Lord, open my lips, So that my mouth may declare Your praise.
Parallel translations
- WEB Lord, open my lips. My mouth shall declare your praise.
- KJV O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise.
- BSB O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare Your praise.
- NKJV O Lord, open my lips, And my mouth shall show forth Your praise.
- NLT Unseal my lips, O Lord, that my mouth may praise you.
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 asks God to open his lips so his mouth may declare God's praise. Even the ability to praise is a gift of grace.
Overview
Sin and guilt had silenced David's praise, so he asks God Himself to open his lips for worship. Renewed fellowship results in renewed praise. The verse acknowledges that genuine worship is enabled by God's grace, the same grace that frees the redeemed to glorify Him through Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 13
- Heb 13:15Through him, then, let us offer up a sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of lips which proclaim allegiance to his name.
- Ps 63:3–5Because your loving kindness is better than life, my lips shall praise you.
- Ps 9:14that I may show all of your praise. In the gates of the daughter of Zion, I will rejoice in your salvation.
- Ezek 29:21In that day will I cause a horn to sprout for the house of Israel, and I will give you the opening of the mouth among them; and they shall know that I am Yahweh.
- Ps 119:13With my lips, I have declared all the ordinances of your mouth.
- Ezek 3:27But when I speak with you, I will open your mouth, and you shall tell them, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh.’ He who hears, let him hear; and he who forbears, let him forbear: for they are a rebellious house.”
- Exod 4:11Yahweh said to him, “Who made man’s mouth? Or who makes one mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Isn’t it I, Yahweh?
- 1 Sam 2:9He will keep the feet of his holy ones, but the wicked shall be put to silence in darkness; for no man shall prevail by strength.
- Mark 7:34Looking up to heaven, he sighed, and said to him, “Ephphatha!” that is, “Be opened!”
- Ezek 16:63that you may remember, and be confounded, and never open your mouth any more, because of your shame, when I have forgiven you all that you have done,” says the Lord Yahweh.’”
- Matt 22:12and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here not wearing wedding clothing?’ He was speechless.
- Gen 44:16Judah said, “What will we tell my lord? What will we speak? Or how will we clear ourselves? God has found out the iniquity of your servants. Behold, we are my lord’s slaves, both we, and he also in whose hand the cup is found.”
- Rom 3:19Now we know that whatever things the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be closed, and all the world may be brought under the judgment of God.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
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 51:15 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.