Psalm 25 11

Psalm 25:11 kjv

For thy name's sake, O LORD, pardon mine iniquity; for it is great.

Psalm 25:11 nkjv

For Your name's sake, O LORD, Pardon my iniquity, for it is great.

Psalm 25:11 niv

For the sake of your name, LORD, forgive my iniquity, though it is great.

Psalm 25:11 esv

For your name's sake, O LORD, pardon my guilt, for it is great.

Psalm 25:11 nlt

For the honor of your name, O LORD,
forgive my many, many sins.

Psalm 25 verses

Psalm 25 11 Meaning

Psalm 25:11 is a fervent prayer for divine pardon. The psalmist acknowledges the gravity and magnitude of his sin, stating "my iniquity, for it is great." However, he does not base his plea on his own worthiness or attempts at restitution, but solely on God's inherent character and glorious reputation: "For your name’s sake, O Lord, pardon my iniquity." This powerfully demonstrates that forgiveness is an act of God's gratuitous mercy, prompted by His own holy and gracious nature, not by the degree of human merit or even the lightness of the offense; rather, the very enormity of the sin magnifies the need for and wonder of divine grace.

Psalm 25 11 Context

Psalm 25 is a plea for God's guidance, protection, and mercy from David. It is structured partly as an acrostic, indicating a carefully composed and comprehensive prayer. In the immediate context, verses 6-7 remember God’s "compassion and steadfast love" from of old and implore Him not to remember the "sins of my youth or my transgressions," but rather to remember the psalmist according to His steadfast love. This sets the stage for verse 11, where David expands on this theme of appealing to God's character rather than his own merits. The psalm repeatedly expresses trust in God (vv. 2, 20), desire for God's teaching and guidance (vv. 4-5, 8-9), and confession of sin (vv. 7, 11).

Historically and culturally, a plea for forgiveness "for your name's sake" (or for His "great name's sake") was a profound theological argument in ancient Israel. In the Israelite understanding, God's "name" was not merely a label but encapsulated His very being, His revealed character, attributes, power, and covenant faithfulness. To appeal to God's name was to appeal to His honor, His glory, and His intrinsic nature as a faithful covenant-keeping God. This contrasts sharply with the contemporary pagan religions, where deities often needed to be appeased or coerced through rituals or sacrifices. David's prayer grounds forgiveness not in human effort or worthiness, but solely in God's majestic and compassionate identity.

Psalm 25 11 Word analysis

• For your name’s sake (לְמַעַן שְׁמֶךָ, lĕmaʿan shimkha):

  • lĕmaʿan: "for the sake of," "on account of," "by reason of." It establishes the basis for the action.
  • shimkha: "Your name." In Hebrew thought, God's "name" (shem) signifies His essence, character, authority, and reputation. To act "for Your name's sake" means to act consistently with who God is, particularly His holiness, righteousness, mercy, and faithfulness. This implies God's glory is invested in the act of pardon. It’s an appeal not based on David's merit, but on God's own being.

• O Lord (יְהוָה, YHWH): The unique covenant name of God, often rendered "the LORD" in English Bibles. It emphasizes God as the self-existent, faithful, covenant-keeping God of Israel. Directing the plea to YHWH underscores the personal and covenantal relationship between the supplicant and the true God, who alone possesses the power and character to forgive.

• pardon (וְסָלַחְתָּ, vĕsālaḥtā): From the root salach (סָלַח). This verb is used almost exclusively for divine forgiveness in the Old Testament. It implies an act of divine grace where God judicially remits sin, removing the guilt and its consequences, leading to reconciliation. It's a complete, not partial, blotting out of transgression.

• my iniquity (לַעֲוֺנִי, laʿăvonī): From ʿāwōn (עָווֹן). This term describes sin as "perversity," "moral crookedness," "guilt," or "punishment for sin." It emphasizes the inherent bent or distortion of one's nature away from God's perfect standard, and the guilt and liability that result from it. It's a comprehensive term for deep moral wrong.

• for it is great (כִּי־רַב הוּא, kî rav hûʾ):

  • kî: "for," "because," introducing the reason or explanation.
  • rav: "great," "much," "abundant," "numerous." Here, it signifies magnitude or intensity.
  • This phrase is paradoxically powerful. It is not "for it is small" or "for I have repented perfectly." Instead, the psalmist emphasizes the magnitude of his sin as the reason for needing God's intervention. This signifies that the supplicant recognizes his utter helplessness and relies entirely on God's abundant grace and mercy, which must necessarily be "great" to overcome such "great" iniquity. It removes all self-reliance and magnifies the immeasurable grace of God.

• Words-group analysis:

  • "For your name’s sake, O Lord": This establishes the supreme motive for God's action. It moves the basis for forgiveness entirely away from human worthiness or effort, placing it firmly on God's sovereign character and glory. God is called upon to act because of who He is—a God of mercy and faithfulness—not because the supplicant has earned it.
  • "pardon my iniquity": This is the direct petition, concise yet profound. It is a request for a complete, divine act of blotting out moral wrongdoing and the guilt associated with it. The use of "my iniquity" signifies personal ownership and confession of the wrong committed.
  • "for it is great": This phrase functions as a counter-intuitive but potent argument. Instead of minimizing sin to earn favor, the psalmist magnifies it, implicitly pleading for God's even greater mercy to overcome the vastness of his transgression. This heightens the recognition of human spiritual bankruptcy and the overflowing sufficiency of divine grace.

Psalm 25 11 Bonus section

• The paradox of "forgive me because my sin is great" challenges human merit-based thinking. It reorients the supplicant’s entire posture from one of earning to one of receiving from pure grace.
• This verse subtly reveals the covenantal faithfulness of God. His name and character are intimately tied to His promises to His people, including the promise of forgiveness for the penitent.
• The raw honesty of confessing "great iniquity" prefigures the New Testament understanding of human fallenness and the overwhelming necessity of Christ's sacrifice, through whom God's name (and nature) is perfectly glorified in the forgiveness of sins. Christ's atoning work makes it truly "for His name's sake" that our great iniquities are pardoned (Eph 1:7).

Psalm 25 11 Commentary

Psalm 25:11 is a central declaration of grace and desperate human need. David does not plead innocence or self-righteousness; instead, he confesses the magnitude of his sin ("my iniquity, for it is great"). This frank admission underscores the depth of his brokenness and helplessness apart from God. The true marvel of this verse lies in the basis of the appeal for pardon: "For your name’s sake, O Lord." This is a theological masterstroke. David appeals not to his own deserving, but to God's inherent character, His holy and merciful reputation. He asks God to act in a manner consistent with His very being, thereby upholding His glory in the act of forgiveness. The greatness of his sin does not disqualify him; rather, it highlights the need for an infinitely great grace that God alone possesses. This understanding leads to true humility and magnifying God's unfathomable mercy. It means that no sin is too great for God to pardon, provided the appeal is anchored in His name and not human merit. This verse is a cornerstone for understanding biblical forgiveness, establishing it as a pure gift flowing from the boundless character of God.

• Examples for practical usage:
  • A believer overwhelmed by a repeated sin might pray this, admitting the weight of their failure but relying wholly on God's character.
  • Someone reflecting on deep past mistakes might cling to this verse, recognizing that God's capacity to forgive outweighs any magnitude of sin.
  • It guides us to shift our focus from the problem (great sin) to the solution (great God) in our prayers for pardon.