Before reciting the Amidah Prayer:
Adonai S’fatai Tiftach
Introduction
David, in his state of emotional distress, cries out! We begin with a beautiful prayer from Psalm 51:17: “O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare Your praise” (TLV). This is the opening to one of the most important parts of the personal liturgy: the Shemoneh Esrei (18 blessings), also known as the Amidah (standing prayers). These prayers are recited daily and several times on Shabbat.
אֲדֹנָי שְׂפָתַי תִּפְתָּח וּפִי יַגִּיד תְּהִלָּתֶךָ
Adonai s’fatai tiftach u-fi yagid t’hilatecha.
Biblical Foundation
Psalm 51 is not the happiest of songs. David is in a state of distress and lament. In the first few verses, we are given the context of that lament. David is confronted by Nathan the prophet for his actions with Bathsheba and ultimately for his actions toward his friend Uriah. Paul Wilbur points out that even though David was a man after God’s own heart, he was far from being a perfect man.[1] Psalm 51 exemplifies confessing one’s sin to the Lord and exhibiting a repentant and contrite spirit. David’s confession in verses 5-7 is followed by a plea for forgiveness and cleansing from the Lord. For a complete restoration. David promises to teach other transgressors the way of the Lord, so that they would return to Him. Verse 16 culminates in David’s plea to the Lord: “Deliver me from bloodguilt, O God— God of my salvation. Then my tongue will sing for joy of Your righteousness.” (TLV). David’s use of the tongue here is important because it is the tongue that often causes man to sin. This is confirmed elsewhere in scripture, such as in Proverbs 18:20-21 “From the fruit of his mouth a man’s stomach is filled— with the harvest of his lips he is satisfied. Death and life are in the control of the tongue. Those who indulge in it will eat its fruit” (TLV). David had eaten the fruit of sin; he would pay a great price for his sin, with the loss of his son. This brings us to verse 17, where we see that David is asking for a reversal of sorts, that his mouth would be open not to sin but to the praises of the Lord.
New Covenant Insight
Christopher Ash draws an interesting parallel between this Psalm and Yeshua’s story of the prodigal son in Luke 15, calling particular attention to verse 21, where the son says, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your presence. I am no longer worthy to be called your son” (TLV).[2] The pattern here is like that of Psalm 51—recognize the sin and plead for forgiveness. Just as the father shakes off the son’s request to become a servant in the household in the story of the prodigal son, there is a similar sentiment expressed by David in Psalm 51:18-19. The Lord delights in a sinner who returns to Him; only then can an acceptable sacrifice be made.
Historical Background
Rabbi Edward Friedman notes that Psalm 51:17 was added to the space between the recitation of the Shema and the Amidah by “The great third-century sage of the land of Israel, Rabbi Yochanan.”[3] Interestingly, there are not many references in the Talmud to this addition as to the reasoning for its insertion. Friedman concludes that “when we recite the Amidah with this verse preceding it, we are urged to open our hearts before God, to offer these words in place of a sacrifice, with a broken heart, recognizing our sins and transgressions as we appear before the Holy One.”[4] This is all done before the Shemoneh Esrei (18 blessings) prayers are recited.
Musical Foundations and Variations
In many siddurim (prayer books), there is a note that this prayer should be read silently before the recitation of the Amidah prayers. However, it has become customary to sing Psalm 51 to several melodies. One such melody is Craig Taubman’s, which begins with a slow, mournful line that gradually builds as the words are repeated.[5] At about the third or fourth repetition, the other instruments enter, and the prayer shifts to a more upbeat, almost celebratory declaration. The energy transitions from mournful to joyous as the confessions are made and the weight of the guilt of sin is lifted, and the worshiper becomes ready to give this song as a true sacrifice of praise.
Relationship to the בְּשׂוֹרָה (Besorah) | The Good News
For Messianic believers, the need to confess one’s sins and recognize one’s faults before the Lord is a common theme. Reciting this verse is an act of confession that leads us to recognize our sinful nature before God and to ask for forgiveness so that our sacrifice of praise can be received. James warns against the power of the tongue, saying:
This juxtaposition of the power of the tongue is important to consider as one prepares to declare the Lord’s blessings upon their lives. It is important to approach worship with the right attitude and mindset. The good news is that believers in Yeshua, through the power of the Holy Spirit, can confess their sins and truly know they are forgiven. This frees the worshipper’s inner spirit to truly lift praise to the Lord.
[1] Seif, Blank, and Wilbur, Shalom in Psalms, 123.
[2] Christopher Ash, The Psalms (4 Volume Set): A Christ-Centered Commentary, 1st ed (Wheaton: Crossway, 2024), 1682.
[3] Rabbi Edward Friedman, “Thoughts on Adonai S’fatai Tiftach,” Temple B’nai Israel, November 17, 2023, https://www.temple-bnai-israel.org/post/thoughts-on-adonai-s-fatai-tiftach.
[4] Ibid.
[5] Craig Taubman, Adonai S’fatai, Friday Night Live, Sweet Louise Music BMI, January 1, 1999, Song, 02:53.
