Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice.
English Standard Version (ESV)
David isn't just asking for his emotional state to improve; he's asking for the very "bones" of his being, those fundamental structures of his life that sin and God's discipline have shattered, to be reanimated and able to praise God. This deep physical and spiritual brokenness is crying out for a restoration that only God’s joy can bring.
Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This psalm is David's raw and honest cry to God after his affair with Bathsheba and the murder of Uriah. He’s not trying to cover up his sin but is deeply broken over it, feeling the crushing weight of God's displeasure. He desperately pleads for God's mercy and cleansing, seeking not just forgiveness but a restored relationship with God that brings true joy and a renewed spirit.
David's sin left him in a silence of despair. He longs to 'hear' something different—God's voice of joy and gladness. What does this 'hearing' truly mean for a broken heart?
David is not just asking to hear pleasant sounds. He's pleading for the assurance of God's favor and forgiveness. His sin has created a chasm between him and God, silencing the joy he once knew. He's asking God to speak peace to his conscience, to 'seal the pardon of his sins' not with an audible voice, but through the inner witness of the Holy Spirit. This 'hearing' is the experience of reconciliation, the restoration of a right relationship with God that banishes guilt and brings true, lasting joy.
David uses the vivid image of 'bones that you have broken' to describe his state. What does this physical imagery reveal about the depth of his spiritual anguish and the possibility of restoration?
The 'broken bones' represent more than just emotional pain; they signify a deep, internal shattering caused by sin. This isn't a minor ailment but a complete dismemberment of his inner self, a crushing of his spirit under the weight of guilt and God's displeasure. The scholars note the original Hebrew word implies being 'mashed' or entirely broken. Yet, David doesn't see this state as final. He believes that the same God who has allowed him to be broken can also bring about the rejoicing of those same broken bones. This means true healing comes not from the absence of the wound, but from God's restorative power working within the brokenness, bringing about a powerful, reanimating joy that can only come from divine forgiveness and renewal.
Understand the original words
Ask a follow-up
sason · Hebrew Noun
An intense expression of deep satisfaction and delight. It is a spiritual fruit experienced by those in a right relationship with God.
etsem · Hebrew Noun
The structural support of the body, often used metaphorically to represent the totality of a person's strength or their internal sense of self. Broken bones signify profound grief or divine discipline.
This psalm is David's raw cry for forgiveness and restoration after his profound sin against God, Bathsheba, and Uriah. The "bones broken" speak to the deep spiritual and emotional shattering that comes from such betrayal, and the desperate need for God's healing touch and the joy of His presence.
c. 1000 BC
David commits adultery with Bathsheba
King David, while his army is at war, commits adultery with Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah the Hittite.
c. 1000 BC
David arranges Uriah's death
To cover up his sin, David arranges for Uriah to be placed in the front lines of battle, leading to his death.
c. 1000 BC— this verse
Nathan confronts David
The prophet Nathan is sent by God to confront David with his sin, using a parable to expose his wrongdoing.
c. 1000 BC
David confesses and repents
After Nathan declares 'You are the man!' and pronounces God's judgment, David confesses his sin and expresses deep repentance, likely composing Psalm 51 in response.
c. 1000 BC
Nathan announces God's forgiveness
Nathan informs David that because of his repentance, God has 'put away' his sin and he will not die, though the child born of the affair will die.
This passage describes a similar deep suffering and brokenness of bone due to sin and God's displeasure, echoing the physical imagery used in Psalm 51:8.
Isaiah 61:1This prophetic passage speaks of the Spirit of the Lord anointing to 'comfort all who mourn' and to give 'a garment of praise instead of a spirit of heaviness,' paralleling the desire for joy and gladness after brokenness.
Luke 4:18Jesus quotes Isaiah 61:1, showing the fulfillment of this promise of comfort and joy for the brokenhearted, directly relating to the psalmist's plea.
2 Corinthians 5:17-19This passage highlights the concept of being made new in Christ, offering reconciliation and a new creation, which brings the 'joy and gladness' that the psalmist seeks after his brokenness.
Romans 8:28This verse assures believers that God works all things for good, offering hope that even the painful experiences of brokenness and sin can be used for ultimate restoration and joy.
gillPsalms 51:8: "Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice."
Make me to hear joy and gladness,.... Which he had not heard for some time; sin had sadly broke in upon and interrupted his spiritual peace and joy; for though the love and favour of God cannot be lost, yet his sensible presence, which puts joy and gladness into the heart, may; and though an interest in Christ ever continues, and union to him is always the same; yet a view of interest in him, whi…
clarkePsalms 51:8: "Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice."
Make me to hear joy - Let me have a full testimony of my reconciliation to thee; that the soul, which is so deeply distressed by a sense of thy displeasure, may be healed by a sense of thy pardoning mercy.
David isn't just asking for his emotional state to improve; he's asking for the very "bones" of his being, those fundamental structures of his life that sin and God's discipline have shattered, to be reanimated and able to praise God. This deep physical and spiritual brokenness is crying out for a restoration that only God’s joy can bring.
This psalm is David's raw and honest cry to God after his affair with Bathsheba and the murder of Uriah. He’s not trying to cover up his sin but is deeply broken over it, feeling the crushing weight of God's displeasure. He desperately pleads for God's mercy and cleansing, seeking not just forgiveness but a restored relationship with God that brings true joy and a renewed spirit.
This psalm is David's raw and honest cry to God after his affair with Bathsheba and the murder of Uriah. He’s not trying to cover up his sin but is deeply broken over it, feeling the crushing weight of God's displeasure. He desperately pleads for God's mercy and cleansing, seeking not just forgiveness but a restored relationship with God that brings true joy and a renewed spirit.
"Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice." — David isn't just asking for his emotional state to improve; he's asking for the very "bones" of his being, those fundamental structures of his life that sin and God's discipline have shattered, to be…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026