Psalm 32

Psalm 32 belongs to Book I (Psalms 1–41) of the Psalms. It follows the prayer of Psalm 31, in which the psalmist takes refuge in God amid affliction, and celebrates the joy of one who has confessed sin and been forgiven. Its superscription reads "A Psalm of David, Maschil," and it is the first psalm in the Psalter to bear the title Maschil (Hebrew maskil).

Structure

• Verses 1–2 declare blessed the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered, and in whose spirit there is no guile.
• Verses 3–4 look back on the time when the psalmist kept silent about his sin. He says that his bones waxed old through his roaring all the day long, and that because the Lord's hand was heavy upon him day and night, his moisture was turned into the drought of summer.
• Verse 5 testifies that when he confessed his transgressions to the LORD, the iniquity of his sin was forgiven.
• Verses 6–7 urge the godly to pray in a time when the Lord may be found. The psalmist then confesses the Lord as his hiding place, who preserves him even when the great waters overflow.
• Verses 8–9 continue with instruction: "I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go." They warn against being like the horse or the mule, which must be held in with bit and bridle before they will come near.
• Verses 10–11 contrast the many sorrows of the wicked with the mercy that surrounds those who trust in the LORD. The psalm closes by calling the righteous and the upright in heart to rejoice.

Key Verses

• Psalm 32:1, "Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered," is quoted by the apostle Paul in Romans 4.
• Psalm 32:5, "I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD," is frequently cited as a representative verse on the relationship between confession of sin and forgiveness.
• Psalm 32:8, "I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go," shows that guidance and instruction follow forgiveness.

People and Places

• David: Named as author in the superscription. No specific person or place appears in the text itself.

Interpretive Considerations

• Background: Many interpreters read this psalm alongside Psalm 51, which expresses repentance after the Bathsheba episode. However, neither the superscription nor the text of Psalm 32 identifies a specific setting. The meaning of maskil is also uncertain, though it is commonly rendered "a didactic psalm" or "a song that imparts understanding." The precise meaning of Selah, which occurs in verses 4, 5, and 7, is likewise unknown.
• The speaker in verse 8: Some read this verse as the words of God; others read it as the forgiven psalmist instructing the congregation.
• Penitential Psalms: Western church tradition has grouped Psalms 6, 32, 38, 51, 102, 130, and 143 together as the seven Penitential Psalms. His biographer Possidius reports that near the end of his life Augustine had the Penitential Psalms written on the wall and read them.
• Connection to the New Testament: In Romans 4:6–8, Paul quotes verses 1–2 to describe the blessedness of the one to whom God imputes righteousness without works. Protestant tradition regards this quotation as an important text supporting the doctrine of justification. The theme of confessing rather than concealing sin also carries over into Proverbs 28:13 and 1 John 1:7–10.

In the Korean Church

In the Korean church, this psalm is frequently used as a sermon text on repentance and the confession of sin. The Revised Common Lectionary (RCL) assigns it to the First Sunday in Lent in Year A, among other occasions, so churches that follow the liturgical calendar read it during the Lenten season.