Psalm 50: The Penitential Prayer at the Heart of Orthodox Worship

The post shares the text of Psalm 50, known in the Orthodox Church as the great penitential psalm attributed to the prophet and king David. The psalm is presented in English and Greek, accompanied by an image that displays eight panels with verses from the Septuagint numbering. The first panel names the location: St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Chapel in Protaras, Cyprus.

The following panels contain the opening verses: "Have mercy on me, O God, according to Thy great mercy" (Psalm 50:1), "Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity" (50:2-3), "Thou shalt sprinkle me with hyssop, and I shall be made clean" (50:7), "A heart that is clean create in me, O God" (50:10), "Cast me not away from Thy presence" (50:11), "Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation" (50:12), and "A sacrifice unto God is a broken spirit; a heart that is broken and humbled God will not despise" (50:17). The post ends with a question asking which verse speaks most deeply to the reader.