Hebrew Psychology

Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being, and in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom. Psalm 51:6 NASB

Innermost being – It’s a good thing that the NASB and ESV put this English translation in italics. That indicates that the translators have altered in some way the original text. In this case, they have added words so that the Hebrew, bat-ṭūḥôt, is changed from “in secret” or “in the dark” to “innermost being” or “inward being.” In other words, the Hebrew term that is about what happens when something is covered over is converted into a psychological term about the inner state of a man. Even the TWOT assumes this conversion. “This noun (found twice in the ot) describes an object covered over, hidden, or concealed. Ps 51:6 [H 8] clearly communicates the sense of ‘inward being’—inner man covered by the body. ṭūḥôt is parallel to sātm, a ‘closed up place,’ and to the seat of the sin nature (v. 5), denoting the residence of truth or faithfulness, referred to elsewhere as ‘heart’ (Ps 15:2; cf. I Sam 12:24).”^[1]

But does the word “clearly communicate the sense of ‘inward being’”? And does this imply the “seat of the sin nature”? What if David is writing about the much more obvious hidden nature of his act? What if he is saying, “I covered up my crime. I tried to keep it in the dark. But You, Lord, desire truth even in what is hidden”? Why isn’t that a possible translation? If we approach this verse (and the previous one) with a doctrine of the sinful nature of Man and we import a Greek psychology of the inward consciousness of being human, then we arrive at a verse about the separation of my inner “soul” from my outward body. Then the verse is about my spiritual side. But if David is simply stating the obvious, that he attempted to cover up his sin, then the verse seems much more consistent with the Hebraic idea of full homogenized personality rather than bifurcated body-soul.

Doesn’t God desire truth in the dark? Doesn’t He wish us to be as consistently faithful and righteous when there is no one looking, when our actions are in secret? The primary root is about covering over one thing with another. Its occurrences are found in physical actions like cleaning a house of infected plaster or repairing a wall. Metaphorically it describes a false prophet “covering over” the truth of God. So what prevents us from reading this verse in the same light? David admits he covered over his adultery and conspiracy. YHVH wants to bring these to light, to dispel the dark and secret places. Wisdom will come when the light shines in these recesses. There is nothing here about a “sin nature.” This is about secrets and God’s desire to remove their power over us.

The character of a man is revealed when the lights are off.

Topical Index: innermost being, bat-ṭūḥôt, secret, cover over, sinful nature, Psalm 51:6

^[1] Alexander, R. H. (1999). 795 תּוַּח. In R. L. Harris, G. L. Archer, Jr. & B. K. Waltke (Eds.), Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament