I wash my hands in innocence that I may go about Your altar, O LORD,
Parallel translations
- WEB I will wash my hands in innocence, so I will go about your altar, Yahweh;
- KJV I will wash mine hands in innocency: so will I compass thine altar, O LORD:
- NKJV I will wash my hands in innocence; So I will go about Your altar, O Lord,
- NASB I will wash my hands in innocence, And I will go around Your altar, Lord,
- NLT I wash my hands to declare my innocence. I come to your altar, O Lord,
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
David washes his hands in innocence and approaches God's altar. He draws near to worship with a clean conscience.
Overview
Using the imagery of ceremonially washing his hands, David expresses his desire to come to God's altar in purity. The outward act symbolizes inner cleansing and the longing to worship rightly. This points beyond ritual to the true cleansing accomplished by Christ, whose blood purifies the conscience so believers may draw near to God.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- Ps 73:13Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure; in innocence I have washed my hands.
- Isa 1:16–18Wash and cleanse yourselves. Remove your evil deeds from My sight. Stop doing evil!
- Titus 3:5He saved us, not by the righteous deeds we had done, but according to His mercy, through the washing of new birth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.
- Exod 30:19–20with which Aaron and his sons are to wash their hands and feet.
- 1 Tim 2:8Therefore I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands, without anger or dissension.
- Heb 10:19–22Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus,
- Mal 2:11–13Judah has broken faith; an abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem. For Judah has profaned the LORD’s beloved sanctuary by marrying the daughter of a foreign god.
- 1 Cor 11:28–29Each one must examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup.
- Matt 5:23–24So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you,
- Ps 24:4He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear deceitfully.
- Ps 43:4Then I will go to the altar of God, to God, my greatest joy. I will praise You with the harp, O God, my God.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
The Psalms are Christ's own prayer book and a gallery of his portraits — the suffering one of Psalm 22, the risen Lord of Psalm 16, the priest-king of Psalm 110, the Son to whom the nations are given.
How Psalms 26:6 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.