Wisdom & Poetry · Old Testament
Psalms 32
Psalm 32: the blessedness of sin forgiven after silence and confession
General context
The psalm calls blessed the one whose transgression is forgiven and whose sin is covered, and the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, in whose spirit there is no guile. The speaker says that when he kept silence his bones grew old through his roaring all day long, for day and night God's hand was heavy on him and his moisture was turned into the drought of summer; Selah. He acknowledged his sin and did not hide his iniquity; he said he would confess his transgressions to the Lord, and the Lord forgave the iniquity of his sin; Selah. For this every godly one will pray to God in a time when he may be found, and in the floods of great waters they will not come near him. God is his hiding place, will preserve him from trouble and compass him about with songs of deliverance; Selah. A voice then says, I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way thou shalt go, I will guide thee with mine eye, and warns against being like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding and must be held in with bit and bridle. Many sorrows will be to the wicked, but mercy will compass the one who trusts in the Lord. The close calls the righteous to be glad and rejoice and all the upright in heart to shout for joy.
Cited passages: Psalms 32:1, Psalms 32:2, Psalms 32:3, Psalms 32:4, Psalms 32:5, Psalms 32:6, Psalms 32:7, Psalms 32:8, Psalms 32:9, Psalms 32:10, Psalms 32:11
Psalms 32 (KJV)
1Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.
2Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.
3When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long.
4For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. Selah.
5I 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.
6For 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.
7Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah.
8I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.
9Be 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.
10Many sorrows shall be to the wicked: but he that trusteth in the Lord, mercy shall compass him about.
11Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.
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Historical context
The text as printed carries no heading, so no author, occasion or instrument is stated in this source. The sin is not named; the speaker reports only silence, roaring, a heavy hand, drought, and then acknowledgment and forgiveness. The voices change: verses 1-2 are statements in the third person, verses 3-7 are the speaker addressing God, and in verses 8-9 someone addresses "thee" and then "ye"; the text does not mark whether verse 8 is the Lord speaking or the speaker teaching others. Selah stands after verses 4, 5 and 7. "The floods of great waters" is an image, and no event is narrated. Verses 1-2 are quoted in Romans 4:7-8, "Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered" and "Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin", inside an argument of that letter; the psalm itself speaks of the speaker's own confession.
Cited passages: Psalms 32:3, Psalms 32:4, Psalms 32:5, Psalms 32:8, Psalms 32:9, Psalms 32:7, Psalms 32:6, Romans 4:7, Romans 4:8
Literary context
The psalm opens with two "Blessed" lines, the same word that opens Psalm 1, and then tells a short story of silence and confession with the body as its evidence: bones, roaring, moisture, drought. Three words for wrongdoing, transgression, sin and iniquity, appear in verses 1-2 and return together in verse 5. The turn is from "When I kept silence" to "I said, I will confess", and hiding is used in two senses: the iniquity the speaker did not hide, and the Lord who is his "hiding place". "Compass" comes twice, songs of deliverance compass the speaker in verse 7 and mercy compasses the one who trusts in verse 10. Verses 8-9 change to instruction, with the horse and mule that need bit and bridle set against guidance "with mine eye". The three Selahs divide the confession from what follows. The closing call to gladness and shouting matches the songs of deliverance promised earlier.
Cited passages: Psalms 32:1, Psalms 1:1, Psalms 32:3, Psalms 32:5, Psalms 32:7, Psalms 32:10, Psalms 32:8, Psalms 32:9, Psalms 32:11
Key moments
- Blessed, forgiven (Psalms 32:1). The psalm calls blessed the one whose transgression is forgiven and sin covered.
- Silence and roaring (Psalms 32:3). When the speaker kept silence his bones grew old through his roaring.
- Confession and forgiveness (Psalms 32:5). He acknowledged his sin and the Lord forgave the iniquity of his sin.
- Hiding place (Psalms 32:7). God is his hiding place and will compass him with songs of deliverance.
- Guided with mine eye (Psalms 32:8). A voice promises to instruct, teach and guide with the eye.
- Not as horse or mule (Psalms 32:9). The hearers are told not to be like animals held with bit and bridle.
- Shout for joy (Psalms 32:11). The righteous and upright in heart are called to rejoice and shout for joy.
For reflection
The speaker says he did not hide his iniquity, and two verses later calls the Lord his hiding place; what does the psalm suggest about what is to be hidden and what is not?
