Psalms 85:2
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You forgave the iniquity of Your people; You covered all their sin. Selah
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
Interpreters are generally of the opinion that this psalm was penned after the return of the Jews out of their captivity in Babylon, when they still remained under some tokens of God's displeasure, which they here pray for the removal of. And nothing appears to the contrary, but that it might be penned then, as well as Psa 137:1-9. They are the public interests that lie near the psalmist's heart here, and the psalm is penned for the great congregation. The church was here in a deluge; above were clouds, below were waves; every thing was dark and dismal. The church is like Noah in the ark, between life and death, between hope and fear; being so, I. Here is the dove sent forth in prayer. The petitions are against sin and wrath (Psa 85:4) and for mercy and grace (Psa 85:7). The pleas are taken from former favours (Psa 85:1-3) and present distresses (Psa 85:5, Psa 85:6). II. Here is the dove returning with an olive branch of peace and good tidings; the psalmist expects her return (Psa 85:8) and then recounts the favours to God's Israel which by the spirit of prophecy he gave assurance of to others, and by the spirit of faith he took the assurance of to himself (Psa 85:9-13). In singing this psalm we may be assisted in our prayers to God both for his church in general and for the land of our nativity in particular. The former part will be of use to direct our desires, the latter to encourage our faith and hope in those prayers. To the chief musician. A psalm for the sons of Korah.
Open source ↗85:2 When God forgave the guilt of their sins, he gave the people the possibility of fellowship with him (see 32:5).
Open source ↗Original language
The Hebrew and Greek words behind this passage, with Strong's numbers — from openscriptures (CC BY-SA).
Cross-references
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When you were dead in your trespasses and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our trespasses,
Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.
Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity and passes over the transgression of the remnant of His inheritance— who does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in loving devotion?
Through Him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses.
Pardon, I pray, the iniquity of this people, in keeping with the greatness of Your loving devotion, just as You have forgiven them ever since they left Egypt.”
In those days and at that time, declares the LORD, a search will be made for Israel’s guilt, but there will be none, and for Judah’s sins, but they will not be found; for I will forgive the remnant I preserve.
And yet He was compassionate; He forgave their iniquity and did not destroy them. He often restrained His anger and did not unleash His full wrath.