Romans 4:7

“Blessed are they whose lawless acts are forgiven, whose sins are covered.

Berean Standard Bible

Study note

Setting — Paul addresses the Roman congregation, arguing that God credits righteousness apart from works. He quotes David to show that this blessedness is not new but already declared in the Psalms.

The words — ἀνομίαι (anomiai) means "lawless deeds," acts done outside any law, not merely violations of one. ἐπεκαλύφθησαν (epekaluphthēsan) is a physical image: something laid over, concealed from view.

The thread — The verse is a direct quotation of Psalms 32:1. The contrast with Psalms 130:3 (if God kept account, none could stand) sharpens the claim; Luke 7:47 links the magnitude of forgiveness to the magnitude of love.

Why it lands — The verse presents forgiveness as a completed fact, not a pending judgment. It asks the reader to stop treating their sins as an open ledger and receive them as already dealt with.

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 Greek words

μακάριοιmakarioiBlessed [are]ὧνhōnthey of whom ἀφέθησανaphethēsanare forgiven αἱhaithe ἀνομίαιanomiailawless deeds καὶkaiand ὧνhōnof whom ἐπεκαλύφθησανepekaluphthēsanare covered αἱhaithe ἁμαρτίαι·hamartiaisins;

King James Version

Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.

Cross-references

Psalms 32:1 Of David. A Maskil. Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.
Psalms 130:3 If You, O LORD, kept track of iniquities, then who, O Lord, could stand?
Luke 7:47 Therefore I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven, for she has loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little.”
Psalms 85:2 You forgave the iniquity of Your people; You covered all their sin. Selah
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 51:8 Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones You have crushed rejoice.
Isaiah 40:1 “Comfort, comfort My people,” says your God.
Jeremiah 33:8 And I will cleanse them from all the iniquity they have committed against Me, and will forgive all their sins of rebellion against Me.
Matthew 9:2 Just then some men brought to Him a paralytic lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Take courage, son; your sins are forgiven.”