Psalms 85:2

2 Thou hast forgiven the wickedness of thy people; thou hast covered all the sins of them.

Psalms 85:2 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 85:2

Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people
Took it from them, and laid it on Christ, who has bore it, and took it away, so as it shall never return more to their destruction; and by the application of his blood it is taken away from their own consciences; for this denotes the manifestation and discovery of forgiveness to themselves; it is a branch of redemption, and is in consequence of it; and is a fruit of the free favour and good will of God through Christ; and it only belongs to the Lord's special people, the people he has taken into covenant with him, and for whose iniquity Christ was stricken:

thou hast covered all their sin;
this is but another phrase for forgiveness, see ( Psalms 32:1 ) , and this is done by the blood and righteousness, and propitiatory sacrifice of Christ, the antitypical mercy seat, the covering of the law and its transgressions, and the people of God from its curse and condemnation; whose sins are so covered by Christ, as not to be seen by the eye of avenging justice, even all of them, not one remains uncovered.

Selah. (See Gill on Psalms 3:2).

Psalms 85:2 In-Context

1 To the overcomer, the song of the sons of Korah. Lord, thou hast blessed thy land; thou hast turned away the captivity of Jacob. (To the overcomer, the song for the sons of Korah. Lord, thou hast blessed thy land; thou hast brought back the captives of Jacob/thou hast returned prosperity to Jacob.)

2 Thou hast forgiven the wickedness of thy people; thou hast covered all the sins of them.

3 Thou hast assuaged all thine ire; thou hast turned (thyself) away from the ire of thine indignation.

4 God, our health, convert thou us; and turn away thine ire from us. (God, our salvation, bring thou us back/God, our deliverance, turn back to us; and turn away thy anger from us.)

5 Whether thou shalt be wroth to us [into] without end; either shalt thou hold forth thine ire from generation into generation? (Shalt thou be angry with us forever? shalt thou bring forth thy anger to all generations?)