Christianity

Psalms 32The Joy of Forgiveness

Summary

Psalm 32 opens by blessing the person whose sin is forgiven and in whose spirit there is no deceit. The psalmist recalls how, while he kept silent, his body wasted away under God's heavy hand, until he confessed and was forgiven. God then promises to instruct and guide him, warning against being like a stubborn horse or mule. It is called a Maschil of David and is one of the seven penitential psalms of Christian tradition.

Key verse

“Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.”

Psalms 32:1

Themes

Confession
Forgiveness
Guidance
Joy

Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.

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

When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long.

For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. Selah.

I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.

For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found: surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him.

Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah.

I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.

Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee.

Many sorrows shall be to the wicked: but he that trusteth in the LORD, mercy shall compass him about.

Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.

Text: King James Version (1611/1769), public domain.

Across traditions

Christianity
Romans 4: Blessed Whose Sins Are Covered
Paul quotes Psalm 32:1 to 2 in Romans 4:7 to 8 to show that God counts righteousness apart from works.
Islam
Surah Az-Zumar (39): Despair Not of God's Mercy
Quran 39:53 tells those who have wronged themselves not to despair of God's mercy, for he forgives all sins, a message close to the relief of Psalm 32, though the Quran frames it as a general call to repentance.
Judaism
Tehillim 32 in the JPS 1917 Tanakh
The Hebrew heading calls it a maskil, often understood as a psalm of instruction, matching God's promise in verse 8 to instruct and teach.

Questions about Psalms 32

What is a Maschil?

Maschil, or maskil, heads Psalm 32 and a dozen other psalms. It probably means a skillful or instructive poem, though its exact sense is unknown.

What does Psalm 32 teach about confession?

Verses 3 to 5 contrast the misery of hiding sin with the relief of acknowledging it, ending with I acknowledged my sin unto thee and God's forgiveness.