Psalm 32:2 Study Bible: Happy is the one to whom the LORD does not charge with sin, in whose spirit there is no deceit.

◄ Psalm 32:2 ►

Blessed is the man whose iniquity the LORD does not count against him, in whose spirit there is no deceit.

Blessed is the man
The Hebrew word for "blessed" is "אַשְׁרֵי" (ashrei), which conveys a deep sense of happiness and contentment that comes from being in right standing with God. This blessing is not merely a temporary or superficial happiness but a profound state of well-being and peace. In the biblical context, this blessedness is often associated with living in accordance with God's will and experiencing His favor. The phrase "the man" is inclusive, indicating that this blessing is available to anyone who seeks God's forgiveness and lives in His truth.

whose sin the LORD does not count against him
The Hebrew word for "sin" is "חֵטְא" (chet), which refers to an offense or a missing of the mark in relation to God's law. The phrase "does not count against him" is derived from the Hebrew verb "חָשַׁב" (chashav), meaning to reckon or impute. This is a powerful expression of divine grace, where God chooses not to hold one's sins against them. This concept is central to the Christian doctrine of justification, where through faith in Christ, believers are declared righteous and their sins are not counted against them. It reflects the merciful nature of God, who offers forgiveness and a clean slate to those who repent.

and in whose spirit there is no deceit
The word "spirit" in Hebrew is "רוּחַ" (ruach), which can refer to the inner self or the seat of one's emotions and will. The absence of "deceit" (Hebrew: "רְמִיָּה", remiyah) in one's spirit signifies a life of integrity and truthfulness before God. This phrase emphasizes the importance of sincerity and transparency in one's relationship with God. It suggests that true blessedness is not only about being forgiven but also about living authentically and honestly. In the broader biblical narrative, deceit is often associated with sin and separation from God, while truthfulness is linked to righteousness and communion with Him.

Persons / Places / Events

1. David
Traditionally attributed as the author of Psalm 32, David is a central figure in the Old Testament, known for his deep relationship with God, his kingship over Israel, and his heartfelt psalms of repentance and praise.

2. The LORD (Yahweh)
The covenant name of God, emphasizing His eternal, self-existent nature and His relationship with His people. In this context, He is the one who forgives and does not count sin against the repentant.

3. The Blessed Man
Represents any individual who has received God's forgiveness and whose life is marked by integrity and honesty before God.

Teaching Points

The Joy of Forgiveness
Understanding that true happiness and blessedness come from knowing our sins are forgiven by God. This should lead to a life of gratitude and worship.

Integrity of Spirit
Emphasizes the importance of living with honesty and transparency before God. A deceitful spirit hinders our relationship with Him.

God's Grace in Forgiveness
Highlights the unmerited favor of God in not counting our sins against us. This should encourage us to extend grace and forgiveness to others.

The Role of Confession
Encourages regular self-examination and confession of sins as a means to maintain a clear conscience and a right relationship with God.

Living in the Light
Calls believers to walk in the light of God's truth, avoiding deceit and embracing a life of integrity and authenticity.

Bible Study Questions

1. How does understanding the blessedness of forgiveness change your perspective on past sins and mistakes?

2. In what ways can you cultivate a spirit without deceit in your daily walk with God?

3. How does the assurance of God's forgiveness influence your relationships with others, especially in terms of offering forgiveness?

4. What practical steps can you take to ensure regular confession and repentance in your spiritual life?

5. How can the themes of Psalm 32:2 be seen in the life and teachings of Jesus, and how can you apply these lessons to your own life?

Connections to Other Scriptures

Romans 4:6-8
Paul references Psalm 32 to illustrate the blessedness of the person whose sins are forgiven, emphasizing justification by faith apart from works.

1 John 1:9
This verse highlights the promise of forgiveness and cleansing from sin when we confess, aligning with the theme of honesty and integrity in spirit.

Psalm 51
Another psalm of David, which provides a deeper insight into his repentance and desire for a pure heart, connecting to the theme of a spirit without deceit.

Sermons

Guile Forsaken When Guilt is Forgiven		Psalm 32:2
Motives to Guilelessness	T. Taylor, D. D.	Psalm 32:2
Signs of a Sincere and Guileless Heart	T. Taylor, D. D.	Psalm 32:2
From Great Misery to Greater Blessedness	C. Short	Psalm 32:1-5
A Song of a Saved Soul	Joseph Pearce.	Psalm 32:1-7
Pardon of Sin the Only True Means to Happiness	T. Taylor, D,D.	Psalm 32:1-7
Persuasions to Seek After the Blessedness of Pardon		Psalm 32:1-7
Sin and Forgiveness	A. Maclaren, D. D.	Psalm 32:1-7
Sin Forgiven	J. H. Jowett, M. A.	Psalm 32:1-7
The Blessedness of Forgiveness	T. Vincent, M. A.	Psalm 32:1-7
The Blessedness of Forgiveness	H. Law, M. A.	Psalm 32:1-7
The Blessedness of Pardon		Psalm 32:1-7
The Gate to the Confessional	M. R. Vincent, D. D.	Psalm 32:1-7
The not Imputing of Sin	John Donne, D. D.	Psalm 32:1-7
The Pardon of Sin		Psalm 32:1-7
The Penitential Psalms	M. R. Vincent, D. D.	Psalm 32:1-7
True Blessedness	S. Guthrie, D. D.	Psalm 32:1-7
Divine Forgiveness	C. Clemance	Psalm 32:1-11

People

David, Psalmist

Places

Jerusalem

Topics

Blessed, Count, Counteth, Deceit, Doesn't, Evil, Guile, Happiness, Happy, Impute, Imputes, Imputeth, Iniquity, O, Reckoneth, Sees, Sin, Spirit

Dictionary of Bible Themes

Psalm 32:2

     5274   credit
     6147   deceit, practice
     8278   innocence, teaching on
     8767   hypocrisy

Psalm 32:1-2

     5146   covering
     6511   salvation
     6674   imputation

Psalm 32:1-4

6174 guilt, human aspects

Psalm 32:1-5

6655 forgiveness, application

Psalm 32:1-11

6175 guilt, removal of

Psalm 32:2-3

5136 body

Library

A Threefold Thought of Sin and Forgiveness
'Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. 2. Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.' --PSALM xxxii. 1, 2. This psalm, which has given healing to many a wounded conscience, comes from the depths of a conscience which itself has been wounded and healed. One must be very dull of hearing not to feel how it throbs with emotion, and is, in fact, a gush of rapture from a heart experiencing in its freshness the new joy …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

December the Thirtieth the Blessedness of Forgiveness
"Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven." --PSALM xxxii. It is the blessedness of emancipation. The boat which has been tethered to the weird, baleful shore is set free, and sails toward the glories of the morning. The man, long cramped in the dark, imprisoning pit, is brought out, and stretches his limbs in the sweet light and air of God's free world. Black servitude is ended; glorious liberty begins. It is the blessedness of education. For when we are freed we are by no means perfected. …
John Henry Jowett—My Daily Meditation for the Circling Year

Self-Scrutiny in God's Presence.
ISAIAH, i. 11.--"Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord; though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." These words were at first addressed to the Church of God. The prophet Isaiah begins his prophecy, by calling upon the heavens and the earth to witness the exceeding sinfulness of God's chosen people. "Hear, O heavens, and give ear O earth: for the Lord hath spoken; I have nourished and brought up children, …
William G.T. Shedd—Sermons to the Natural Man

Confession of Sin Illustrated by the Cases of Dr. Pritchard and Constance Kent
See, dear friends, the value of a truthful grace-wrought confession of sin; it is to be prized above all price, for he that confesseth his sin and forsaketh it, shall find mercy. Now, it is a well known fact, that when God is pleased to bestow upon men any choice gift, Satan, who is the god of counterfeits, is sure very soon to produce a base imitation, true in appearance, but worthless in reality: his object is deception, and full often he succeeds. How many there are who have made a worthless confession, …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 11: 1865

Bit and Bridle: How to Escape Them
After a man is pardoned, anxiety is awakened as to how he shall be kept from sin in the future. The burnt child dreads the fire; and although his burns have all been healed, he dreads the fire none the less, but all the more. These who have been scorched by sin tremble at even a distant approach to the flame. You will always know whether you are delivered from the guilt of sin by answering this question--Am I delivered from the love of sin? He who lost his way yesterday feels his need of a guide …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 37: 1891

Heroes and Heroines (Whitsunday. )
PSALM xxxii. 8. I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye. This is God's promise; which he fulfilled at sundry times and in different manners to all the men of the old world who trusted in him. He informed them; that is, he put them into right form, right shape, right character, and made them the men which they were meant to be. He taught them in the way in which they ought to go. He guided them where they could not guide themselves. But …
Charles Kingsley—The Good News of God

Pardon and Peace
(Twenty-first Sunday after Trinity.) Psalm xxxii. 1-7. Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile. When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long. For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. I acknowledge my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions …
Charles Kingsley—Town and Country Sermons

The Faults Committed in this Degree --Distractions, Temptations --The Course to be Pursued Respecting Them.
As soon as we fall into a fault, or have wandered, we must turn again within ourselves; because this fault having turned us from God, we should as soon as possible turn towards Him, and suffer the penitence which He Himself will give. It is of great importance that we should not be anxious about these faults, because the anxiety only springs from a secret pride and a love of our own excellence. We are troubled at feeling what we are. If we become discouraged, we shall grow weaker yet; and reflection …
Jeanne Marie Bouvières—A Short Method Of Prayer And Spiritual Torrents

Of Confession of Our Infirmity and of the Miseries of this Life
I will acknowledge my sin unto Thee;(1) I will confess to Thee, Lord, my infirmity. It is often a small thing which casteth me down and maketh me sad. I resolve that I will act bravely, but when a little temptation cometh, immediately I am in a great strait. Wonderfully small sometimes is the matter whence a grievous temptation cometh, and whilst I imagine myself safe for a little space; when I am not considering, I find myself often almost overcome by a little puff of wind. 2. Behold, therefore, …
Thomas A Kempis—Imitation of Christ

Letter iii (A. D. 1131) to Bruno, Archbishop Elect of Cologne
To Bruno, [8] Archbishop Elect of Cologne Bernard having been consulted by Bruno as to whether he ought to accept the See of Cologne, so replies as to hold him in suspense, and render him in awe of the burden of so great a charge. He advises him to seek counsel of God in prayer. 1. You seek counsel from me, most illustrious Bruno, as to whether you ought to accept the Episcopate, to which it is desired to advance you. What mortal can presume to decide this for you? If God calls you, who can dare …
Saint Bernard of Clairvaux—Some Letters of Saint Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux

The Tears of the Penitent.
Adversity had taught David self-restraint, had braced his soul, had driven him to grasp firmly the hand of God. And prosperity had seemed for nearly twenty years but to perfect the lessons. Gratitude had followed deliverance, and the sunshine after the rain had brought out the fragrance of devotion and the blossoms of glad songs. A good man, and still more a man of David's age at the date of his great crime, seldom falls so low, unless there has been previous, perhaps unconscious, relaxation of the …
Alexander Maclaren—The Life of David

The First Disciples: iv. Nathanael
'Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found Him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. 46. And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see. 47. Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile! 48. Nathanael saith unto Him, Whence knowest Thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

David's Sin in the Matter of Uriah.
"And David said unto Nathan, 'I have sinned against the Lord.' And Nathan said unto David, 'The lord also hath put away thy sin; then shalt not die.'" The sin here referred to is that of David in the matter of Uriah. A strange and sad event--taken in all its circumstances and connections, it is without a parallel. But the circumstance most to be lamented, is that mentioned by the prophet, in the close of his message--"By this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme." …
Andrew Lee et al—Sermons on Various Important Subjects

Out of the Deep of Sin.
Innumerable troubles are come about me. My sins have taken such hold upon me, that I am not able to look up; yea, they are more in number than the hairs of my head, and my heart hath failed me.--Ps. xl. 15. I acknowledge my faults, and my sin is ever before me. Against Thee only have I sinned, and done this evil in Thy sight.--Ps. li. 3. I said, I will confess my sins unto the Lord; and so Thou forgavest the wickedness of my sin.--Ps. xxxii. 6. Blessed is the man whose iniquity is forgiven, and …
Charles Kingsley—Out of the Deep

Grace and Holiness.
"Now God Himself and our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way unto you. And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you: To the end He may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints."--1 THESS. iii. 11-13. There are few more precious subjects for meditation and imitation than the prayers and intercessions of the great Apostle. …
W. H. Griffith Thomas—The Prayers of St. Paul

Question Lxxxiii of Prayer
I. Is Prayer an Act of the Appetitive Powers? Cardinal Cajetan, On Prayer based on Friendship II. Is it Fitting to Pray? Cardinal Cajetan, On Prayer as a True Cause S. Augustine, On the Sermon on the Mount, II. iii. 14 " On the Gift of Perseverance, vii. 15 III. Is Prayer an Act of the Virtue of Religion? Cardinal Cajetan, On the Humility of Prayer S. Augustine, On Psalm cii. 10 " Of the Gift of Perseverance, xvi. 39 IV. Ought We to Pray to God Alone? S. Augustine, Sermon, cxxvii. 2 V. …
St. Thomas Aquinas—On Prayer and The Contemplative Life

Epistle Xlvi. To Isacius, Bishop of Jerusalem .
To Isacius, Bishop of Jerusalem [159] . Gregory to Isacius, &c. In keeping with the truth of history, what means the fact that at the time of the flood the human race outside the ark dies, but within the ark is preserved unto life, but what we see plainly now, namely that all the unfaithful perish under the wave of their sin, while the unity of holy Church, like the compactness of the ark, keeps her faithful ones in faith and in charity? And this ark in truth is compacted of incorruptible timber, …
Saint Gregory the Great—the Epistles of Saint Gregory the Great

A Description of Heart-Purity
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Matthew 5:8 The holy God, who is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity' calls here for heart-purity, and to such as are adorned with this jewel, he promises a glorious and beatifical vision of himself: they shall see God'. Two things are to be explained the nature of purity; the subject of purity. 1 The nature of purity. Purity is a sacred refined thing. It stands diametrically opposed to whatsoever defiles. We must distinguish the various kinds …
Thomas Watson—The Beatitudes: An Exposition of Matthew 5:1-12

Of the True Church. Duty of Cultivating Unity with Her, as the Mother of all the Godly.
1. The church now to be considered. With her God has deposited whatever is necessary to faith and good order. A summary of what is contained in this Book. Why it begins with the Church. 2. In what sense the article of the Creed concerning the Church is to be understood. Why we should say, "I believe the Church," not "I believe in the Church." The purport of this article. Why the Church is called Catholic or Universal. 3. What meant by the Communion of Saints. Whether it is inconsistent with various …
John Calvin—The Institutes of the Christian Religion

The Best Things Work for Good to the Godly
WE shall consider, first, what things work for good to the godly; and here we shall show that both the best things and the worst things work for their good. We begin with the best things. 1. God's attributes work for good to the godly. (1). God's power works for good. It is a glorious power (Col. i. 11), and it is engaged for the good of the elect. God's power works for good, in supporting us in trouble. "Underneath are the everlasting arms" (Deut. xxxiii. 27). What upheld Daniel in the lion's den? …
Thomas Watson—A Divine Cordial

The Godly are in Some Sense Already Blessed
I proceed now to the second aphorism or conclusion, that the godly are in some sense already blessed. The saints are blessed not only when they are apprehended by God, but while they are travellers to glory. They are blessed before they are crowned. This seems a paradox to flesh and blood. What, reproached and maligned, yet blessed! A man that looks upon the children of God with a carnal eye and sees how they are afflicted, and like the ship in the gospel which was covered with waves' (Matthew 8:24), …
Thomas Watson—The Beatitudes: An Exposition of Matthew 5:1-12

The Consolation
Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received at the LORD 's hand double for all her sins. T he particulars of the great "mystery of godliness," as enumerated by the Apostle Paul, constitute the grand and inexhaustible theme of the Gospel ministry, "God manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on …
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 1

Man's Inability to Keep the Moral Law
Is any man able perfectly to keep the commandments of God? No mere man, since the fall, is able in this life perfectly to keep the commandments of God, but does daily break them, in thought, word, and deed. In many things we offend all.' James 3: 2. Man in his primitive state of innocence, was endowed with ability to keep the whole moral law. He had rectitude of mind, sanctity of will, and perfection of power. He had the copy of God's law written on his heart; no sooner did God command but he obeyed. …
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments

Links

Psalm 32:2 NIV
Psalm 32:2 NLT
Psalm 32:2 ESV
Psalm 32:2 NASB
Psalm 32:2 KJV

Psalm 32:2 Commentaries

Bible Hub