Mazmur 32:1

Psalm 32 ¹ 

By David; a well-written song. ² 

32:1 How blessed ³  is the one whose rebellious acts are forgiven, ⁴ 

whose sin is pardoned! ⁵ 

Mazmur 38:18

38:18 Yes, ⁶  I confess my wrongdoing,

and I am concerned about my sins.

Mazmur 51:2

51:2 Wash away my wrongdoing! ⁷ 

Cleanse me of my sin! ⁸ 

Mazmur 51:9

51:9 Hide your face ⁹  from my sins!

Wipe away ¹⁰  all my guilt!

[32:1]  ¹ sn Psalm 32. The psalmist recalls the agony he experienced prior to confessing his sins and affirms that true happiness comes when one’s sins are forgiven. He then urges others not to be stubborn, but to turn to God while forgiveness is available, for God extends his mercy to the repentant, while the wicked experience nothing but sorrow.

[32:1]  ² tn The meaning of the Hebrew term מַשְׂכִּיל (maskil) is uncertain. The word is derived from a verb meaning “to be prudent; to be wise.” Various options are: “a contemplative song,” “a song imparting moral wisdom,” or “a skillful [i.e., well-written] song.” The term occurs in the superscriptions of Pss 32, 42, 44, 45, 52-55, 74, 78, 88, 89, and 142, as well as in Ps 47:7.

[32:1]  ³ tn The Hebrew noun is an abstract plural. The word often refers metonymically to the happiness that God-given security and prosperity produce (see Pss 1:1, 3; 2:12; 34:9; 41:1; 65:4; 84:12; 89:15; 106:3; 112:1; 127:5; 128:1; 144:15). Here it refers to the relief that one experiences when one’s sins are forgiven.

[32:1]  ⁴ tn Heb “lifted up.”

[32:1]  ⁵ tn Heb “covered over.”

[38:18]  ⁶ tn Or “for.” The translation assumes that כִּי (ki) is asseverative here.

[51:2]  ⁷ tn Heb “Thoroughly wash me from my wrongdoing.”

[51:2]  ⁸ sn In vv. 1b-2 the psalmist uses three different words to emphasize the multifaceted character and degree of his sin. Whatever one wants to call it (“rebellious acts,” “wrongdoing,” “sin”), he has done it and stands morally polluted in God’s sight. The same three words appear in Exod 34:7, which emphasizes that God is willing to forgive sin in all of its many dimensions. In v. 2 the psalmist compares forgiveness and restoration to physical cleansing. Perhaps he likens spiritual cleansing to the purification rites of priestly law.

[51:9]  ⁹ sn In this context Hide your face from my sins means “Do not hold me accountable for my sins.”

[51:9]  ¹⁰ tn See the note on the similar expression “wipe away my rebellious acts” in v. 1.