Psalm 51 – The Miserere

The responsorial psalm for this Sunday is the great penitential psalm often referred to by its Latin name, the Miserere (Psalm 51). According to the first verses of the psalm, it was written by David at the time he was accused of adultery and murder by Nathan the prophet for his scheme to eliminate Uriah the Hittite after David had impregnated his wife Bathsheba. Adultery and murder have always been considered two of the greatest sins against God and neighbor.

The sacred writer of this psalm was a skillful poet. The opening verses of the psalm demonstrate that skill very effectively. Have mercy on me, God, in accord with your merciful love; in your abundant compassion. . . (Psalm 51:3abc). Before the poet ever mentions "sin," he uses three different Hebrew words which can be translated as mercy, loving kindness, love, and compassion.

The first Hebrew word which is here translated as "mercy" is hanan. It could be compared to the phrase that we used when we bump into someone or need to ask someone to step aside – "Excuse me." The word would be used if we were to accidently bump into someone with our shopping cart in the supermarket.

The second Hebrew word which is translated "merciful love" is hesed. This word is used to describe the relationship that God has with the Israelites as they form the covenant on Mt. Sinai. It carries with it the connotation that there is some sort of relationship between the party using the word and the person to whom it is addressed. It would never be used with someone who is a perfect stranger.

The third Hebrew word which is translated "compassion" is rahamin, the plural form of the noun raham. In its singular form, it means "womb." Consequently, the compassion to which the poet is referring is similar to the feelings that a mother has for her child. It is the strongest of the three words which indicates that the poet is intensifying the statement as he ascends this ladder of mercy and love.

Only after he has mentioned these three different words does the poet mention "sin." . . . blot out my transgressions. Thoroughly wash away my guilt; and from my sin cleanse me. (Psalm 51:3d-4). Once again the sacred writer uses three different Hebrew words to explain or explicate the notion of wrongdoing.

The first is the Hebrew word pesha, a word that could be translated "rebellion."

The second is awon which could be rendered "perversion."

The third is hatta which simply means that an archer has "missed the target."

These words are just the opposite of the three Hebrew words in the beginning in that they "descend" in intensity as the verse develops, thus forming a "chiasm." Each of the Hebrew words for mercy is matched to a Hebrew word for sin. By his skillful use of these words, the sacred writer is conveying a powerful and familiar thought. God will meet each sinner with the required amount of mercy to sponge away guilt. God's mercy is greater than any sin. Any sin, contritely confessed, will be forgiven.

Today's Gospel presents us with three parables about finding the lost. In the first two parables, nothing was done wrong. The shepherd lost a sheep and the woman lost a coin. However, in the third parable, both the elder and the younger son are guilty of sin. No matter the degree of guilt involved, God is always ready and able to forgive.

Fr. Lawrence Jagdfeld, O.F.M., Administrator