Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.
English Standard Version (ESV)
David isn't making excuses for his behavior; he's revealing the astonishing depth of his depravity. He's essentially saying that his sin wasn't just a bad choice, but a symptom of a deeply ingrained corruption rooted in his very nature, tracing back to his conception. This acknowledgment of inherited sinfulness underscores his profound sense of helplessness and his absolute need for God's intervention.
Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.
English Standard Version (ESV)
After committing adultery with Bathsheba and orchestrating Uriah's death, David is confronted by the prophet Nathan. In deep repentance, David turns to God, confessing his sinfulness not just as a series of acts, but as a fundamental condition rooted in his very being, acknowledging his inherited propensity for wrongdoing from birth.
We often think of sin as the bad things we do. But what if the problem goes deeper than our choices?
David isn't just confessing his adultery and the subsequent murder of Uriah here. He's going back to the absolute root of the problem: his very nature.
It's easy to blame our circumstances or our upbringing for our sins. David, however, takes a radical step.
David's confession in Psalm 51:5 is not an attempt to minimize his guilt. In fact, recognizing his inherited sinfulness intensifies his sense of responsibility.
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This psalm is a deeply personal confession, born out of King David's grave sin with Bathsheba and the murder of Uriah. It's not just about regretting his actions, but about recognizing the deep-seated corruption within himself that led to such deeds, a state he understood as inherent from his very conception.
c. 1000 BC
David's Reign as King of Israel
David had established a long and largely successful reign as king over Israel, known for his military victories and his deep faith.
c. 1000 BC— this verse
David's Affair with Bathsheba
During his reign, David committed adultery with Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah the Hittite, and subsequently arranged for Uriah's death.
c. 1000 BC
Nathan Confronts David
The prophet Nathan confronted David with his sin, using a parable to expose the king's wrongdoing and bring him to repentance.
c. 1000 BC
David's Repentance and Psalm 51
In response to Nathan's confrontation, David composed Psalm 51, a profound expression of sorrow, confession, and a plea for forgiveness and cleansing.
This passage describes the first sin of Adam and Eve, illustrating the origin of humanity's fallen nature from which David's confession stems.
Job 14:4This verse directly questions the possibility of bringing a pure being from an impure one, echoing David's sentiment about his own inherited sinfulness.
Romans 5:12Paul explains how sin and death entered the world through one man, providing a theological framework for understanding the inherited sinfulness David acknowledges.
Ephesians 2:3This verse describes all people as children of wrath by nature, aligning with David's profound realization of inherent sin from conception.
gillPsalms 51:5: "Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me."
Behold, I was shapen in iniquity,.... This cannot be understood of any personal iniquity of his immediate parents; since this respects his wonderful formation in the womb, in which both he and they were wholly passive, as the word here used is of that form; and is the amazing work of God himself, so much admired by the psalmist, Psalm 139:13 ; and cannot design any sinfulness then infused into him by his Make…
cambridgePsalms 51:5: "Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me."
5 . Behold, I was shapen ] Better, Behold, I was born. Acts of sin have their root in the inherited sinfulness of mankind. It does not appear, as some have thought, that the Psalmist pleads the sinifulness of his nature as an excuse for his actual sins. Rather, in utter self-abasement, he feels compelled to confess and bewail not only his actual sins, but the deep infection of his whole nature ( Job 14:4 ; Ro…
David isn't making excuses for his behavior; he's revealing the astonishing depth of his depravity. He's essentially saying that his sin wasn't just a bad choice, but a symptom of a deeply ingrained corruption rooted in his very nature, tracing back to his conception. This acknowledgment of inherited sinfulness underscores his profound sense of helplessness and his absolute need for God's intervention.
After committing adultery with Bathsheba and orchestrating Uriah's death, David is confronted by the prophet Nathan. In deep repentance, David turns to God, confessing his sinfulness not just as a series of acts, but as a fundamental condition rooted in his very being, acknowledging his inherited propensity for wrongdoing from birth.
After committing adultery with Bathsheba and orchestrating Uriah's death, David is confronted by the prophet Nathan. In deep repentance, David turns to God, confessing his sinfulness not just as a series of acts, but as a fundamental condition rooted in his very being, acknowledging his inherited propensity for wrongdoing from birth.
"Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me." — David isn't making excuses for his behavior; he's revealing the astonishing depth of his depravity. He's essentially saying that his sin wasn't just a bad choice, but a symptom of a deeply ingrained…
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Last reviewed October 2026