What does it mean to have a clean heart according to Psalm 51?

In Psalm 51, David requests God to create in him a clean heart, signifying the need for divine intervention to purify and renew one's inner being. This plea recognizes that true cleanliness is not achieved through human effort or rituals but through God's sovereign grace. The clean heart represents a heart that has been made right with God, free of guilt and sin. It symbolizes the new birth, the transformation that occurs when a person is regenerated by the Holy Spirit and finds righteousness solely in Christ. This clean state allows believers to live in harmony with God's will.