Our word “hypocrite” comes from a Greek word that meant “actor,” that is, one who wore a mask and pretended to be other than they were. Contrasting Saul’s repentance to that of David in 2 Sam 12:13, Anglican preacher and expositor Andrew Willet (1562–1621) criticizes Saul’s confession, believing it to be that of a hypocrite:…

Girolamo Savonarola (1452–1498) was an Italian Catholic preacher and martyr. Outraged by ecclesial corruption and neglect of the poor, Savonarola preached against these sins, calling people to repentance and renewal in Christ. He was hanged and burned in Florence on charges of conspiracy and false prophecy. In his work on Psalm 51, he models how…