repentance itself, a sign of genuine change, while others see it as a later fruit after full assurance of pardon. |
Historical & Cultural Context
This verse sits within Psalm 51, a penitential psalm that tradition and the superscription trace to David after the prophet Nathan confronted him over his adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband Uriah (2 Samuel 11, 12). By Calvin's account, David had “sunk into a spiritual lethargy” for nearly a year before Nathan's rebuke roused him. The surrounding verses (9, 12) contain some of the most intense prayers for cleansing and renewal in Scripture: “Create in me a clean heart,” “Restore to me the joy of your salvation.” Only after those petitions does David offer the promise of verse 13, teaching will follow restoration.
David was not just a king but a prophet (Acts 2:30, cited by Gill), and his role included instructing God's people (see Psalm 34:11). The cultural background of the psalm includes the system of ritual purification, the “hyssop” in verse 7 alludes to the cleansing of a leper or someone defiled by a corpse, using sprinkled blood or water. David appropriates that imagery for moral and spiritual cleansing. The law prescribed sacrifices for atonement, but David insists in verses 16, 17 that God desires “a broken and contrite heart” above animal offerings.
The “ways” of God that David promises to teach include both the paths of obedience (Psalm 25:4, 8) and the specific way God deals with sinners, His mercy, His justice, and the conditions for forgiveness. The Cambridge Bible notes that David had “given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme” by his sin; therefore, teaching others would be an attempt to reverse that damage. This context is crucial: the worst failure of a leader can, through genuine repentance, become the platform for his most effective ministry. The psalm also closes with an intercession for Zion (vv. 18, 19), showing that David's personal restoration is tied to the good of the whole community.
Textual Notes
The supplied commentary sources note no significant textual variants for this verse. The Hebrew text is stable across the major manuscript traditions.
Reception History
Psalm 51 as a whole has been called the most frequently used of all psalms in Christian worship (Lange cites Luther on this). Verse 13 in particular has shaped the church's understanding of the ministry of the forgiven. In medieval and Reformation penitential practice, this verse modeled the trajectory from confession to service. Calvin's commentary uses it to argue that restoration always carries an obligation to build up the church. Evangelical movements have found in it a pattern for personal testimony evangelism: the forgiven sinner becomes the most effective witness. Across traditions, the verse has been read not as presumption but as the appropriate response to grace, a hope that God can use even our worst failures to draw others to Himself.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Restoration precedes commission. David does not rush to teach while still in sin. He prays for cleansing, a clean heart, and the joy of salvation before he vows to teach. The order matters: our usefulness flows from our own experience of grace.
- The content of the teaching is God's ways. Not abstract theology, but the concrete path of repentance, forgiveness, and new obedience. David will tell others how God dealt with him, with justice and mercy combined. The best teaching about grace comes from those who have needed it most.
- The goal is conversion. Sinners will “return” to God. This is not mere information transfer; it is life transformation. David's testimony becomes a means of grace for others, just as Peter's failure and restoration equipped him to strengthen his brothers (Luke 22:32, as Barnes notes).
Five-point outline
- God's forgiveness is never only for the individual. It has a ripple effect. David's restoration benefits more than David.
- Past failure does not disqualify a forgiven person from ministry. On the contrary, it may become the foundation of their most authentic witness. Barnes writes, “No man can hope to be successful who has not experienced this in his own soul.”
- Teaching involves both testimony and instruction. David says “I will teach transgressors your ways”, the “ways” are God's revealed will, which David can now articulate from personal experience of both the pain of sin and the wonder of pardon.
- The teacher's credibility is rooted in honesty. David does not hide his sin; he confesses it openly (Psalm 32:5). Transparency about our struggles makes our teaching trustworthy.
- The result belongs to God. David promises to teach; the conversion is “to you.” He plants and waters, but God gives the growth.
Illustration hooks
- A person who has been through a difficult divorce and then, after healing, leads a support group for others in the same situation. Their authority comes from having walked the path.
- A financial advisor who once faced bankruptcy but now helps others manage money wisely. He teaches from the lessons learned the hard way.
- A congregation member who struggled with addiction and now volunteers in the church's recovery ministry. Their story opens doors that a lecture never could.
Questions your congregation is asking
- “Does my biggest sin mean God can't use me anymore?”
- “How do I know when I am ready to help someone else after my own failure?”
- “What if the people I want to teach know about my past? Will they listen?”
Leading a Discussion
David's vow in Psalm 51:13 comes right after his desperate prayer for restoration. He does not wait until he feels worthy; he simply promises that if God restores him, he will use that gift to help others find their way back. This study invites your group to consider how God might use your own experiences of forgiveness as a bridge for others.
Discussion questions
- What does David's progress through the psalm (from confession in vv.1-4 to teaching in v.13) tell you about the order of spiritual renewal?
- Why do you think David specifies “transgressors” rather than “the faithful”? What does that imply about his intended audience?
- Read Psalm 32:8, 10, which many scholars believe David wrote after this experience. How does that passage echo the promise of 51:13?
- Barnes says the best preparation for winning souls is a deep personal experience of guilt and mercy. Do you agree? What might be the risks of such a view?
- How does your own story of failure and forgiveness inform the way you talk to others about God?
- David's sin was public and involved others. Does a public failure affect your ability to teach differently than a private one?
- If someone in your group feels their past disqualifies them from speaking about God, how might this verse challenge that belief?
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Psalms 19:7 | Yahweh’s law is perfect, restoring the soul. Yahweh’s covenant is sure, making wise the simple. |
| Psalms 22:27 | All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to Yahweh. All the relatives of the nations shall worship before you. |
| Psalms 25:4 | Show me your ways, Yahweh. Teach me your paths. |
| Psalms 25:8 | Good and upright is Yahweh, therefore he will instruct sinners in the way. |
| Psalms 32:5 | I acknowledged my sin to you. I didn’t hide my iniquity. I said, I will confess my transgressions to Yahweh, and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah. |
| Psalms 32:8 | I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you shall go. I will counsel you with my eye on you. |
| Psalms 32:10 | Many sorrows come to the wicked, but loving kindness shall surround him who trusts in Yahweh. |
| Isaiah 2:3 | Many peoples shall go and say, “Come, let’s go up to the mountain of Yahweh, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths.” For the law shall go out of Zion, and Yahweh’s word from Jerusalem. |
Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
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What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke notes that David's teaching flows from gratitude for his own forgiveness. Using Dr. Delaney's insight, he draws a powerful contrast: the fall of a great man like David shows no one can trust their own strength, yet his restoration proves no one need despair of God's mercy.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes insists that genuine success in leading others to God comes only from a deep, personal experience of sin's bitterness and God's mercy. David’s own painful fall and forgiveness become the very tools he uses to teach and convert other sinners. No one who lacks this firsthand experience can hope to labor effectively in such work.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator argues that David's desire to teach other sinners after his own restoration is not presumptuous but a fitting fruit of repentance. Undoing the harm his sin caused by directing others back to God is exactly the kind of action repentance should produce.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note highlights that David's own experience of forgiveness empowers his witness. Only after receiving mercy does he promise to teach God's ways to sinners, implying that personal restoration qualifies a believer to effectively call others to repentance.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill highlights that David, after receiving pardon, promises to teach other transgressors about God's gracious methods, especially how God receives and pardons backsliders. The goal is to encourage sinners to repent and seek the same mercy, showing that conversion follows this teaching.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB draws a distinction that God's ways in this passage mean both His providential dealings and the duties He requires of people. The gracious work God does produces this result: His people learn to follow His guidance in both areas.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch treats the phrase "spirit of willingness" as a grammatical object, not the subject: David asks God to support him by imparting this spirit. They distinguish it from the Holy Spirit, describing it as the human spirit freed from sin's dominion, making good an inward necessity.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange insists the entire psalm, including the closing prayers for Zion, belongs to David's own situation after Nathan's rebuke. He rejects theories that add later exile material, arguing that the references to sin, bloodguilt, and intercession for Jerusalem flow naturally from David's repentance and his royal concern for the nation's welfare.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry draws a direct link between the Old Testament ceremonial cleansing with hyssop and the New Testament blood of Christ. For Henry, David's plea is for both pardon and the assured restoration to God's favor and communion, which only the blood of Christ applied by faith can provide.