Psalm 51:15
New International Version
Open my lips, Lord, and my mouth will declare your praise.

New Living Translation
Unseal my lips, O Lord, that my mouth may praise you.

English Standard Version
O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.

Berean Standard Bible
O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare Your praise.

King James Bible
O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise.

New King James Version
O Lord, open my lips, And my mouth shall show forth Your praise.

New American Standard Bible
Lord, open my lips, So that my mouth may declare Your praise.

NASB 1995
O Lord, open my lips, That my mouth may declare Your praise.

NASB 1977
O Lord, open my lips, That my mouth may declare Thy praise.

Legacy Standard Bible
O Lord, open my lips, That my mouth may declare Your praise.

Amplified Bible
O Lord, open my lips, That my mouth may declare Your praise.

Christian Standard Bible
Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare Your praise.

American Standard Version
O Lord, open thou my lips; And my mouth shall show forth thy praise.

Contemporary English Version
Help me to speak, and I will praise you, Lord.

English Revised Version
O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will tell about your praise.

Good News Translation
Help me to speak, Lord, and I will praise you.

International Standard Version
Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.

Majority Standard Bible
O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare Your praise.

NET Bible
O Lord, give me the words! Then my mouth will praise you.

New Heart English Bible
Lord, open my lips. My mouth shall declare your praise.

Webster's Bible Translation
O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall show forth thy praise.

World English Bible
Lord, open my lips. My mouth will declare your praise.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
O Lord, you open my lips, "" And my mouth declares Your praise.

Young's Literal Translation
O Lord, my lips thou dost open, And my mouth declareth Thy praise.

Smith's Literal Translation
O Jehovah, thou wilt open my lips, and my mouth shall announce thy praise.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
O Lord, thou wilt open my lips: and my mouth shall declare thy praise.

Catholic Public Domain Version
O Lord, you will open my lips, and my mouth will announce your praise.

New American Bible
Lord, you will open my lips; and my mouth will proclaim your praise.

New Revised Standard Version
O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
O LORD, open thou my lips, and my mouth shall show forth thy praise;

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
LORD JEHOVAH, open my lips for me, and my mouth will sing your glory.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
O Lord, open Thou my lips; And my mouth shall declare Thy praise.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
O Lord, thou shalt open my lips; and my mouth shall declare thy praise.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Create in Me a Clean Heart, O God
14Deliver me from bloodguilt, O God, the God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing of Your righteousness. 15O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare Your praise. 16For You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; You take no pleasure in burnt offerings.…

Cross References
Isaiah 6:5-7
Then I said: “Woe is me, for I am ruined, because I am a man of unclean lips dwelling among a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of Hosts.” / Then one of the seraphim flew to me, and in his hand was a glowing coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. / And with it he touched my mouth and said: “Now that this has touched your lips, your iniquity is removed and your sin is atoned for.”

Romans 10:9-10
that if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. / For with your heart you believe and are justified, and with your mouth you confess and are saved.

Hebrews 13:15
Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise, the fruit of lips that confess His name.

Psalm 71:8
My mouth is filled with Your praise and with Your splendor all day long.

Psalm 35:28
Then my tongue will proclaim Your righteousness and Your praises all day long.

Psalm 40:9-10
I proclaim righteousness in the great assembly; behold, I do not seal my lips, as You, O LORD, do know. / I have not covered up Your righteousness in my heart; I have declared Your faithfulness and salvation; I have not concealed Your loving devotion and faithfulness from the great assembly.

Psalm 63:3-5
Because Your loving devotion is better than life, my lips will glorify You. / So I will bless You as long as I live; in Your name I will lift my hands. / My soul is satisfied as with the richest of foods; with joyful lips my mouth will praise You.

Psalm 119:171
My lips pour forth praise, for You teach me Your statutes.

Psalm 145:21
My mouth will declare the praise of the LORD; let every creature bless His holy name forever and ever.

Ephesians 5:19-20
Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your hearts to the Lord, / always giving thanks to God the Father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Colossians 3:16
Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.

Luke 6:45
The good man brings good things out of the good treasure of his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil treasure of his heart. For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.

Matthew 12:34
You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.

James 3:9-10
With the tongue we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. / Out of the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, this should not be!

1 Peter 2:9
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, to proclaim the virtues of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.


Treasury of Scripture

O Lord, open you my lips; and my mouth shall show forth your praise.

O Lord

Genesis 44:16
And Judah said, What shall we say unto my lord? what shall we speak? or how shall we clear ourselves? God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants: behold, we are my lord's servants, both we, and he also with whom the cup is found.

1 Samuel 2:9
He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail.

Ezekiel 16:63
That thou mayest remember, and be confounded, and never open thy mouth any more because of thy shame, when I am pacified toward thee for all that thou hast done, saith the Lord GOD.

open

Exodus 4:11
And the LORD said unto him, Who hath made man's mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the LORD?

Ezekiel 3:27
But when I speak with thee, I will open thy mouth, and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; He that heareth, let him hear; and he that forbeareth, let him forbear: for they are a rebellious house.

Ezekiel 29:21
In that day will I cause the horn of the house of Israel to bud forth, and I will give thee the opening of the mouth in the midst of them; and they shall know that I am the LORD.

mouth

Psalm 63:3-5
Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee…

Psalm 119:13
With my lips have I declared all the judgments of thy mouth.

Hebrews 13:15
By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.

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Psalm 51
1. David prays for remission of sins, whereof he makes a deep confession
6. He prays for sanctification
16. God delights not in sacrifice, but in sincerity
18. He prays for the church














O Lord
The invocation "O Lord" is a direct address to God, using the Hebrew word "Adonai," which signifies God's sovereignty and authority. This term reflects a deep reverence and acknowledgment of God's supreme power and lordship over all creation. In the context of Psalm 51, David is appealing to God's authority and mercy, recognizing that only God can grant him the ability to speak and praise. Historically, this reflects the ancient Israelite understanding of God as the ultimate ruler and judge, whose favor and forgiveness are essential for worship.

open my lips
The phrase "open my lips" is a plea for divine intervention. The Hebrew verb "patah" means to open or release, suggesting that David feels spiritually or emotionally constrained. He is asking God to enable him to speak freely and truthfully. This request implies that true worship and praise are not possible without God's enabling grace. In the broader scriptural context, this reflects the belief that human ability to worship is a gift from God, emphasizing the dependence of the believer on divine assistance for genuine expression of faith.

and my mouth
The mention of "my mouth" highlights the personal and intimate nature of worship. The mouth is the instrument of speech, and in biblical terms, it often represents the heart's overflow. This connection between the heart and mouth is seen throughout scripture, where the mouth is used to confess faith, declare truth, and offer praise. The historical context of ancient Israelite worship involved vocal expressions of praise, underscoring the importance of spoken words in communal and personal devotion.

will declare
The verb "declare" comes from the Hebrew "nagad," which means to make known or proclaim. This suggests an active and intentional act of communication. David is committing to not just speak, but to proclaim God's greatness and goodness. This reflects a transformation from silence or sin-induced shame to bold proclamation, a theme prevalent in the Psalms where personal restoration leads to public testimony. The act of declaring is both a personal vow and a communal act, as declarations of praise were often shared in the assembly of believers.

Your praise
The phrase "Your praise" centers the content of David's declaration on God alone. The Hebrew word "tehillah" refers to praise, song, or hymn, indicating a form of worship that is both verbal and musical. This highlights the purpose of David's request: to honor God with words that reflect His character and deeds. In the conservative Christian perspective, this underscores the belief that all worship should be God-centered, focusing on His attributes and works. Historically, this aligns with the tradition of psalmody in Israel, where the community would sing praises as a form of worship and remembrance of God's faithfulness.

(15) My lips.--Comp. Psalm 71:15. The sense of forgiveness is like a glad morning to song-birds.

Verse 15. - O Lord (not Jehovah, but Adonai), open thou my lips; and my mouth shall show forth thy praise. A sense of his guilt has long kept the psalmist's lips closed. Let his sins be forgiven, and his conscience relieved, then praise and thanksgiving will flow from his mouth freely and copiously.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
O Lord,
אֲ֭דֹנָי (’ă·ḏō·nāy)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 136: The Lord

open
תִּפְתָּ֑ח (tip̄·tāḥ)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 6605: To open wide, to loosen, begin, plough, carve

my lips,
שְׂפָתַ֣י (śə·p̄ā·ṯay)
Noun - fdc | first person common singular
Strong's 8193: The lip, language, a margin

and my mouth
וּ֝פִ֗י (ū·p̄î)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 6310: The mouth, edge, portion, side, according to

will declare
יַגִּ֥יד (yag·gîḏ)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5046: To be conspicuous

Your praise.
תְּהִלָּתֶֽךָ׃ (tə·hil·lā·ṯe·ḵā)
Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 8416: Praise, song of praise


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OT Poetry: Psalm 51:15 Lord open my lips (Psalm Ps Psa.)
Psalm 51:14
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