Albert Barnes Commentary Psalms 32

Blessed is he ... - On the meaning of the word “blessed,” see the notes at (Psalms 1:1). See the passage explained in the notes at (Romans 4:7–8). The word “blessed” here is equivalent to “happy.” “Happy is the man;” or “happy is the condition—the state of mind—happy are the prospects, of one whose sins are forgiven.”

His condition is happy or blessed:

1. as compared with his former state, when he was pressed or bowed down under a sense of guilt;
2. in his real condition, as that of a pardoned man—a man who has nothing now to fear as the result of his guilt, or who feels that he is at peace with God;
3. in his hopes and prospects, as now a child of God and an heir of heaven.

Whose transgression is forgiven - The word rendered “forgiven” means properly to lift up, to bear, to carry, to carry away; and sin which is forgiven is referred to here “as if” it were borne away—perhaps as the scapegoat bore off sin into the wilderness. (Job 7:21; Genesis 50:17; Numbers 14:19; Isaiah 2:9).

Whose sin is covered - As it were, “covered over”; that is, concealed or hidden; or, in other words, so covered that it will not appear. This is the idea in the Hebrew word which is commonly used to denote the atonement—כפר (kâphar)—meaning “to cover over”; then, to overlook, to forgive (Genesis 6:14; Psalms 65:3; Psalms 78:38; Daniel 9:24). The original word here, however, is different—כסה (kâsâh)—though meaning the same: “to cover.” The idea is, that the sin would be, as it were, covered over, hidden, concealed, so that it would no longer come into the view of either God or man; that is, the offender would be regarded and treated as if he had not sinned, or as if he had no sin.

Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity - Whose sin is not “reckoned” to him, or “charged” on him. The reference here is “to his own sin.” The idea is not that he is happy to whom God does not charge the guilt of other men, but that he is happy who is not charged “with his own guilt,” or who is treated as if he had no guilt; that is, as if he were innocent.

This is the true idea of justification. It is that a man, although he is a sinner and “is conscious” of having violated the law of God, is treated as if he had not committed sin, or as if he were innocent; that is, he is pardoned, and his sins are remembered against him no more; and it is the purpose of God to treat him henceforth as if he were innocent.

The act of pardon does not change the facts in the case, or “make him innocent,” but it makes it proper for God to treat him as if he were innocent. The sin will not be re-charged to him, or reckoned to his account; but he is admitted to the same kind of treatment to which he would be entitled if he had always been perfectly holy.

See the notes on Romans 1:17; Romans 3:24; Romans 4:5; and Romans 5:1.

And in whose spirit there is no guile - Who are sincere and true. That is, who are not hypocrites; who are conscious of no desire to cover up or to conceal their offences; who make a frank and full confession to God, imploring pardon. The “guile” here refers to the matter under consideration. The idea is not who are “innocent,” or “without guilt,” but who are sincere, frank, and honest in making “confession” of their sins; who keep nothing back when they go before God. We cannot go before him and plead our innocence, but we may go before him with the feeling of conscious sincerity and honesty in making confession of our guilt. Compare Psalm 66:18.

When I kept silence - The psalmist now goes on to state his condition of mind before he himself found this peace, or before he had this evidence of pardon; the state in which he felt deeply that he was a sinner, yet was unwilling to confess his sin and attempted to conceal it in his heart. He refers to this with the expression, “When I kept silence;” that is, before I confessed my sin, or before I mentioned it to God.

His state of mind was evidently this: he had committed sin, but he endeavored to hide it in his own mind; he was unwilling to confess it and to implore pardon. He hoped, probably, that the conviction of sin would die away; or that his trouble would stop on its own; or that time would relieve him; or that employment—busying himself with worldly affairs—would soothe the anguish of his spirit and make it unnecessary for him to make a humiliating confession of his guilt.

He thus describes a state of mind that is very common for sinners. They know they are sinners, but they are unwilling to confess their guilt. They attempt to conceal it. They procrastinate or try to push the whole subject far away. They endeavor to divert their minds and turn their thoughts from a subject as painful as the idea of guilt—by occupation, amusement, or even by plunging into scenes of dissipation. Sometimes—often, in fact—they are successful in this. However, sometimes, as in the psalmist's case, the trouble from remembering sins becomes deeper and deeper, destroying their rest and wasting their strength, until they make humble confession, and then the mind finds rest.

My bones waxed old - My strength failed; my strength was exhausted; it seemed as if the decrepitude of old age was coming upon me. The word used here, and translated “waxed old,” properly denotes “decay,” or the wearing out of strength by slow decay. All have witnessed the prostrating effect of excessive grief.

Through my roaring - My cries of anguish and distress. See the notes on Psalm 22:1. The meaning here is that his sorrow was so great it led to loud and passionate cries; and this well describes the condition of a mind in deep trouble from remembering sin and fearing God’s wrath.

All the day long - Continually; without intermission.

For day and night - I found no relief even at night. The burden was constant and unbearable.

Thy hand was heavy upon me - Your hand seemed to press me down. It weighed upon me. See Job 13:21; Psalms 39:10. It was the remembrance of guilt that troubled him, but that seemed to him to be the hand of God. It was God who brought that guilt to his recollection; and God “kept” the recollection of it before his mind, and on his heart and conscience, so that he could not throw it off.

My moisture - The word used here - לשׁד l^eshad - means properly “juice” or “sap,” as in a tree; and then, “vital-moisture,” or, as we should say, “life-blood.” Then it comes to denote vigour or strength.

Is turned into the drought of summer - Is, as it were, all dried up. I am - that is, I was at the time referred to - like plants in the heat of summer, in a time of drought, when all moisture of rain or dew is withheld, and when they dry up and wither. Nothing could more strikingly represent the distress of mind under long-continued conviction of sin, when all strength and vigour seem to waste away.

I acknowledged my sin unto thee - That is, then I confessed my guilt. I had borne the dreadful pressure as long as I could. I had tried to conceal and suppress my conviction, but I found no relief. The anguish became deeper and deeper; my strength was failing; I was crushed under the intolerable burden, and when I could no longer bear it, I went and made humble confession, and found relief.

The verb used here is in the future tense, “I will acknowledge my sin;” but for a correct understanding of it, it should be regarded as referring to the state of mind at the time mentioned in the psalm, and the resolution which the psalmist then formed. The words “I said” should be understood here. He expresses this in a subsequent part of the verse, doubtless referring to the same time: “I said,” or I formed a resolution to this effect.

The idea is that he could find no relief in any other way. He could not banish these serious and troubling thoughts from his mind; his days and nights were spent in anguish. He resolved to go to God and confess his sin, and to see what relief could be found by such an acknowledgment of guilt.

And mine iniquity have I not hid - That is, I did not attempt then to hide it. I made a frank, a full confession. I stated it all, without any attempt to conceal it; to apologize for it; or to defend it. Previously, he had tried to conceal it, and it was crushing him to the earth. He now resolved to confess it all, and he found relief.

I said - I formed the resolution.

I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord - I will no longer attempt to hide them, or to suppress the convictions of guilt. I will seek the only proper relief by making confession of my sin, and by obtaining forgiveness. This resolution was substantially the same as that of the prodigal son: I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned (Luke 15:18).

And thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin - He found that God was willing to pardon; as soon as he made confession, he obtained the evidence of pardon. “All the guilt,” or the “iniquity” of his sin, was at once forgiven; and, as a consequence, he found peace. In what way he had evidence that his sin was forgiven he does not state. It may have been in his case by direct revelation, but it is more probable that he obtained this evidence in the same way that sinners do now, by the internal peace and joy which follows such an act of penitent confession. In regard to this, we may observe:

1. The very act of making confession tends to give relief to the mind; and, in fact, relief can never be found when confession is not made.
2. We have the assurance that when confession is made in a proper manner, God will pardon. (See the notes at 1 John 1:9).
3. When such confession is made, peace will flow into the soul; God will show himself merciful and gracious. The peace that follows from a true confession of guilt before God proves that God has heard the prayer of the penitent and has been merciful in forgiving his offenses.

Thus, without any miracle, or any direct revelation, we may obtain evidence that our sins are washed away, which will give comfort to the soul.