Psalm 130:8 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And he will redeem Israel from all his iniquities.

NIV: He himself will redeem Israel from all their sins.

NASB: And He will redeem Israel From all his guilty deeds.

CSB: And he will redeem Israel from all its iniquities.

NLT: He himself will redeem Israel from every kind of sin.

KJV: And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.

NKJV: And He shall redeem Israel From all his iniquities.

The twelve tribes of Israel descended from Jacob, to whom God gave a new name (Genesis 32:28). Nations were sometimes referred to using the name of their founder (Numbers 24:17; Isaiah 59:20). Jacob, named Israel, certainly had sins of his own which needed forgiveness (Genesis 27:35–36). The real fulfillment of this idea comes in the Lord's promise to send a Messiah for the people of Israel (Psalm 25:22; Isaiah 53:11).

God set Israel free from slavery in Egypt using the metaphor of a spotless lamb (Exodus 12). And He has redeemed—set free from sin and its penalty— believers at the cost of His Son Jesus' blood. Peter writes: "You were ransomed…with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot" (1 Peter 1:18–19). Israel's future redemption includes triumph over all foes, cleansing from sin, and permanent possession of the Promised Land (Isaiah 11; Zechariah 12:10—14:21). The apostle Paul writes about the full redemption of Israel. In Romans 11:26 he predicts, "All Israel will be saved."

Christians, too, look forward to full redemption, when they will be free from the presence of sin and have new bodies like the body of the risen Lord and Savior (Philippians 3:20–21).

Psalm 130:7–8 calls on the people of Israel to trust God because of His steady, persistent, merciful love. This trait is labeled with the Hebrew word hesed (Exodus 34:6; Psalm 17:7; 103:10–11). Prior segments alternated between the words Yahweh and Adonai in reference to God. Here, the psalmist repeats the first, which is the name the Lord used when speaking to Moses (Exodus 3:15). Israel is referred to as "he" in some translations because this is the name of the nation's namesake patriarch (Genesis 32:28).

The Lord is absolutely right to judge sin. Nothing can match the standard of His perfection. So, the psalmist asks forgiveness and mercy, trusting entirely in God's nature. This hope is constant and sincere. The Lord is associated with loyal, persistent, caring love for the people of Israel. Despite the sins of the nation, God is ready to redeem them. The first three of four small segments alternate between two common words for God; the last only repeats the word Yahweh (Exodus 3:15).

Jerusalem is located on a series of mountains; going to the city meant ascending these slopes. Songs used by pilgrims headed to required feasts there (Deuteronomy 16:16) are labeled "of ascents" (Psalms 120—134). Each focuses on a theme. Here, the subject matter is the Lord's forgiveness towards the sins of His people. This ties to the idea of His mercy (Deuteronomy 4:31; Psalm 18:25; 111:4). It also connects to His loyal, steady love, from the important Hebrew term hesed (Exodus 34:6; Psalm 86:5; 103:4; Lamentations 3:22).

The book of Psalms is composed of individual songs, hymns, or poems, each of which is a ''Psalm'' in and of itself. These works contain a wide variety of themes. Some Psalms focus on praising and worshipping God. Others cry out in anguish over the pain of life. Still other Psalms look forward to the coming of the Messiah. While some Psalms are related, each has its own historical and biblical context.