Article - The Scriptural Meaning of Psalm 51:5 (Part 4)
The New King James accurately translates Psalm 51:5, “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me.” New International Version (NIV) inaccurately/falsely interprets “I was sinful at birth.” Four views worth considering when determining the scriptural meaning of the Psalm: 1) “in iniquity/sin” means “While sinning” or “Due to” [meaning, due to David’s mother’s fornication, he was conceived/brought forth “illegitimate,” John 8:41; also compare such similar usages as: “In joy” my mother conceived me (meaning, conception due to a scriptural, marriage union) or “In great distress” my mother conceived me (meaning, conception due to rape); furthermore consider this question: Is the baby understood as the sinner in these statements?: “In drunkenness my father shot me” or “In lust my father raped me”]; 2) “In sin” means “in a sinful world/environment I was brought forth/conceived.” The next two views may help one arrive at the proper scriptural position despite the fact that the rendering is perverted by such versions as the NIV: 3) “sinful,” meaning “ceremonially defiled” (it is possible that David was “ceremonially defiled” due to the sin of his ancestor Judah who conceived Perez through his daughter-in-law, Genesis 38:15-18, 27-30. Deuteronomy 23:2 states, “One of illegitimate birth shall not enter the assembly of the LORD; even to the tenth generation.” Assuming no genealogy gaps, David would be the tenth generation of Perez, Matthew 1:3-6); 4) “sinful,” figuratively characterizing David’s whole life (referring to David’s sins, not his parents). Compare the same figurative language in Job 31:18: Job says “from his youth” he reared the fatherless and “from his mother’s womb” he guided the widow whose eyes were failing [meaning, Job’s whole life, relatively speaking, can be summarized as helping the needy. Job could not literally guide a blind widow from his mother’s womb any more than a child conceived in the womb could sin, inherit sin, believe in Jesus, or be baptized (“immersed”) or sprinkled (false mode of baptism) with water]. Compare this wording: “I have been helping people all my life” (you do not understand this to mean that as soon as you are conceived or as soon as you are born, you start helping people, do you?).
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