Bible Strands
Psalms 85:2
You forgave the iniquity of Your people; You covered all their sin. Selah
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The psalmist addresses the LORD, recounting His restoration of Jacob from captivity and declaring His present forgiveness toward His people.
The words — The Hebrew verbs נָשָׂאתָ (naśā’tā, "you forgave/carried away") and כִּסִּיתָ (kissîṯā, "you covered") describe the removal and concealment of עוֹן ('āwōn, "iniquity") and חַטָּאתָם (ḥaṭṭā’tām, "their sin").
The thread — The text states that God forgave iniquity and covered sin, a pattern that runs to Micah 7:18 and Psalms 32:1, while Colossians 2:13 applies the concept to spiritual resurrection through Christ.
Why it lands — The passage requires the reader to acknowledge that forgiveness is God's active work of removing and hiding transgression, which directly precedes His decision to withhold fury and restore His people.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people, thou hast covered all their sin. Selah.
Cross-references
- Micah 7:18 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?
- Psalms 32:1 Of David. A Maskil. Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.
- Colossians 2:13 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,
- Numbers 14:19 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.”
- Jeremiah 50:20 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.
- Acts 13:39 Through Him everyone who believes is justified from everything from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses.
- Psalms 79:8 Do not hold past sins against us; let Your compassion come quickly, for we are brought low.
- Psalms 78:38 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.