Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
-Prayer for the Spirit fittingly follows his prayers for purification, complete forgiveness, and the joy of assurance. For the joyful sense of forgiveness is "joy in the Holy Spirit" (Romans 14:17). The gift of the Holy Spirit follows upon forgiveness of sin (Acts 2:38); and so in the three verses He is alluded to - "a right spirit
... thy Holy Spirit ... thy free Spirit."
Verse 10. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. No less an Almighty power than that which 'created' х bªraa' (H1254)] the world is needed to "create" in fallen man "a clean heart." Ephesians 2:10; Ezekiel 36:26, contains God's promise corresponding to this prayer. The Hebrew ( naakown (H3559)) for "right" is rather a heart 'steadfast' in the path of righteousness, margin. David's fault had been want of that steadfastness whereby he should have resisted "temptation." Compare Psalms 78:37. He formerly had this holy fixity of spirit; he now prays that it may be renewed.
Verse 11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy Holy Spirit from me As Cain was 'hid Verse 11. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy Holy Spirit from me. As Cain was 'hid from the face of God.' (Genesis 4:14), and as Israel was 'cast from His presence' at last (2 Kings 13:23), God's Spirit had not ceased to strive with him (Genesis 6:3). He confesses that he deserves to be 'cast off,' as having turned from his righteousness (Ezekiel 32:13-18). The awful end of Saul is before him. "The Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul" at the same time that "the Spirit of the Lord came upon David" (1 Samuel 16:1; 1 Samuel 16:13-14). Now David has "grieved the Holy Spirit of God" (Ephesians 4:30); but he has not entirely lost Him, nor apostatized, though, had not mercy interposed, he must inevitably have done so (Hebrews 6:4-6), as Saul.
Verse 12. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation - answering to Psalms 51:8: the joy which thy salvation imparts in the experience of the forgiveness of sin, and of the possession of the Holy Spirit.
And uphold me with (thy) free Spirit. There is no "thy" in the original translation; therefore translate, 'Uphold me with a ready (Gesenius, spontaneous) spirit.' The Hebrew х nªdiybaa (H5081)] expresses one who has a living impulse to good; an instinctive constraint toward it. A spirit of spontaneous alacrity is illustrated by the parallel "joy of thy salvation." He desires to walk in the spirit of liberty in the freedom which the Holy Spirit imparts (Psalms 110:3; Exodus 35:5; 2 Chronicles 29:31, "of a free heart;" Romans 8:2-15; Psalms 119:45; John 8:34-36). The preceding context has the several clauses in the form of addresses to God. Do not therefore translate, 'may a willing spirit uphold me.'