Psalm 32

Introduction.—Ps. 32 is a penitential psalm (see p. 624). It unites personal penitence with instruction to others. The psalm has the profound purpose of showing the blessedness of the forgiveness of sin. It was composed after David committed his grievous sin with Bath-sheba (see PP 724) and is a record of his confession and the forgiveness he obtained (see 2 Sam. 11; 12). Verses 1–5 deal with David’s personal experience; vs. 6–11 give counsel. The psalm is reported to have been a favorite of Augustine’s to the moment of death. The theologian had the psalm written on the wall, that he might see it from his sickbed.

On the superscription see pp. 616, 628.

1. Blessed. Heb. Хashre (see on Ps. 1:1). Verses 1, 2 describe sin under three names: transgression, sin, iniquity (see Ex. 34:7) and discuss further the principle of justification by faith.

Transgression. Heb. peshaФ, signifying “rebellion,” departure from God, and hence implying willful sin.

Forgiven. Heb. nasЊaХ; for comment see on Ps. 25:18.

Sin. Heb. chat\aХah. Sin from the point of view of missing the mark, failing to do one’s duty.

Covered. Hence concealed, no longer to be brought against the sinner (see Ps. 85:2). Sin is not covered in the sense that it is overlooked. There is only one basis for the forgiveness of sin, namely repentance. Confession (1 John 1:9) is of value only when accompanied by repentance. Some Christians confuse the two processes and claim forgiveness on the ground of acknowledgment of guilt alone. But God is interested in the practical aspects of the case. Besides sorrow for sin, repentance includes the expulsion of sin from the life. Such expulsion is the act of the soul itself (DA 466) as energized by power from above. Forgiveness automatically follows such an experience. God can forgive all sins that are driven from the life.

Many Christians seem to be more concerned with obtaining forgiveness for their sins than with ridding the soul of all known sin. They strive to keep their sins “confessed up to date,” a noble objective, but one that has merit only if the confession has in each case been accompanied by an expulsion of the sin.

“The righteousness of Christ will not cover one cherished sin” (COL 316). Before this precious gift can be imputed, the old, tattered garments of inherited and cultivated wrongdoing must be laid aside. This was the experience of David. It was on this basis that he obtained forgiveness for his great sin. His repentance was genuine. He loathed the sin of which he had been guilty (see SC 28, 29).

2. Imputeth not. That is, God does not reckon the sin to the sinner’s account. God not only forgives sin but also accepts the truly repentant as if he had never sinned (SC 67). The sin has been laid upon Jesus, our substitute, with the result that “we are not to be anxious about what Christ and God think of us, but about what God thinks of Christ, our Substitute” (EGW GCB April 23, 1901, p. 420).

Iniquity. The Heb. Фawon, “moral distortion,” “crookedness,” “guilt.”

Guile. Heb. remiyyah, “deceit.” No falseness in himself that he knew of, and none in the sight of others or before God. His confession is sincere. Compare Rev. 14:5.

3. I kept silence. David refused to confess his sin even to himself. For a whole year after his sin in regard to Uriah and Bath-sheba, David lived in apparent security (see PP 723). But he was not free of severe mental conflicts and resultant physical suffering (see Ps. 6:2, 3; 31:9).

Roaring. Heb.sheХagah (see on Ps. 22:1).

4. Thy hand was heavy. David is referring to the proddings of a guilty conscience.

Moisture. Life forces. The Hebrew of this sentence is obscure. The LXX presents a very different reading, “I became thoroughly miserable while a thorn was fastened in me.”

Selah. See p. 629.

5. Acknowledged my sin. With acknowledgment and confession came forgiveness. On the three words for sin employed in this verse, see on vs. 1, 2.

I said. For a fuller understanding of this passage, see 2 Sam. 12:1–14; cf. Luke 15:18.

Thou. Emphatic in the Hebrew. Augustine is reported to have said, “The voice is not yet so much upon the lips, when—the wound is healed.”

6. For this. Or, “because of this.” Forgiveness bestows on the one forgiven the divine compulsion of telling others (see Acts 5:42).

When thou mayest be found. The statement of the psalmist implies that there will be a time when men will seek forgiveness and will not find it. How can this be true if God is “merciful and gracious, longsuffering” (Ex. 34:6), and willing to “abundantly pardon” (Isa. 55:7)? Naturally at the end of human probation such a condition will exist (see Amos 8:11, 12; Rev. 22:11). But the experience may come earlier to individual sinners. Many feel that they can indulge in sin, for a time at least, without serious consequences to themselves, and then, at a convenient moment, repent and obtain forgiveness. But the tragedy of sin is that it fastens itself so securely upon the soul and becomes so firmly a part of the life pattern, especially when perpetrated in the light of full knowledge, that there is often no desire later to give it up. Without such a basic desire there can be no forgiveness. In many such cases there may arise an outward desire for salvation and a seemingly sincere request for riddance of sin, but if, fundamentally, there is no desire to give up the cherished sins of the heart, the search for salvation is vain.

Sometimes the fear of consequences drives the sinner to seek pardon, as was the case with Judas (Matt. 27:3–5); or the goal of material advantage lures him, as it did Esau (Heb. 12:16, 17). But if the threatened consequences had been removed from Judas, or the birthright restored to Esau, each of these men would have pursued his old sinful course. Such seeking God cannot honor (see on Ps. 32:1).

However, the sinner may rest assured that God will not turn a deaf ear to any sincere pleading for pardon. At the same time let him be warned that willful sin, persisted in, may bring a condition in which there is no longer a desire to be cleansed of the defilement. It is this kind of condition that is described in Heb. 10:26, where the tense of the verb allows the following translation, “If we persist in wilful sin … there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins.”

In the floods. The forgiven soul will stand secure, high upon the rock of God’s salvation. The figure was impressive to the Hebrew, who was familiar with the sudden rise of water in ravines and gullies after heavy rain, and its attendant terror to the inhabitants.

7. Hiding place. See Ps. 9:9; 27:5.

Songs of deliverance. A forgiven man cannot remain silent. “How can I keep from singing?” Compare the song of Moses and Miriam (Ex. 15). When the Christian sings, others around him join in his joy.

Selah. See p. 629.

8. Instruct. Heb. sЊakal, the root of the word “maschil” appearing in the superscription to this psalm. For a discussion of “maschil” see p. 628.

Some regard vs. 8, 9 as a statement of the psalmist’s pledge to fulfill his vow to “teach transgressors” the ways of God (Ps. 51:13). However, it seems more natural to consider these verses to be God’s response to the experience of the psalmist described in vs. 1–8. David had gone astray because he had departed from God’s way and had forsaken God’s guidance. In order to prevent a future repetition of his tragic experience or a moral fall of any nature, he needed most a rededication of purpose that henceforth he would permit God to guide him. God’s gracious promise gave needed assurance of future victory, and thus inspired hope.

Security against moral lapses is found in the course here outlined. The Christian must be constantly instructed in the divine ways, so that he may discern clearly between good and evil. He must know the divine will in every matter, else he will not be able to recognize the temper in his disguise. Because of the complexities of life and the innumerable ways in which the adversary may introduce his specious reasonings, it is necessary to receive fresh instruction daily. This is obtained by a prayerful and purposeful reading of the Bible. A Christian thus instructed, who purposes in his heart that he will do nothing in any line that will displease God, will know just what course to pursue in any matter (see DA 668; cf. Ed 282; CT 17, 18).

9. As the horse. The psalmist contrasts the brute, which, having no understanding, must be restrained by force, with man, to whom God has given intelligence (see Isa. 1:3; Jer. 8:6).

10. Sorrows. Or, “pains.” The verse is a beautiful example of antithetic parallelism (see p. 24).

11. Shout for joy. The psalmist enjoys drawing others into the chorus of praise (see Ps. 64:10).

The psalm is the heart history of one who sinned, for a time refused to confess, endured the torture of guilt, finally acknowledged and confessed, and gained forgiveness. It might be called the psalm of justification by faith.

Ellen G. White comments

1, 2 SC 28

1–4 PP 724

5–7 PP 725

8 Ed 282;7T 94;9T 202

9 FE 207