Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.
Parallel translations
- WEB Let me hear joy and gladness, That the bones which you have broken may rejoice.
- BSB Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones You have crushed rejoice.
- NKJV Make me hear joy and gladness, That the bones You have broken may rejoice.
- NASB Let me hear joy and gladness, Let the bones You have broken rejoice.
- NLT Oh, give me back my joy again; you have broken me— now let me rejoice.
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 longs to hear joy and gladness again, that the bones God has broken may rejoice. He seeks restored joy after the crushing weight of sin.
Overview
Sin had brought David deep anguish, which he pictures as broken bones, and he yearns for God to restore his joy. Forgiveness is not merely legal but brings renewed gladness and inner healing. This anticipates the deep joy of salvation that flows from being reconciled to God through Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 15
- Hos 6:1–2Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up.
- Matt 5:4Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
- Job 5:17–18Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty:
- Ps 6:2–3Have mercy upon me, O LORD; for I am weak: O LORD, heal me; for my bones are vexed.
- Ps 119:81–82My soul fainteth for thy salvation: but I hope in thy word.
- Ps 126:5–6They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.
- Ps 30:11Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness;
- Ps 35:10All my bones shall say, LORD, who is like unto thee, which deliverest the poor from him that is too strong for him, yea, the poor and the needy from him that spoileth him?
- Luke 4:18The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
- Ps 38:3There is no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger; neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sin.
- Acts 2:37–41Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?
- Isa 57:15–18For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.
- Ps 13:5But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation.
- Isa 35:10And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
- Acts 16:29–34Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas,
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 51:8 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
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