“Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sins are put out of sight.
Parallel translations
- WEB “Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, whose sins are covered.
- KJV Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.
- BSB “Blessed are they whose lawless acts are forgiven, whose sins are covered.
- NKJV “Blessedare those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, And whose sins are covered;
- NASB “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds have been forgiven, And whose sins have been covered.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Blessed are those whose sins are forgiven and covered. Justification includes the joyful pardon of guilt.
Overview
Quoting Psalm 32:1, Paul shows that the credited righteousness David spoke of is experienced as forgiveness, sins 'forgiven' and 'covered.' To be justified is to have one's transgressions taken away and no longer held against us. This pardon is secured through Christ, whose sacrifice covers the sins of all who believe.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- Ps 32:1–2By David. A contemplative psalm. Blessed is he whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is covered.
- Ps 130:3–4If you, Yah, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand?
- Luke 7:47–50Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.”
- Ps 85:2You have forgiven the iniquity of your people. You have covered all their sin. Selah.
- Mic 7:18–20Who is a God like you, who pardons iniquity, and passes over the disobedience of the remnant of his heritage? He doesn’t retain his anger forever, because he delights in loving kindness.
- Ps 51:8–9Let me hear joy and gladness, That the bones which you have broken may rejoice.
- Isa 40:1–2“Comfort, comfort my people,” says your God.
- Jer 33:8–9I will cleanse them from all their iniquity, by which they have sinned against me; and I will pardon all their iniquities, by which they have sinned against me, and by which they have transgressed against me.
- Matt 9:2Behold, they brought to him a man who was paralyzed, lying on a bed. Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the paralytic, “Son, cheer up! Your sins are forgiven you.”
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Paul unfolds the gospel in full: Christ our righteousness received by faith, the second Adam in whom many are made righteous, in whose death and resurrection we are buried and raised.
How Romans 4:7 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.