# General Information:

Parallelism is common in Hebrew poetry. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/writing-poetry]] and [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-parallelism]])

# General Information:

In this psalm David asks God for forgiveness.

# For the chief musician

"This is for the director of music to use in worship."

# A psalm of David

Possible meanings are 1) David wrote the psalm or 2) the psalm is about David or 3) the psalm is in the style of David's psalms.

# when Nathan the prophet came to him

It can be stated clearly what Nathan did when he came to David, because this psalm is in response to that. AT: "when Nathan the prophet came to David and rebuked him" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit]])

# after he had slept with Bathsheba

"after David had slept with Bathsheba"

# because of your covenant faithfulness

The abstract noun "faithfulness" can be translated as an adjective. AT: "because you are faithful to your covenant" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-abstractnouns]])

# for the sake of the multitude of your merciful actions

"because you do so many merciful things"

# blot out my transgressions

Forgiving sins is spoken of as either 1) blotting them out or 2) erasing a written record of the sins. AT: "forgive my sins like someone wiping something away" or "forget my sins like someone who erases a record of sins" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]])

# Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity ... cleanse me from my sin

These two phrases mean the same thing. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-parallelism]])

# Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity

Being acceptable to God is spoken of as being clean. God makes people acceptable by forgiving their sins. AT: "Wash away all my sin" or "Forgive all my sins so that I will be acceptable to you" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]])

# thoroughly

"completely"

# cleanse me from my sin

Being acceptable to God is spoken of as being clean. God makes people acceptable by forgiving their sins. AT: "Make me clean from my sin" or "forgive me for my sin so that I will be clean" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]])

# translationWords

* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/other/chief]]
* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/psalm]]
* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/names/david]]
* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/names/nathan]]
* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/prophet]]
* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/other/sex]]
* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/names/bathsheba]]
* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/mercy]]
* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/god]]
* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/covenantfaith]]
* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/other/blotout]]
* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/transgression]]
* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/iniquity]]
* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/clean]]
* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/sin]]