Psalm 85:2 kjv
Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people, thou hast covered all their sin. Selah.
Psalm 85:2 nkjv
You have forgiven the iniquity of Your people; You have covered all their sin. Selah
Psalm 85:2 niv
You forgave the iniquity of your people and covered all their sins.
Psalm 85:2 esv
You forgave the iniquity of your people; you covered all their sin. Selah
Psalm 85:2 nlt
You forgave the guilt of your people ?
yes, you covered all their sins. Interlude
Psalm 85 2 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ex 34:6-7 | "The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious...forgiving iniquity, transgression and sin..." | God's character as a forgiving God. |
| Num 14:18 | "The LORD is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, forgiving iniquity and transgression..." | God's inherent willingness to pardon. |
| Lev 16:16 | "...thus make atonement for the Holy Place because of the uncleannesses of the people of Israel and because of their transgressions, all their sins..." | Covering sins through atonement (Yom Kippur). |
| Ps 32:1-2 | "Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered." | Happiness from divine forgiveness. |
| Ps 103:3 | "who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases..." | God's comprehensive forgiveness. |
| Isa 1:18 | "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow..." | Complete cleansing from sin. |
| Isa 43:25 | "I, I am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake, and I will not remember your sins." | God's self-motivated act of forgetting sin. |
| Isa 53:5-6 | "But He was pierced for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities...the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all." | Christ bearing our iniquities for atonement. |
| Jer 31:34 | "For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more." | Forgiveness under the New Covenant. |
| Mic 7:18-19 | "Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression...? He will again have compassion on us...casting all our sins into the depths of the sea." | God's unique pardoning nature. |
| Zec 3:9 | "...I will remove the iniquity of this land in a single day." | Prophecy of single, complete removal of sin. |
| John 1:29 | "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" | Jesus as the ultimate bearer of sin. |
| Acts 10:43 | "To Him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins through His name." | Forgiveness through faith in Christ. |
| Rom 3:25 | "whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith..." | Christ as the atoning sacrifice for sins. |
| Rom 4:7-8 | "Blessed are those whose lawless deeds have been forgiven, and whose sins have been covered;" | Pauline reference to David's blessing on covered sins. |
| 2 Cor 5:21 | "For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God." | Christ's vicarious atonement. |
| Eph 1:7 | "In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses..." | Redemption and forgiveness through Christ's blood. |
| Col 1:13-14 | "He has delivered us...and transferred us...in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." | Deliverance and pardon in Christ. |
| Heb 8:12 | "For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more." | Echo of the New Covenant promise of complete forgiveness. |
| Heb 9:26-28 | "...He has appeared once for all...to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself." | Christ's once-for-all sacrifice for sin. |
| 1 Pet 2:24 | "He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness..." | Christ's bearing of sin leading to new life. |
| 1 John 1:7 | "...the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin." | Continuous cleansing by Christ's blood. |
Psalm 85 verses
Psalm 85 2 Meaning
Psalm 85:2 declares that God, in His merciful character, has completely and decisively removed the guilt and stain of His people's wrongdoing. He has actively lifted away their moral perversions and fully expiated their transgressions, rendering them hidden from His divine judgment. This verse signifies God's complete act of pardon, foundational for His people's restoration.
Psalm 85 2 Context
Psalm 85 is a communal lament and prayer for divine favor, often understood as a post-exilic psalm after the return from Babylonian captivity (implied by Psalm 85:1 "brought back the captives of Jacob"). The psalmist recounts God's past mercies to encourage hope for future restoration. Verse 2 specifically looks back to a foundational act of God's grace – His forgiveness of the people's sins, which was necessary for their return from judgment and captivity. This declaration serves as a crucial theological premise, reminding the people that their standing before God is by His gracious pardon, not by their merit, setting the stage for their earnest plea for a full renewal of blessing. It implies a contrast with self-righteousness or relying on human efforts for cleansing.
Psalm 85 2 Word analysis
- You (אַתָּה 'attāh): Direct address to God. Emphasizes God's active role as the forgiver.
- have forgiven (נָשָׂאתָ nāśā'tā): From nasa'. Literally, "to lift, bear, carry away." Denotes God actively removing or taking away the burden of sin and guilt from His people. It is a completed past action. Theologically, it prefigures the ultimate bearing of sin by Christ.
- the iniquity (עֲוֹן ‘awōn): Moral crookedness, perversity, guilt, or punishment for guilt. Represents intentional distortion of God's ways and character. Signifies sin with a deeper level of culpability.
- of your people (עַמֶּךָ ‘ammeka): Refers to Israel, God's chosen covenant people. Emphasizes the relational aspect of God's forgiveness, extended specifically to those with whom He has made a covenant.
- You (וַתְּכַסֶּה watteḵassseh): Implicit, continues the direct address to God.
- have covered (כָּסִּיתָ kāsîtā): From kasah. To conceal, cover over, hide. In a theological sense, this implies blotting out, expiation, or atonement, making sin "unseen" in God's eyes, thus removing its damning power. This is not mere overlooking but an act of complete removal of legal culpability.
- all (כָּל kōl): Signifies totality and completeness. There is no partial forgiveness from God.
- their sin (חַטָּאתָם ḥaṭṭā'tām): From ḥaṭṭā’t. Literally "missing the mark," deviation from God's standard. A broader term for any transgression or trespass.
- Selah (סֶלָה selāh): A pause, possibly for musical instruction or reflection. It draws attention to the profound truth just stated – God's thorough and complete forgiveness – inviting the hearer to meditate on its immense significance.
Word Groups/Phrases:
- "You have forgiven the iniquity": Highlights God's active initiation of pardon. He carries away the specific guilt and twistedness of moral offense.
- "You have covered all their sin": Emphasizes the comprehensive and complete expiation. Every transgression, regardless of its nature, has been dealt with by God's covering. The parallelism deepens the sense of thoroughness in God's pardon.
Psalm 85 2 Bonus section
The psalmist’s confidence in God's past forgiveness serves as the cornerstone for the prayer for future revival found later in the psalm. This principle highlights a vital biblical pattern: recalling God's past faithfulness and gracious deeds provides the strongest basis for present prayer and hope, especially during times of distress or when seeking renewal. The placement of "Selah" directly after this statement of complete forgiveness encourages a solemn pause, compelling the worshiper to internalize the profound, life-altering truth of God's perfect and thorough pardon for sin. It shifts the focus from human deserving to divine mercy.
Psalm 85 2 Commentary
Psalm 85:2 stands as a profound affirmation of God's forgiving nature and His effective redemptive acts for His covenant people. It moves beyond a mere desire for forgiveness to a settled declaration of accomplished pardon. The psalmist explicitly states God's twofold action: first, He "forgave" (Hebrew: nasa’, to lift or carry away) their specific moral perversion and deep-seated guilt (‘awon). Second, He "covered" (Hebrew: kasah, to conceal or expiate) the totality of their general transgressions and failings (ḥaṭṭā’t). This double emphasis underscores the comprehensive nature of God's grace—He removes the heavy burden of guilt and entirely conceals the stain of sin from His sight, not just overlooking but fundamentally nullifying its power to condemn. This divine act of pardon is the essential prerequisite for national restoration and the wellspring of hope, pointing ultimately to Christ's full and complete atonement.