Psalms 65:3

3 Various sins overwhelm me. You are the one who forgives our rebellious acts.

Psalms 65:3 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 65:3

Iniquities prevail against me
Or, "are mightier than I" {h}; this may be understood either of the iniquities of others, his enemies; their "words of iniquities" F9 or iniquitous words, as in the Hebrew text; their calumnies, reproaches, false charges, and accusations, which prevailed against David in Saul's court; or rather his own iniquities, inward lusts, indwelling sins, as well as open transgressions, which he considers as his enemies, as numerous and powerful, too mighty for him, which warred against him, and sometimes got the better of him, and threatened him with utter ruin and destruction; but amidst all this he spies atonement and pardon through the blood and sacrifice of Christ, as follows;

[as for] our transgressions, thou shall purge them away;
not only his own, but others, which Christ has done by the sacrifice of himself; and when his blood is applied to the conscience of a sensible sinner, it purges it from all his sins, ( Hebrews 1:3 ) ( 9:14 ) ; it may be rendered, "thou shall expiate them", or "make atonement for them" F11; which Christ, our propitiation, has done: this was the work appointed him, which he undertook, came into the world to do, and has performed, ( Daniel 9:24 ) ( Hebrews 2:17 ) ( 9:26 ) ; or "thou shalt cover them"; with the blood and righteousness of Christ; or forgive them for the sake of them, ( Psalms 32:1 Psalms 32:2 ) .


FOOTNOTES:

F8 (ynm) "prae me", Muis, Michaelis.
F9 (tnwe yrbd) "verba iniquitatum", Montanus, Vatablus, Gejerus, Michaelis; so Ainsworth.
F11 (Mrpkt) "propitiaberis", V. L. Pagninus, Montanus; "expiabis", Vatablus, Gejerus, Michaelis.

Psalms 65:3 In-Context

1 You are praised with silence in Zion, O God, and vows [made] to you must be kept.
2 You are the one who hears prayers. Everyone will come to you.
3 Various sins overwhelm me. You are the one who forgives our rebellious acts.
4 Blessed is the person you choose and invite to live with you in your courtyards. We will be filled with good food from your house, from your holy temple.
5 You answer us with awe-inspiring acts [done] in righteousness, O God, our savior, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the most distant sea,
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