I will wash mine hands in innocency: so will I compass thine altar, O LORD:
Parallel translations
- WEB I will wash my hands in innocence, so I will go about your altar, Yahweh;
- BSB I wash my hands in innocence that I may go about Your 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 73:13Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency.
- Isa 1:16–18Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;
- Titus 3:5Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
- Exod 30:19–20For Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet thereat:
- 1 Tim 2:8I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.
- Heb 10:19–22Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,
- Mal 2:11–13Judah hath dealt treacherously, and an abomination is committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah hath profaned the holiness of the LORD which he loved, and hath married the daughter of a strange god.
- 1 Cor 11:28–29But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.
- Matt 5:23–24Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;
- Ps 24:4He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.
- Ps 43:4Then will I go unto the altar of God, unto God my exceeding joy: yea, upon the harp will I praise thee, 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.