Psalm 32:2 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.

NIV: Blessed is the one whose sin the LORD does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit.

NASB: How blessed is a person whose guilt the Lord does not take into account, And in whose spirit there is no deceit!

CSB: How joyful is a person whom the Lord does not charge with iniquity and in whose spirit is no deceit!

NLT: Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt, whose lives are lived in complete honesty!

KJV: Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.

NKJV: Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no deceit.

In this verse David writes again (Psalms 32:1) about the blessedness of the person whom God has forgiven. He most likely is thinking of his own experience (Psalm 32:3) with deep moral failure (2 Samuel 11—12). David resisted admitting his own guilt and suffered the consequences.

The word iniquity means something twisted or warped, or to a path which deviates from the intended course. Sinning reveals a twisted heart and mind (Jeremiah 17:9). Instead of hating sin and resisting temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13), the sinful heart and mind are warped. It sees sin as desirable instead of destructive. But the repentant believer (John 3:16–18) receives full pardon for his sin (John 3:36). That full pardon requires an admission of guilt, however—to stubbornly ignore our own sin is to leave our relationship with God strained (1 John 1:8–10).

According to this verse, the Lord does not count moral errors against the believer who honestly and sincerely confesses them. This statement reminds us the believer is justified: standing before God just as if the sin had never occurred at all. Romans 3:24 affirms that believers "are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus." Ephesians 1:6–7 attributes the blessings of forgiveness and acceptance to redemption which only comes through the blood of Christ. David experienced forgiveness when he stopped being deceitful (Psalm 51:3–4).

Psalm 32:1–4 expresses David's relief and happiness once God forgave his sin (Psalm 51:1). He recalls the misery he felt when he refused to acknowledge and confess his wrongdoing. David's resistance to admitting his sin imposed dire consequences: physical distress and relentless conviction. This is one of the ways in which God communicates to His believers when they need to repent of sin.

This psalm follows a progression of David's own experience: from the pressure of resisting confession, to the relief of being forgiven, to a renewed appreciation of God's graciousness for His people. David notes that being forgiven of sin is a great blessing, and those who resist repentance are delaying that restoration. He reflects on his own experience with stubbornness and encourages all people to seek God in sincerity.

Psalm 32 follows David's confession of the sins of adultery and murder. Psalm 51 records his initial response when confronted by the prophet Nathan. The background of David's sin, Nathan's rebuke, and the aftermath are found in 2 Samuel 11—12. For some undisclosed time, David refused to acknowledge his sin, but when he finally confessed it, the Lord graciously forgave him.

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.